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Moving company accidentally sells $120,000 worth of family belongings

An elderly couple from Bribie island in Queensland are fighting for compensation after a removalist company sold their belongings during their interstate move to Bega, NSW. Gary and Lorraine Taylor are in their late 70s and had originally planned to use removal company ‘Wridgways’ before they liquidated in July 2021. This saw ‘Kent Removals and Storage’ taking on 160 new clients. The Taylors had packed all of their worldly possessions, including furniture and sentimental belongings, into two removal trucks. One truck contained $120,000 worth of furniture - little did they know they would never see these belongings again. Kent Removals & Storage have since apologised and describe the incident as a result of human error, where the company had been court-appointed to assist liquidator Hall Chadwick. Chadwick was in charge of selling off Wridgways’ assets, which included items like office furniture. This is where the swap unknowingly took place - and the Taylor’s container was accidentally sent to online auction company ‘Grays Online’. Of course, everything was auctioned off for a fraction of the price. Lawyers representing the retiree couple say they would have to take $50,000 from their pension to recover only a few of the items, leaving them in complete limbo. Some of the furniture was unfortunately split between the two moving containers, meaning what did arrive couldn’t be assembled. “We’ve been married for 60 years, and 60 years of our bloody furniture has just gone down the tube and nobody cares,” Gary told 7NEWS. Lorraine spoke through tears as she told <a href="https://7news.com.au/news/nsw/elderly-couple-left-in-limbo-after-home-contents-sold-off-by-removalist-company--c-7794935" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7NEWS</a> the incident was “very hard to describe”. “It’s not believable what we’ve been through,” she said. “Its been terrible for both of us, and for our family.” Kent Removals and Storage CEO, Steve Alves has said the matter had been referred to Kent’s insurers but that, “the matter was incorrectly internalised between Kent, Grays Online and Hall Chadwick with a view to establishing liability for this error”. “As Kent Relocation Group contracted with Mr and Mrs Taylor and, irrespective of where the liability resides, Kent Relocation Group could and should have taken a lead role in this process and did not.” Alves said the company “apologises for the way in which this matter has been handled”. “Our team will focus on ensuring we support Mr and Mrs Taylor in any way we can to bring closure to this matter for them. “In terms of the missing items, given the quantum of the potential claim, the matter has been referred to Kent’s insurers along with an instruction to ensure that the matter is expedited in a prompt, efficient and reasonable manner for Mr and Mrs Taylor”. So far only 40% of the moving charges have been refunded, but since the matter was escalated Alves said Kent Removals & Storage would work to refund 100% of all moving chargers. As to whether they will see a refund of their $120,000 worth of lost furniture, they must wait for the companies’ insurance process to run its course. Image: 7News

Real Estate

Single mother’s new home accidentally cleared out

A single mother has been left distraught after her apartment complex’s management mistook her apartment for one destined for eviction, and cleared out all the possessions belonging to her and her three children. Single mother Stephanie Gunia moved into the apartment in the US state of Nebraska last week, and knew something was not right as soon as she entered her new home. “I knew something was wrong, right when I walked in the door and saw my mat was gone,” she told local news channel KETV 7 Omaha. “We walked in and there was nothing in our apartment except for a mattress,” Gunia, 31, told the outlet. “My kids' stuff was gone, their clothes, everything.” When the devastated mother asked why the unauthorised clear-out occurred, Gunia revealed, “They said they got the wrong apartment. They cleaned out the wrong apartment.” All of the family’s belongings were thrown in dumpsters in the carpark of the apartment complex, covering everything in trash and grime. “Our stuff was in five of the seven dumpsters,” said Gunia, who had been living in the apartment for just one week before arriving home with her kids, who she had just picked up from school, to find it cleaned out. “I just went grocery shopping the day before, all that food is ruined, food was mixed in with the toys, and there was like beer and trash ‘gooze’ all over my kids' stuff, our clothes,” Gunia said. “My kids were crying because they were scared, they don't know what's going on, they don't know why somebody threw their stuff away in a trash can.” The mother called the management of the complex in a panic, with staffers at the organisation telling her to call police to report that she had been burglarised, not realising their mistake. When officers arrived at the scene, they noticed no signs of burglary, as Stephanie’s neighbour informed them they had seen a group of men moving things out and placing them in the garbage. Police eventually discovered that the complex hired a company to clear out an apartment belonging to another tenant - one who owed back rent and was supposed to be evicted from the property that day. The management company has since apologised for the mistake, saying in a statement that “almost all” of the family's possessions had been rescued from the bin and that the group had provided Gunia a $250 gift card. Meanwhile, the distraught mother told <a href="https://www.ketv.com/article/there-was-nothing-in-our-apartment-la-vista-womans-apartment-cleaned-out-by-mistake/39745982">KETV</a> that while the gesture is a start, it does not come close to making good on the oversight, which has left her kids scared and without a bed to sleep on, as she is not comfortable letting them sleep on the sullied mattresses police and staff pulled from the dumpsters. Image credits: KETV 7 Omaha News footage

