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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think you can't claim to be homeless living in an airport if your income is £1400 a month

444 replies

dhdjdbrjrkbr · 07/02/2015 11:15

Strange DM story today, nothing adds up

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2943251/Homeless-Heathrow-look-holiday-truth-middle-class-couple-living-airport-losing-500-000-home.html#article-2943251

OP posts:
OnceUponATimeAgain · 08/02/2015 11:09

and theres more!

Looking at the whois data on Vasgama.com Alan is listed as having two addresses. Registrant address: 2 Capella, Canford Cliffs, Dorset BH13 7LH and admin address 3 Victoria Park Place Bournemouth, Dorset BH9 2EG whois.domaintools.com/vasgama.com

Aladyinsane · 08/02/2015 11:11

I refuse to read any further than paragraph three...

They strive to remain anonymous, unremembered; a faceless couple among the transient multitudes at one of the world’s busiest airports.

... Well going to the DM to highlight your plight is hardly striving to remain anonymous is it. It's a contrived story, they are most likely actors.

QueenBean · 08/02/2015 11:29

Empress well yeah, but she may not have wanted that info public....? Not sure any need to have named her

KindleFancy · 08/02/2015 11:37

In 2006, the possessions from their last move barely unpacked, they sold up — releasing equity of £190,000 — and downsized to a small £900-a-month rented flat. By 2011, with their nest egg gone thanks to ever-increasing living costs

So they blazed through £190k in 5 years. Living costs my arse. What a load of bollocks.

soverylucky · 08/02/2015 11:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

soverylucky · 08/02/2015 11:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

EmpressOfJurisfiction · 08/02/2015 11:40

She's open about it on the boards though, QueenBean. I don't think it's a secret.

Mintyy · 08/02/2015 11:41

They spent £38,000 cash pa on top of their £1400 a month? Dear Lord.

Pipbin · 08/02/2015 11:57

The Facebook link leads to nothing. What was it?

dancestomyowntune · 08/02/2015 12:06

Very strange story. I don't understand how they think they can get away with it if it is a fraud scam (which does look most likely!). They don't make me feel sorry for them, not when they have had so much money and appear to have wasted it.

paxtecum · 08/02/2015 12:52

They have now stopped taking donations. The fund is at £9270.
Apparently the FBI are investigating it, as GOFundMe is an US based website.

LovestFromest · 08/02/2015 13:08

Where did you hear that paxtecum?

This and the baby Dax story (not that that was a scam like this) have made me even more sceptical about the media. Talk about never letting the truth get in the way of a good story. Seeing all the other papers jumping on the bandwagon of this story when even an average Googler can see that it doesn't add up leaves me very HmmHmmHmm.

And while I've never been a journalist as such, I've worked in the media and written features. I'd never dream of making stuff up although my editor is sometimes a bit more free with the truth than I am.

Vastra · 08/02/2015 13:14

They'll be on Loose Women tomorrow apparently...

TheFairyCaravan · 08/02/2015 13:21

That baby Dax story was a massive scam too! They knew their insurance was paying out, they knew their living costs were covered as well as their transport to the hospital,the nurses were loaning the mother clothes and yet they got the begging bowl out and raised over £13K!

When asked on a public facebook page if they needed anything sent over the dad said it would be better to send money so they could buy new. They reckoned they had bought nothing for the baby at home so needed money for that. Cabin crew were flying out and offered to take stuff, but it was all ignored they just wanted hard cash. They even said it was a shame Max Clifford was in prison otherwise they could have made some serious money out of the story.

It was absolutely vile and shameless and afaik is still ongoing.

mamapain · 08/02/2015 13:22

And this man was meant to specialise in crisis management yet ended up living in an airport?!

OTheHugeManatee · 08/02/2015 13:30

I find it strange that so many people are saying this couple don't 'deserve' any support or sympathy because they made poor decisions. The tone on this thread reveals a real hypocrisy and double standard when it comes to how people in need are judged.

I thought we weren't supposed to make moral judgements in relation to people needing help or support. It often seems to me that on MN people born in poverty can't be criticised for making poor decisions, however stupid or self-destructive, perhaps because there's some condescending idea that they can't help it, poor dears. And yet this whole thread is sneering at a couple who made stupid decisions with their money and are now on their uppers. As far as I can make out their middle-classness means they are not entitled to liberal excuse-making but can be judged to Kingdom come.

So what if things might have gone differently if they'd made other choices? Does that really mean they don't deserve sympathy or help?

If the story is true, this is a really nasty thread. Shame on you all.

expatinscotland · 08/02/2015 13:32

'The tone on this thread reveals a real hypocrisy and double standard when it comes to how people in need are judged.'

They are not in need. £1400/month is not a needy person.

And from the sounds of it, it's all a scam.

paxtecum · 08/02/2015 13:41

LovestFromest: there are reports on the GoFundMe page that the FBI are investigating it.
Hopefully, that is true.

OtheHugeManatee: £1400 per month is a lot of money.
They don't need to live in an airport.
They could rent a studio flat, but what they can afford wouldn't be in a naice enough area.

TheFairyCaravan · 08/02/2015 13:44

Shame on us all! ODFOD!

They don't need help. They have a lot of money coming in for a couple. Many families don't earn that a month.

Someone on the LW Fb page says he still works for a consultancy firm and brings in another £7k a month! Shock

JoanHickson · 08/02/2015 13:45

I feel so bad for the people who fall for these scams. I agree Dax one was a scam too.

noddyholder · 08/02/2015 13:51

Apparently they have had countless offers of a roof I wonder if the people offering have offered to any other homeless person?

ethelb · 08/02/2015 13:55

So they had £190K and blew it?!

emmelinelucas · 08/02/2015 13:55

Manatee - they are not on their uppers, though are they ?
So - is expressing an opinion "judging" ?
I smelled a rat when I saw the story.
Looked at the background.
Then decided that I think it is some kind of scam.
So - I have "judged".
No. In my opinion, they are taking people for a ride.

JoanHickson · 08/02/2015 13:55

The Dax Lee Amos in New York page is unhappy the press are not paying to use their pictures.

expatinscotland · 08/02/2015 13:55

Original article also states that Katrina turned down work, more than once, as she 'didn't want to be parted from Alan.' People on here are regularly told to move for work, get on their bikes, one partner takes work away if need be (and these are couples with children, unlike this one, where they have no ties to any particular place), to move to cheaper areas if they cannot afford to live in London, to flat/houseshare. No hypocrisy that I can see at all here.

This couple are entitled to whatever benefits they qualify for and emergency accommodation if found to be unintentionally homeless and a place on the wait list for council accommodation and/or rent and bond scheme for a private let.

Chosing not to access those or not qualifying because an income of £1400/month for a couple does not make one needy.

And 'almshouses', as quoted in the original article. Those have not existed for decades.

It also appears this entire 'story' is a scam.