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We read with interest James Debono’s interview with Godfrey Leone Ganado, and although we agree with most arguments we don’t want to hear about “exceptions”. As we wrote in your sister paper Illum, our parents are the landowners of four properties that fall under the archaic rent laws. While we pay over Lm320 monthly for our home loan, these properties are being rented out for a pittance which we do not accept.
The current tenants are the children of the original tenants, because their parents are either deceased or living in a home. All are over fifty, better off than us and obviously less stressed out. Though we’re aware of the social dimensions, and agree that the original tenants and spouses should not be made to leave, we’re fed up of carrying this burden.
We have a life too. We pay taxes and it would be fair if money (collected from everyone) is invested in social housing. It would be a fair deal that our parents and us get back what has always been rightfully ours for over sixty years. Creating loopholes is unacceptable. It might sound cruel but we’ve been the victims for over six decades. When is it our turn? Once exceptions are made, we all know sure that everyone will find a way of applying them to oneself. Please note that this should apply to any type of property be it a house, field, garden – derelict or not.
If a fifty-year-old tenant taking care of elderly parents is allowed to inherit the property once the parents are gone, our parents (some over seventy) will never enjoy the properties they own. Neither will we since at thirty we’re more stressed out than our fifty-year-old tenants and we’ll be lucky if we make it till retirement age.
Where is the social justice we advertise so much?
Ivan Cassar, Vanessa Miceli
Mosta
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