Rent ruling will 'sap councils'

[daveza]

http://www.fin24.com/articles/default/display_article.aspx?ArticleId=1518-1786_2572017

Johannesburg - A High Court order to the City of Johannesburg to pay rent to a property owner on behalf of illegal squatters will divert much-needed funds from the city's crumbling infrastructure, the National Taxpayers Union (NTU) has said.

According to the ruling, the City of Johannesburg is to pay the monthly rental bill for each of the 71 illegal squatters occupying a building in Berea owned by Blue Moonlight Properties 39 (Blue Moonlight). Alternatively, the municipality has to pay each occupant R850 per month for rent if it does not find them alternative housing.

"The municipality can absolutely not handle this [additional expense]," said NTU chairperson Jaap Kelder. "This ruling takes money away from roads and maintenance; it will result in the collapse of Johannesburg's infrastructure.

"[Paying for the squatters] is a government function. There's no way the municipality can handle this."

According to Maurice Crespi of Schindlers Attorneys, which represented Blue Moonlight, it is not the landowner's job to bear the brunt of homeless people's burden. "Ultimately, there has to be money for housing. The constitution provides for it and the court recognised the constitutional obligation."

Do I understand this correctly - we have illegal foreigners illegally occupying apartments and not paying any rent - and the municipality ( which gets it's money from us ) has to pay the rent to the landlords - because the government refuses to allow the eviction of the illegal freeloading squatters ?

 

[Sting]

I understand it the same way! I could not believe my eyes when I read the ruling!

 

[supersunbird]

Good if it "saps" them, hope it makes them take action if they won't on their own.

 

[davemc]

Awesome, so, now if you cannot get anybody to rent your place, simply move squatters in and then sue the municipality.
And, the ratepayers keep paying.
And, the ratepayers keep getting screwed.

Epic fail of note.

 

[Sting]

Good if it "saps" them, hope it makes them take action if they won't on their own.

As a ratepayer I am very distressed about this ruling. Are you a ratepayer?

 

[supersunbird]

As a ratepayer I am very distressed about this ruling. Are you a ratepayer?

Yes I am.

 

[Y'all Qaeda]

Why yes, yes I am a RAPEpayer.