Last year we decided to sell and spoke openly about our intentions, and caught the attention of a con man.
The price he offered was acceptable, but the awakening was rude and traumatising to the extreme. A friend pointed to us, after reading the agreement we signed with the man, that in essence we will provide him with the funds to pay us the mortgage bond; suggesting that we register ourselves as credit providers so that he can avoid asking a bank for a bond. The only expense he incurred buying a property worth many millions was the cost of the lawyer who drew the agreement.
We refused to accept the con man’s suggestion to draw a one-page sale agreement between us only. Our friend pointed out to us that we have been conned. We ran to the lawyer and told him that we are not going to fulfill the part of the agreement that states we must provide him with a bond.
The con man grabbed our rental income, refused to sign a lease agreement for the premises he rents from us and pay the rentals for those premises. He even refused to pay for the stock he took over in our little business, stock that was fully sold one month later.
We found ourselves living on our plot, in a half finished building,We were accused by him of theft when we tried to get back some of our personal belongings, or eat vegetables growing on our property or eggs that our chickens were laying. The lawyer was probably terrorised too, he did not help us at all.
We still do not have our income back.
Lately, in another futile attempt to raise some money, we tried to put our business’s equipment on auction. He thwarted this attempt too.
We have a new lawyer and hope for the best.
The couple did not open a case with police, and wants to remain anonymous. Midrand Reporter could not investigate the matter.
Have you also been conned ? Tell us about it in the comments below.
