A mother-of-nine came home to find that her landlord had hurled all of her belongings from her second-floor flat outside into the rain.
Donna Newby found her children’s toys, a television, a sofa bed and a memory box with mementos of her baby daughter, who died at just five-weeks-old were piled up in the garden.
Her landlord, body-builder David Love, had carried out the eviction with three assistants on Friday despite telling Ms Newby and her family they could stay until yesterday, she claims.
Ms Newby, 41 had fallen behind on rent payments after developing depression following her sister’s death last May.
Donna Newby came home to find that her her children’s toys, a television, a sofa beds and a memory box had been scattered outside her Edinburgh flat by her landlord who had evicted her
Ms Newby, 41 had fallen behind on rent payments after developing depression following her sister’s death last May and as a result had all her belongings chucked out
Last Wednesday police visited the flat in Drylaw, Edinburgh, where Ms Newby and her family have lived for nine years, to serve an eviction notice.
However according to the family officers, witnessed Mr Love, 37, agreeing to let them stay until yesterday.
A neighbour said he saw their possessions being chucked 30 ft out of the window and asked them to spare the children’s toys but claims he was told to ‘f***off’.
Body-builder, David Love, is the landlord to Ms Newby and her family and kicked them out last Friday after they claimed he could let them stay until Sunday
The family’s furniture and clothes were dumped in the garden of a neighbour who had recently died – whose funeral was that day.
They attempted to salvage the items which included keepsakes from her daughter Leonnaigh, who died from a suspected cot death 16 years ago.
Ms Newby’s daughter Shannon said that their landlord had told them a week in advance that they would be evicted.
The family’s furniture and clothes were dumped in the garden of a neighbour who had recently died – whose funeral was that day
They had a van arranged and planned to leave yesterday but received a call on Friday to tell them all of their things were being thrown out.
Shannon, 19 claimed that many of the items including the television and her mother’s bed were broken and rain-soaked.
She said: ‘When we got to the flat, Love was smiling away at the window and laughing at my mum.
Last Wednesday police visited the flat in Drylaw, Edinburgh where Ms Newby and her family have lived for nine years, to serve an eviction notice
‘My mum was so hurt to see all our possessions lying there.’
Ms Newby had been living in the flat with her son, Reece, 16, daughter Tia, 12, Shannon and her partner Shaun, and their one-year-old daughter Amelia.
Mr Love, who claims to have a seven-figure property portfolio, claimed he had been ‘cleaning’ the flat, for which he charged £850 a month in rent.
The rent was paid in housing benefit, and the arrears began in May when Ms Newby missed a job centre appointment after her sister died and the benefits were stopped.
A neighbour said he saw their possessions being chucked 30ft out of the window and asked them to spare the children’s toys but claims he was told to ‘f***off’
Due to Ms Newby’s depression, caused by the death of her sister and the anniversary of her baby’s death, it took six months to get the housing benefit organised.
The council have been paying money back to make up for some of the arrears but Ms Newby claims around £2500 was still owed.
Some of the salvaged belongings have been taken to Ms Newby’s sister’s nearby and Shannon her daughter and partner have been put into emergency accommodation.
Mr Love claimed that two men and a woman attacked him while he tried to ‘clean out’ the property and feared for his life
Mr Love claimed that two men and a woman attacked him while he tried to ‘clean out’ the property and feared for his life.
He said: ‘I am a professional landlord and carry out all of my business in accordance with the law.
He added that there were previous ‘fabricated’ incidents surrounding the tenancy which were dropped by the police after being found to be untrue.
Police said officers were called to a ‘disturbance’ in the street at around 4.15pm on Friday and two arrests were made.
Sean Clerkin, campaign co-ordinator for the Scottish Tenants Organisation, said: ‘This was absolutely disgraceful. It’s a deplorable and uncivilised act by the landlord.’