Real Estate

Lismore flood victims dump ruined belongings outside PM’s house

Lismore residents have taken their flood-affected belongings to Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s Sydney residence, calling on him to act on climate change. Nine residents of the area, which has been devastated by recent flooding, brought a truck to Kirribilli House and dumped a number of items, including flood-ruined carpet, toys and furniture, outside the front gate earlier this week. Kate Stroud, who lost her home in the floods, said the group felt compelled to demonstrate after Mr Morrison visited the town earlier in the month but failed to speak to some residents. Ms Stroud lost her home in the floods, having been rescued by another resident on a jet ski after sheltering on her roof for six hours, and has said she wasn’t the only one looking to speak to the PM. “Everybody that I know has lost their homes, they’ve lost their businesses. We have basically lost our entire town,” she said on Monday morning. “We tried to have this conversation with him face to face in Lismore, but he slipped through the back door of our council chambers. If our leaders can’t come at least sit at a table with us and chat to us at times of devastation, what are they doing?” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> At the Prime Minister’s residence, Kirribilli House, standing in solidarity with Lismore flood survivors. Calling on <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottyFromMktg?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ScottyFromMktg</a> to stop funding the climate crisis. <a href="https://t.co/lHYSwZLZ7i">pic.twitter.com/lHYSwZLZ7i</a> — Naomi Hodgson (@CrystalNomes) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrystalNomes/status/1505653019718737921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2022</a></blockquote> Several residents held a ruined, mud-covered door with a message spray-painted on it in red. “Morrison, your climate megaflood destroyed our homes,” it read. Other signs read, ‘Lismore now, where next?’ and ‘Your climate inaction killed my neighbour’. Ms Stroud said residents were calling on the government to take action against climate change. “We are so sick of the bottomless promises when there is a bigger picture to look at,” she said. “We need to fund the climate crisis [response], this is climate change and this will happen to somebody you love, someone you know, or it could happen to you personally.” Although 9News reported that his car was seen leaving shortly before protestors arrived, Mr Morrison was in Queensland during Monday’s protest, according to <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/flood-hit-lismore-residents-dump-debris-outside-kirribilli-house-20220321-p5a6dy.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sydney Morning Herald</a>. He responded to questions about the demonstration by referring to the $1.7 billion already committed to flood response and recovery, and that the bulk of the funds were already “out the door supporting people”. “These floods [across NSW and south-east Queensland] are the worst we’ve ever seen,” Mr Morrison said. “I can understand the frustration. But what I can assure you is the commitments [we’ve made] .. means we’ll be there with them to build back. “I think the politicisation of natural disasters is very unfortunate. Everyone’s just doing the best they can.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Lismore residents protest at Kirribilli House <a href="https://t.co/d5ciaZPaBd">pic.twitter.com/d5ciaZPaBd</a> — Carol Connolly (@carolcarcos) <a href="https://twitter.com/carolcarcos/status/1505682999505219586?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2022</a></blockquote> Despite his absence, Lismore resident Kudra Ricketts told <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/lismore-flood-survivors-dump-debris-outside-pms-house/58b54741-e566-4bec-a667-7433b0753c18" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9News</a> she hoped the message she and the other demonstrators were sending would still reach Mr Morrison. “I hope that he’s able to listen to the media,” she said. “He’s done the same thing as he did when he was in Lismore. He didn’t want to talk to us. He doesn’t want to speak to us again. I can see that. It’s time he starts to listen to us. “I don’t want this to happen to anyone else. It’s been so traumatic for me and everyone that I love. Climate change is here now.” Image: Twitter

