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IT seems unfair that a Lavington family has grounds to fears it is about to be homeless because of an old debt that has long since been settled.
Daniel and Brenda Whichelo are facing a desperate rush to find a home for their five children after being knocked back by 13 real estate agents.
Their hunt for a home begun after they were told their landlord wanted to move back into the home.
They had no problem finding a place to rent when they moved to the Border from Queensland three years ago.
But now, after more than a dozen refusals, an agent has told them they had being “flagged” on a rental-default database in Queensland — the result of an outstanding debt Mrs Whichelo acquired while living with a former partner.
Even though the couple settled the a debt three years ago, it continues to haunt them.
They had assumed their name would be removed from the database after the debt was paid, but they have since learnt that without taking court action, names are “flagged” for seven years.
It’s another case of bureaucracy triumphing over commonsense.
Databases are a useful tool when assessing tenants but surely, once a debt is paid, that should be the end of it.