Good Old Fergus!

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

macaque wrote: »

Higher prices should stimulate greater supply but we have seen the opposite. .

Supply rose every year from 2000 to 2007.

And supply has risen markedly over the last year as well, although from a very low base thanks to crash/credit crunch.

The wider constraints to the market are still planning permission and mortgage availability. Fix those two problems and supply will increase.

Loughton_Monkey

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Trials that have took place would disagree with you. Arrears did indeed go up, but nothing like the amounts to which you suggest.

I didn't suggest any amounts. I suggested that possibly only a handful out of 200 pay their rent impeccably.

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Indeed, I believe the landlords can ask for it to be paid directly to them still. His issues are far more than arrears though.

With much difficulty, I understand. And only after already suffering.

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Only a few months ago he was in the papers telling everyone how his profits have soared thanks to low interest rats though, so surely there is some leeway here for him.

But his profits are soaring not just because of interest rates. It's because his rents are probably soaring as well.

Graham_Devon wrote: »

I agree that there will be some who spend benefit money intended for housing on other items.

Do you therefore agree that this is - to all intents and purposes - 'theft'? Maybe a bit like giving your kid dinner money to take to school, but he doesn't buy school dinners. Just spends the money on something else, and scrounges crisps off the other kids....

Graham_Devon wrote: »

But to make all the absolute majority of those on housing benefit are financially illiterate is a slur gone to far, IMHO.

Some of them are 'financially illiterate'. Many more are far less than 'illiterate' to the point that they know damned well the 'law' and the slow mechanism for recovery of rent arrears, plus the continued obligation of LA's to house them. So using rent as a sort of "free borrowing" is financially quite 'literate', albeit reckless, and dishonest.

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Y'see, IF this was the case, and benefits recipients were all out spending their benefits income on ipads, gambling and fags, there would be tens of thousands of starving kids in this country living in houses with the water, electric and gas cut off as their parents haven't paid the bills having spent it elsewhere.

But put simply, it's just not the case.

Here again, they know (as you should) that it is illegal to cut energy supplies purely because of non payment. And according to your socialist, whinging, favourite lobbying group Shelter [that you keep ramming down our throats] I thought there were millions of starving kids out there.....

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

Any comment on your previous post about this subject Graham?

Graham_Devon wrote: »

They may well cut housing benefit rates, at a later date.

But, I shouldn't worry too much. Landlords need that money. As we now have so many landlords reliant on DSS money, they are not very likely to just chuck the tennant out because they get less.

Remember, this will be country wide, not just one or two people.

Rents would simply have to fall.

Loughton_Monkey

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

Any comment on your previous post about this subject Graham?

I suspect the absense of any reply can be taken as "no comment".

He probably realises that rents have been soaring so much over the last few years, that it's going to take a bit more than tighter housing benefit to lower rents.

If I were Fergus, at his time of life, I'd probably be bunging 200 houses onto the market in phases, and live it up a bit more. Sell them to owner occupiers (he doesn't want competition). Surely he could buy homself a substantial Chateau in Northern France and operate from there. Or better still some tax haven and save himself and his lovely wife Judith a bit of tax.

macaque_2

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

Supply rose every year from 2000 to 2007.

And supply has risen markedly over the last year as well, although from a very low base thanks to crash/credit crunch.

The wider constraints to the market are still planning permission and mortgage availability. Fix those two problems and supply will increase.

Housing completions in 2010 where around 120k (rolling total) and less than 110k today.

BlondeHeadOn

Fergus has just been interviewed on Channel 4 news, what a sleazebag he is!

If anyone wants to see him, it's about 20minutes in. You can watch it on Channel 4 + 1, if you really want to.....

Thrugelmir

chewmylegoff wrote: »

but surely when you've got 1,000 then it would be cheaper to self insure.

Perhaps a condition of their funding facility with the bank.

BigAunty

chewmylegoff wrote: »

Pretty foolish behaviour. If I was a HB tenant in one of Wilson's properties I would just keep paying and resist eviction proceedings. Turn up to court and read out the article. .

Tenants have little security of tenure and can be served notice that doesn't require any grounds or justification to be provided. Your 'I have a dream' moment where the tenant gets to influence the judge is a fantasy as there is no defence allowed. If the no-fault notice is served correctly, the judge must award possession to the landlord.

chewmylegoff

Thrugelmir wrote: »

Perhaps a condition of their funding facility with the bank.

Perhaps, although seems unlikely that insurers attitudes to housing benefit changed in the last week.

BigAunty

A key factor for Wilson and other landlords is that it is impossible to obtain rent guarantee insurance for a tenant on housing benefit. This type of insurance is sold to landlords and is designed to cover the rent if the tenant stops paying for any reason.

Why didn't he get personal guarantors, like a friend or relative of the tenant with a decent salary/home owner as that's a common condition requested by landlords who accept HB claimants. You put the risk on their friend or relative.

The housing forum regularly gets posts from bewildered and angry people when they've been ripped off by their family or mate that they signed the guarantee for, they can't believe they've been repaid for their help in getting them into the property by ending up having to pay their rent arrears.