A Current Affair’s Alison Langdon tells pensioners Walter and Carola Sadlo viewers paid their debt

Ally Langdon has stunned a pensioner couple by presenting them with a financial rescue from their cruel and crippling debt.

Walter and Carola Sadlo were left with a $25,000 legal bill after taking their nursing home to court over an air-conditioning unit and losing the case.

There heartwrenching story featured on A Current Affair weeks earlier and sparked an outpouring of support for the retired battlers.

‘Our viewers have paid off your debt,’ Langdon told the stunned couple, who at first couldn’t believe it.

‘We didn’t expect that,’ Carola said.

‘Thank you from the bottom of my heart,’ a teary and shaky Walter said. 

‘I normally don’t get emotional. I had better make sure I don’t have a heart attack!

‘It’s been hanging over our head. It’s something we don’t what other people to go through.’    

The couple were saddled with the whopping bill after taking their south-west Sydney Mount Gilead Estate retirement village to the New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) over a $1375 claim to fix their air conditioner in 2018.

Village operator Australian Retirement Holdings defended the claim by employing a barrister and solicitor, while Walter represented himself but proved no match for the high-priced legal team.

Although the village operators wanted the Sadlos to pay their full legal costs of $59,000 – the tribunal agreed to a payment of $25,000.

Carola and Walter were overwhelmed to learn ACA viewers had dug deep to pay off a $25,000 legal bill hanging over the couple’s head plus a $15,000 inheritance

The Sadlos had struggled to keep up with the payment schedule and just two days before Christmas the village threatened to declare them bankrupt for falling behind.

This forced the Sadlers to throw in their only nest egg, a $15,000 inheritance Carola had from her mother. 

With that gone they feared losing their home.

However, Langdon told the overwhelmed couple that not only had viewers chipped in enough to pay the $25,000 bill there was enough to also replace the $15,000 inheritance.

Langdon said the plight of the Sadlos had touched A Current Affair viewers so much they began sending in money even while the story was airing.

Langdon said the plight of Sadlos had touched so many viewers of A Current Affair that the offers of money came pouring in even as the original story about them was airing

One woman in Queensland had gone to get money from a bank where the tellers had seen the story and were expressing their hope that someone would help the Sadlos out even as the withdrawal was about to be made. 

Walter said the financial help was particularly timely as he had an expensive operation coming up, which otherwise would have racked up credit card debt. 

‘Despite a lot things there is a lot of good in the world and a lot of good people,’ he said.

‘Hopefully there will be village operators who see this story and will show a bit more heart.’