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10:00am Monday 6th September 2010 in
A FATHER auctioned invitations to a barbecue at his dream home for £20,000 – to raise the money he needs to buy it.
Brian Adams, 29, claimed the eBay auction was his “last resort” as there was no other way for his family to finance a move to a bigger house in Oxford.
He and wife Ossa, 33, and children Brogan and Rocky, live in a two-bedroom social housing flat in Wyatt Road, North Oxford.
But eBay has now taken down the sale, which the father-of-two admitted was a stunt.
The barbecue would have been held at his chosen property.
Mr Adams said he wanted to show how families living on one wage were penalised in the city.
Mr Adams, who works for Oxford Internet firm Nominet, said today’s society was “backward” when it came to dealing with families.
Single parents, unmarried couples and those forced out by parents get a better deal, he said.
He said: “You get given a nice little home paid for courtesy of the taxpayer, and then move your partner in a few weeks later, don’t declare them, and you get to enjoy their wage or benefits fully with no bills or stress.”
The auction attracted no bids before it was taken down.
He said: “I never believed anyone would bid, but it at least gave me a place to vent my frustrations about being stuck in an impossible position, like so many other honest, decent families.
“I would need to buy, but as we choose to have our children brought up by their biological mum instead of a childminder or nursery, trying to get a mortgage on one wage, with no state benefits because I work full time, it is extremely difficult.
“We decided that it was time to start looking at getting a bigger home if possible.”
He said there was “no chance” of a property from Oxford City Council because of the high demand.
He said: “We’ll only become entitled to a larger home if we have more kids than we can afford. Thankfully we’re not that irresponsible.”
Mr Adams said he was looking to work extra hours at the weekend to make ends meet.
But he said: “Even if I find a job the income from that will never provide enough money to raise that sort of deposit before my boys are old enough to start work.
“We are very lucky to have a roof over our head, I don’t take this for granted.
“But when you see people get given such beautiful council homes who either do not deserve them due to cheating the system, or who do not take care of them and leave their gardens looking like a junk yard, it’s hard not feel ignored by the powers-that-befor trying to bring your family up honestly and with hard work.”
Comments(44)
elperrohavuelto
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11:16am Mon 6 Sep 10
Rayman123
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11:27am Mon 6 Sep 10
SupaMum
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11:39am Mon 6 Sep 10
Robie
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11:41am Mon 6 Sep 10
BrianAdams
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12:31pm Mon 6 Sep 10
Robie
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1:16pm Mon 6 Sep 10
sparky123456
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2:35pm Mon 6 Sep 10
BrianAdams
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2:41pm Mon 6 Sep 10
online_reader
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3:24pm Mon 6 Sep 10
BrianAdams
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3:55pm Mon 6 Sep 10
Berty
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4:02pm Mon 6 Sep 10
angryjack
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4:10pm Mon 6 Sep 10
Snoop
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4:17pm Mon 6 Sep 10
Snoop
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4:17pm Mon 6 Sep 10
BrianAdams
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4:28pm Mon 6 Sep 10
Berty
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5:01pm Mon 6 Sep 10
BrianAdams
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5:07pm Mon 6 Sep 10
AbingdonMassive
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5:08pm Mon 6 Sep 10
Ox-4ord
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5:33pm Mon 6 Sep 10
theashes
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5:57pm Mon 6 Sep 10
AbingdonMassive
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6:22pm Mon 6 Sep 10
theashes wrote:I sure do work but thats got nothing to do with it, The fact is my council house is toooooooo small for my family and because it was me that decided to have the children i can't blame the council or the non workers for my housing situation.
Abingdon Massive You have not said if you work or live on benefits. Then you can offer to the debate.
cowleyanne
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6:47pm Mon 6 Sep 10
tim.83
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6:57pm Mon 6 Sep 10
AbingdonMassive
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7:05pm Mon 6 Sep 10
cowleyanne wrote:No, I got a bigger place then had more kids.
Abingdon Massive your right, everyone is entitled to their opinion, even those who should defo keep to reading the paper online, as an actual paper might be a bit to complex for them to handle, those paper cuts don’t half hurt :o) Well done you had more kids and got a bigger place, exactly what this man is saying. I am pleased your combined wages have been able to support 5 children; you must have a very high paid job to do this with no help? So with such a high paid job, why didn’t you buy a home, why are you on the council?
AbingdonMassive
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7:20pm Mon 6 Sep 10
terrytowel
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8:17pm Mon 6 Sep 10
matriarch
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8:48pm Mon 6 Sep 10
terrytowel
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8:58pm Mon 6 Sep 10
BrianAdams
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10:18pm Mon 6 Sep 10
terrytowel
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11:10pm Mon 6 Sep 10
Same old Tories, same old politics
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12:48am Tue 7 Sep 10
elperrohavuelto wrote:I read it as a story that quotes a dusgruntled man offering his stereotypical moan based on nothing but fresh air.
It’s a story highlighting the housing situation, and how those who abuse & cheat the system get more options then people who live honestly. Are you one of those people who live off the tax payer? is that why this story annoys you so much, worried you might have to one day work again
Same old Tories, same old politics
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12:58am Tue 7 Sep 10
Same old Tories, same old politics
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1:02am Tue 7 Sep 10
terrytowel wrote:Which recent report was this then? Care to link to it so we have a read?
A recent newspaper report mentioned that, despite assurances that this wouldn't happen, 4,000 council houses were dished out to eastern european immigrants, thus making an already long housing list much longer. Good luck to all those waiting for a house. It might be a good idea to learn Polish/Croatian/Czec h.
Same old Tories, same old politics
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1:05am Tue 7 Sep 10
terrytowel
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9:05am Tue 7 Sep 10
Same old Tories, same old politics wrote:Just this once I'll help you out 'same old'. Go to google and type in 4000 houses queue. Then go down the list until you get to a story in your favourite newspaper (judging by your last comment - which made me chuckle).
terrytowel wrote:Which recent report was this then? Care to link to it so we have a read?
A recent newspaper report mentioned that, despite assurances that this wouldn't happen, 4,000 council houses were dished out to eastern european immigrants, thus making an already long housing list much longer. Good luck to all those waiting for a house. It might be a good idea to learn Polish/Croatian/Czec h.
How does housing"4,000" people make the list longer? Surely the list stays the same unless more people join it?
terrytowel
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9:12am Tue 7 Sep 10
Same old Tories, same old politics wrote:Just imagine being in the queue for a theme park ride and the operators keep letting celebrities in front of you - over and over again. The queue will always be longer and you will NEVER move up it.
terrytowel wrote:Which recent report was this then? Care to link to it so we have a read?
A recent newspaper report mentioned that, despite assurances that this wouldn't happen, 4,000 council houses were dished out to eastern european immigrants, thus making an already long housing list much longer. Good luck to all those waiting for a house. It might be a good idea to learn Polish/Croatian/Czec h.
How does housing"4,000" people make the list longer? Surely the list stays the same unless more people join it?
BrianAdams
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9:18am Tue 7 Sep 10
abingdonjon
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12:40pm Tue 7 Sep 10
BrianAdams
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1:57pm Tue 7 Sep 10
terrytowel
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4:24pm Tue 7 Sep 10
Jmark
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4:59pm Tue 7 Sep 10
Bart Simpson1
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12:16pm Wed 8 Sep 10
dannyofoxford
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1:42am Thu 9 Sep 10
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Robie says...
11:05am Mon 6 Sep 10
Again, why is this news?!