Couple fear losing their family home
8:58am Thursday 9th September 2010 in News
UPSET neighbours are fighting to stop a couple being “evicted” from their family home following the death of a relative.
Tracy Dobbs and her husband Alan are being asked to leave the Bolton at Home property in Vale Avenue, Horwich, because Mrs Dobbs’ father has died and the tenancy was in his name.
Last night Bolton at Home said it was doing all it could to help the couple find a new property but said it was bound by council tenancy rules.
Mrs Dobbs’ parents moved into the house 39 years ago when she was three-yearsold.
She left the house when she married, but when her mother died in 2000, the couple left their own home and moved in with her father to take care of him. But when her father died last month, Bolton at Home told her that they would have to leave the property because neither of them are on the tenancy agreement.
Mrs Dobbs said: “I feel very bitter, people can’t expect me to feel anything else. I have grown up in this house and they want us to leave because we don’t have children. We have put our lives on hold to take care of my dad. We haven’t been able to start a family, now we are planning to.”
Neighbours have got together to fight for the couple to stay in the property and are planning a petition.
Nextdoor neighbour Catherine Gilbertson said: “I think it is awful.
“She put her life on hold to look after her dad and as neighbours we have grown to respect and trust them, and we would like to keep them here.”
There are 15,000 people who want a council home in Bolton, including families with children. Cllr Barbara Ronson has been liaising with Bolton at Home and the couple. She said: “It is a difficult situation because of the demand for council houses.
When Tracy’s mother passed away, the tenancy was transferred to her father. Because it had been transferred once already, the family were unable to transfer it again because council policy states that it can only be transferred once.”
Bolton at Home said: “We empathise with our customers at this difficult time, however we must follow housing law and Bolton Council policy with regard to succession rights. This currently allows only one succession per tenancy.
“We’re meeting with our customers to offer them a six-month, non-secure tenancy at the property to give them time and support, and we’ll work with them to secure alternative accommodation.”
