Council tenant evicted after keeping pig in home

Published by 24publishing for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Communities, Local Government

A council tenant in Derby has been evicted from their council house after letting a pig roam free in the property causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.

Housing staff from ALMO Derby Homes - which manages nearly 14,000 homes on behalf of the council - applied to enter the home following a neighbour's claim a pig was living in the property.

However, the tenant failed to allow access and following further joint visits by the Environmental Health Officer and Derby Homes it was decided to use legal proceedings to gain access to the property.

The tenant failed to co-operate so an eviction warrant was granted by the court. 

On gaining entry they discovered that the tenant had been keeping a dog and pig shut up inside the house.

In addition two Shetland ponies were known - by the RSPCA - to have previously been kept in the small back garden.

The ALMO said the tenant was an "excessive hoarder" and that some rooms were so full of junk that they could not get in at all.

Maria Murphy, director of housing and customer service at Derby Homes, said: "There was clear evidence that the tenant was an excessive hoarder to the extent that some rooms could not be entered due to the amount of possessions stored by the tenant. The ground floor of the property was in an appalling condition with faeces everywhere.  

"Although we have not get been able to carry out a full inspection due to the amount of possessions left by the tenant we estimate that the costs will be in the region of £10-15,000. This is a disgraceful waste of money, caused by a tenant who failed to show respect for his property or his tenancy agreement. On top of the repair costs there is the cost of the Officer time and legal proceedings in gaining possession of this property.  We will obviously try to trace the current whereabouts of the tenants and will pursue recovery of the costs of repair.  The individual will not be eligible for housing with Derby Homes in the future."