Homeowners being kicked out of houses

Oct 26 2012 by Jennifer Buchanan, Ayrshire Post

Families face being booted on to the street – because they own their own homes.

A controversial move to demolish an entire neighbourhood looks set to leave homeowners to fend for themselves.

The move will see council tenants affected moved to new houses and some given £1500 in compensation.

But residents, like mum-of-two Mary Courtney, have so far been given no support.

She has lived in her house in Ayr’s Ferguson Street with her husband and daughters since 1996 and bought it from the council in 2004. The 45-year-old explained that she has no idea where her family will end up then the bulldozers finally move in.

She said: “The nature of my husband’s job means he has to retire in three years, so what chance have we got in being accepted for a new mortgage?

“We don’t know where we’re going to live and we’ve had no help or guidance.

“The council won’t even talk to us directly now, they advised us to get lawyers.

“It’s just so unfair. .”

South Ayrshire Council is in the process of sending out district valuers toexamine each home and offers will be made to buy them from their owners.

The council state thepurchase offers will be based on “market value, plus an amount of compensation”.

But mum-of-one Hazel O’Hara, 43, who has owned a house on the street since 1995, said: “My house currently has no market value because of the plans to demolish the block.

“We worked to make our house a home and planned to leave it as inheritance to our son.

“Now it’s worthless.” Kenneth Leinster, head of community care and housing for South Ayrshire Council, said: “Following the decision made by the council on October 2 to demolish the maisonettes in Ferguson Street and Sloan Street in Ayr, a letter was sent to all owners and their representatives outlining the current position and what the next steps in the process will be.

“The District Valuation Service has been instructed by us to contact all owners to carry out initial property valuations.

“Eleven of the 12 owners have now been visited by the district valuer and we are awaiting access to the one remaining property.

“We are committed to ensuring that owners are assisted to relocate from their maisonettes and are kept up to date throughout the process.”