Domestic Travel

Local council accidentally crushes woman's car and belongings

A NSW grandmother is still awaiting compensation three months after the local council admitted to accidentally seizing and crushing her car. Wendy Tucker said she is upset at how heartless the council has been when it came to offering help, fixing its mistake, and being clear about what happened to her 1997 Toyota Camry and personal belongings, while critics described the incident as embarrassing and evidence of incompetence on the Central Coast Council’s behalf. Mrs Tucker told A Current Affair, "I just thought the council would have been more forthcoming. "It was my only car, and it had things in it - personal belongings, emotional things - you get attached to your vehicles regardless of how good or bad they are." Mrs Tucker said that three months ago, she rang the police and council rangers, fearing her car, which was parked near her daughter’s home, had been stolen. The 61-year-old high school science lab assistant claims she was told by the council that the car had been towed, and to expect a letter in the mail that would outline the next steps she should take. Unfortunately, the next day she received a call from the council informing her that the car had been accidentally crushed. The warning letter from the council arrived a few days later. Mrs Tucker said, "I thought they were exaggerating but apparently it had been crushed completely.” Former Central Coast councilor Greg Best said “heads should roll” after the incident. "Surely they should have just sat down with Mrs Tucker over a cup of tea and said 'sorry, here's what we're going to do'. "This council wracked up the largest financial debt and financial loss of any council in Australia and it has now gone to an all time high in its incompetence and embarrassment." The Council confirmed the car was left in a street at Point Clare for roughly eight weeks during NSW’s COVID-19 lockdown, and that it towed the vehicle following complaints from nearby homeowners. While this is within the council’s power, it is required to contact the registered owner and give warning that the car had been impounded. The Central Coast Council <a rel="noopener" href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/aussie-grandmothers-car-crushed-by-nsw-council-without-warning/b04415f6-ce57-42aa-a2ca-c263a61073f8" target="_blank">provided two statements</a> to A Current Affair, and later offerred an apology to Mrs Tucker. Their most recent statement says, amongst other things, that the “Council apologies to the car owner that adequate notice wasn't provided by letter to the registered address, and despite Council undertaking the process lawfully within the legislation, compensation is assured to the car's owner.” Image: Channel 9

Legal

Jewellery belonging to royal families hits the auction market

A series of beautiful and historically-important jewels are set to hit the auction market next week. They are expected to sell for record-breaking prices, as they are all linked to royalty throughout the world, and spanning hundreds of years. The collection includes a set of sapphire jewels once owned by a member of Russia's ill-fated Romanov dynasty, diamond bracelets from Marie Antoinette's collection and a bangle given to the Duchess of Windsor as an anniversary present from her husband. Two tiaras once owned by Empress Joséphine of France are also included in the sale, along with tiaras owned by other European royals. Jewels by Bulgari, Harry Winston, Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier are also among the spectacularly glitzy collection. Auction houses Christie's and Sotheby's are auctioning off the items next week to prospective buyers, as visitors try to outbid their chances of owning a piece of history. The big ticket item at the Christie's auction, happening on November 9th in Geneva, is a pair of diamond bracelets that belonged to the last queen of France. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845362/marie-antoinette-jewels.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/528194fee718455bbae20343be1d372e" /> Image credits: Christie's A blue velvet box, labeled 'bracelets off Queen Marie Antoinette', houses the double bracelets, each composed of three strands of diamonds and a large barrette clasp, for a total of 112 diamonds. Now in the possession of a European royal family, the bracelets are said to sell for at $3 million. "To find jewels with over 200 years of French royal history is truly something that collectors and passionate jewellery people from all over the world will be keeping an eye on," Max Fawcett, head of Christie's jewellery department in Geneva, said. Also being auctioned at Christie's is a ruby and diamond bangle owned by Wallis Simpson. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845363/ruby.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/9b7a68eaa4d7489b90b0114a72e8a487" /> Image credit: Christie's The former King Edward VIII ordered the Cartier bracelet for his American wife on their first wedding anniversary in 1938 after abdicating the throne. The jewellery is expected to sell for close to $3 million. The bangle features an inscription that reads, "For our first anniversary of June third". Featured at the Sotheby's Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels sale is a sapphire and diamond brooch and matching ear-clips once owned by the Romanov dynasty of Russia. They are from the collection of Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, the cousin of Tsar Nicholas II. With a range of other royal jewels up for auction, the auction houses in Geneva are expecting a bidding war that will result in millions of dollars of profit. Image credits: Sotheby's / Christie's

