A Grassy Park father claims he was swindled of R80 000 to renovate his “new home” at Pelican Park in March this year.
Norman Renge says he decided to use some of his provident fund money at the end of his work contract to buy a house.
“I was working in Ottery at the beginning of March. Before my contract expired there was a guy working there, a church guy and he knew for a fact that I had money on me because I was talking about my previous work and my provident fund.
“So, I told him that I am actually looking for a house and before I left, he came to me and said that he knows someone in Pelican Park, his name is Ziyaad.”
Renge says with this advice he met up with the husband and wife “agents” in Pelican Park.
“I came to Pelican Park and met them here, Tougheedah and Ziyaad. They told me they are agents selling houses and that the Pelican Park community knows them, that’s why I fell for it. “That is when they took me to a place in Lyrebird Road,” he says.
Renge claims the house that did not appear to be in good condition and was reportedly valued at R200 000.
“When I came there the place was filthy and you could see it’s not a healthy place because the frame of the windows was hanging loose, the yard was dirty.”
He added that he saw one woman living in the house and was told that she was the homeowner.
He claimed he had to pay R80 000 deposit towards renovations. “I was told to pay R100 000 into Ziyaad’s account and the other R100 000 into the lawyer’s account. After that he changed the amount to R50 000 and then the last amount came up again to R80 000.”
Renge claimed that he only paid the R80 000 into the personal account of Tougheedah.
“While we were still riding to the bank, they were telling my 13-year-old daughter that she was going to get her own room finally. She even asked what colour paint we wanted for the house, but I just had this nerves in my stomach that something wasn’t right.”
He says he has since battled to get the house as well as renovations done. He now wants his money back.
“They would say they are busy with the house, last time they saw I got furious, they saw my wife and I then jumped into the car and drove away. Within a couple of seconds, they came back, they could see I was mad and cross and furious and that I wanted my money and when would they finish with the house. They said they will first fix up the house for us.”
Speaking to People’s Post Ziyaad and his wife Tougheedah Abrahams, who says they are both brokers, denied the allegations.
“Ziyaad and his brother has been in the property business for 17 years. They do pre foreclosure houses and auction houses so Mr Norman was referred to us. “He was looking for a place, I went to a place and showed him a place and he wanted me to fix it and repair everything and he gave a deposit to fix it.”
She claims after they fixed up the house Renge refused to move into the property on Friday 1 April.
“Mr Norman goes after what other people say about the area. On 1 April he had to move in, I fixed the place and did the necessary things and then he told me no someone said it was a gang infested area and then I just left it as is.
“The auntie that is still in the place, who owns the place, she sold it to other people, now I’m not sure what is going on. Now I don’t know how I am going to get the money back.”
When questioning the couple about the R80 000 Tougheedah said they made renovations to the house inside and outside.
“He bought it as is, so I told him I can fix it for him or he can fix it himself so he said that he is going to deposit R80 000 and I must fix it. I fixed it.
“I never asked him to give me any money to fix it because we do houses and we fix it ourselves. “Because the price (of the house) was so low, I told him that he can take it as is and use of his money or give it to me and then I will fix the place. I didn’t use the money on myself personally. He was here and involved with everything, but they listen to pastors and other people speaking bad about the area.”
Tougheedah later said that she would reimburse Renge when the “new owners” reimbursed them.
“She (the owner) sold it to someone else now they must pay her.”
However, Tougheedah later claimed that she was the rightful owner of the house and she needs to be reimbursed.
“I told them, they must reimburse me the money that I spent and then I will give his money back because rightfully it (the house) belongs to me although the lady still lives in the house. I paid her already, so Mr Norman was buying it from me the broker. I already paid the purchase price.
“They are a family; I would not put them in a predicament where there’s gangsterism. I was about to put cupboards in for them, I put new doors on and windows, the bathroom was done over.”
When People’s Post arrived at the reported house on Friday 27 May, the homeowner was not home.
