A man who is embroiled in a council property dispute with his “ruthless” local authority faces both the loss of his home and also his mother.
James O’Regan, 54, lives with his mother in a two-bedroom property Bermondsey, south London - a place he has called home since the late 1990s.
Following the passing of his father in 2007, he is now the sole full-time carer of his elderly mother, 89, who suffers with osteoporosis on her spine and struggles with her mobility.
Sadly, tragedy struck last year when O’Regan’s sister passed away following a short battle with cancer. The 54-year-old said that from that moment on, his mother “gave up on living” and has since been suffering from depression.
'Ruthless' council leaves mean nearly homeless after his mother dies: 'I’m struggling to live through this nightmare!'
GB News
Just two months ago, his mother had a stroke and was administered to King’s College Hospital. After being discharged eight days later, she came home and immediately fell out of bed, breaking her hip and was sent back to hospital.
She has not been home since and ambulance workers told O’Regan and his other remaining sister - who no longer lives at the property - that the 89-year-old would be “lucky to make it to Christmas”.
As her health deteriorates, O’Regan reached out to Southwark Council to see what would happen following her passing in regards to his home.
He claims that he was told by a housing manager that when the time comes, he would need to vacate the two-bedroom property as it “no longer meets his requirements”.
He told GB News: “I'm thinking, how would you know what my requirements are? You've never met me. You've never been to the house.
“When that horrible day comes, they’ve said that the property won’t be suitable because of that extra bedroom.
“I’ve lost my sister, I’m about to lose my mum. Does that not in any way impact this?
“What needs to happen that will make the council realise that I'm struggling to live through this nightmare?”
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Southwark Council has cited the issue of succession rights on his mother’s property as being the reason why he will not automatically be allowed to stay
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O’Regan reached out to Southwark Council to see what would happen following her passing in regards to his home
GB News
Southwark Council has cited the issue of succession rights on his mother’s property as being the reason why he will not automatically be allowed to stay.
For secure council tenancies granted before April 2012, there is a limit of one succession to a spouse or partner if they lived in the same property. This can also be extended to another family member if they lived at the same address for more than 12 months prior to the tenant’s death.
O’Regan said that he asked the council for a temporary rental agreement for a set period of 36 to 46 months, in order for him to get a job, save some money and “move forward in the world”. That request has been denied, he claims.
He told The People’s Channel that he feels like he has “been treated like a completely irrelevant human being".
"They have zero compassion or empathy for my situation”.
O’Regan said that he has been told he can apply for discretionary housing allocation when his mother dies, though he says he will be refusing this.
“It is a way of getting me out of the property and offering me temporary accommodation somewhere. It’s essentially becoming voluntarily homeless.”
He also fears he will have to put his two cats down if they have nowhere to live.
The 54-year-old has been told by occupational therapists that his mum should be sent to a care home, though O’Regan feels like he cannot allow this as this means she will give up tenancy rights on her property.
James O’Regan lives with his mother in a two-bedroom property in Bermondsey
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“I said no, she’s coming home. Because if social services tell Southwark Council that she’s in a care home, she would no longer be eligible for the property and I will be asked to move out.
“I have to go against medical advice. That's what I’ve had to choose to make sure that I’ve got a roof over my head.”
O’Regan has said that ever since he began caring for his mother in 2016, he has “given up his life”.
He said that for the last several years, he has been unable to work, socialise, or go on holiday without worrying about his mother, stating he must always put her needs before his own.
The 54-year-old said perhaps if he knew what was awaiting him, he would have gotten his mum a carer from the council. “I think I would have chosen not to care for my mum and let Southwark Social services take up the task, but I wanted to give back to her for all the years she cared for me.
“I never thought for one second it would end with me being removed from my family home. Big mistake on my part.”
He is calling for the law to be changed regarding legitimate carer’s rights to take over a tenancy, in spite of their being a succession change prior.
“There needs to be some kind of dialogue and grace period put in place to stop the automatic fear of eviction,” he said.
Southwark Council told GB News: “I share in our housing team’s care and understanding of Mr O’Regan’s situation.
"It must have been very unsettling to learn that the law does not allow an automatic succession of his mother’s tenancy, on top of all he has been through personally.
“Everyone deserves a sense of security for the future, which is why we have explained what Mr O’Regan’s housing options would be in the unfortunate event that his mother passes away.
"Until such a time and only after a full and proper assessment is done can we indicate what will happen next. It would be wrong and premature to do otherwise, which is why we have not.”