Money & Banking

Fierce debate sparked on Facebook: Does jam belong in the fridge or pantry?

What started off as an innocent debate over a breakfast staple soon turned into a fiery dispute with thousands of social media users weighing in. Mandy-lee Anderson of Coffs Harbour, Australia, asked the question, “Does jam belong in the fridge or the cupboard?” on her Facebook page after she was in a disagreement with her husband. While Mrs Andersen believed the condiment should be stored in the fridge, her husband had opposing views and said that jam belongs in the cupboard. When the couple tried to settle the argument through social media, they didn’t anticipate the overwhelming amount of responses to follow with over a thousand people chiming in. “Because it is a preserve it doesn’t need a fridge, so it is just a personal choice,” one person said. One person took knife habits into consideration when deciding where the item should be kept. “If your jam has lots of crumbs and butter getting into it, then I would keep it in the fridge.” Others questioned whether Mr Andersen’s nationality had anything to do with his decision, as he is a New Zealand national. “In a cold climate it makes no sense to me – but in Queensland, I understand because it’s so hot so you would keep it in the fridge, but I just don’t like my jam cold, that’s all,” Mr Andersen told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/eat/where-to-store-jam-the-fridge-or-pantry/news-story/f51af51d26b7f09f212abde4f3f77130" target="_blank">news.com.au</a>. Do you store jam in the fridge or the cupboard? Let us know in the comments below.

Food & Wine

4 ways to protect personal belongings when overseas

A holiday can be full of fun, but a stolen passport or hacked email account can quickly dampen the experience. Having personal information compromised while on the road is relatively common. A recent study by ProtectMyID, the identity theft protection unit of credit bureau Experian, found that 20 per cent of consumers have had a driver's license, passport, credit card or other document with personal information lost or stolen while travelling. Nearly 40 per cent have had their identity stolen or been victimised in some way, or know of someone who did. Here's what you can do to make sure thieves don't ruin your holiday: 1. Pack sparingly You may spend a lot of time strategising how to keep your bag light, but experts say just as much care should be taken with your wallet. According to the survey, 47 per cent of travellers do not remove unnecessary credit cards from their wallet before leaving for a trip. The advice: Bring only the essentials, including a limited number of debit and credit cards. That way, if your wallet is lost or stolen not all of your personal information will be compromised. 2. Use free wifi carefully If you're like me, you probably look for free wifi wherever you travel. But be careful when using it, experts say. "Much of your information will be visible to anyone with the right tools as it moves across the wireless network," said Dave Dean, a world traveller and co-founder of Too Many Adapters, a technology resource for travellers. The advice: Connect to the web through a virtual private network. A VPN encrypts all of the information that passes between you and a wireless network, wherever that network is in the world. 3. Avoid public computers The public computer in a hotel or hostel may be a nice convenience if you're travelling without your laptop, but by using one you're putting yourself at major risk. "You just don't know what is installed on that computer," Dean said. Risks include key-logging software that saves your login details, security updates that are not installed, and no or out-of-date antivirus software. He added: "These are not hypothetical risks. I've seen them myself in internet cafes and hostels around the world." The advice: If you have no other option but to use a public computer, do so only for the most innocent of reasons, such as researching restaurant options. Do not connect to your online bank account or enter any personal financial information. If you check your email, make sure to reset the password - from a secure device - soon after. 4. Make copies of important documents No matter how careful you are when travelling, sometimes personal items go missing. "Identity theft is a crime of opportunity, and thieves prey upon vacationers," said Becky Frost, consumer education manager for Experian's ProtectMyID. If your passport or credit card is lost or stolen on a trip, time is of the essence. The sooner you contact the local embassy or consulate or call your bank, the sooner you can get a replacement, as well as stop any unlawful use of your information. The advice: Make photocopies of your passport and credit cards and store those copies securely somewhere, like the hotel safe. Alternatively, you could scan copies of your passport and cards, encrypt the copies and save them online. Written by Carolyn Bigda. First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a>. Related links: <a href="/travel/international/2016/10/why-i-will-never-use-a-money-belt-again/">Why I’ll never use a money belt again</a> <a href="/travel/international/2016/09/5-tips-for-better-budgeting-while-on-holidays/">5 tips for better budgeting while on holidays</a> <a href="/travel/international/2016/10/best-or-worst-time-to-visit-europe/">How safe is it to travel to Europe</a>

International Travel

7 tips to keep belongings safe on a flight

It’s hard to believe, but in-flight theft is actually quite common. Be smart and keep your belongings safe while you’re in the air. 1. Do your best to put your carry on bags in an overhead bin that’s right above your seat. That way, you will (hopefully) notice if someone goes into the bin holding your bag. If that bin is full, look for one that’s in front of your seat rather than behind it. That way you will have it in your line of sight during the flight. 2. Keep anything really valuable – like cash, your phone, passport or credit cards – with you in your seat. That can mean in your pockets, in the seat pocket in front of you or in a smaller bag at your feet. Most thieves in this situation are looking for an easy score so aren’t looking for anything beyond these kinds of items that are quick to grab and simple to sell. 3. Don’t leave your valuables sitting neatly at the top of your carry on bag. If someone is going through the overhead bins looking to steal, they will want to be quick. Burying these items at the bottom of the bag or wrapping a jumper or blanket around everything inside means they will have to take the whole bag out to reach them. That increases their risk of getting caught, so they’ll probably just move on. 4. Get a lock. Sure, it can be annoying to have to unlock your bag every time you want something, but it will act as a very strong deterrent. You should be able to leave the bag unlocked while you’re awake and paying attention, and can lock it when you want to sleep. 5. Choose a unique bag that stands out. Some canny thieves will take a bag from the overhead bin and take it back to their seat or into the bathroom to go through it. They can then return it to the bin and the owner is none the wiser. This is made easier by the fact that many bags look the same – plain, black, non-descript. A brightly coloured or patterned bag is more obvious and harder to take without attracting attention. 6. Don’t forget your pockets. Many travellers will hang a coat or jacket up in the communal closet. Remember that both crew and passengers can access that closet easily, so don’t leave any cash or valuables in your pockets. 7. Speak up! If you see something that looks suspicious, say something straight away. It could be someone spending a lot of time reaching into the bin with your bag in it, going into multiple overhead bins one after the other, or any other behaviour that makes you uncomfortable. Alert the flight attendant rather than confronting the person directly. It could all be an innocent mistake, but it’s better safe than sorry. Have you ever had your possessions stolen on a flight, or on holidays? Let us know in the comments. Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/travel-tips/2016/08/why-you-should-never-throw-out-boarding-passes/">6 important safety tips every senior traveller should know</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/travel-tips/2016/08/6-important-safety-tips-every-senior-traveller-should-know/">Why you must never throw out your boarding pass</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/travel-tips/2016/08/tips-to-help-you-survive-a-long-haul-flight/">16 tips to help you survive a long-haul flight</a>

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