A Bizarre Living Situation in Melbourne
In the year 2000, Tom moved into what he thought was a normal share house in Melbourne. With two flatmates, affordable rent, and a location close to his internship, it seemed like the perfect setup. However, as he soon discovered, this was far from ordinary.
By the end of the first week, Tom realized that the house was home to more than just two roommates. There were couples in the sunroom, singles in other rooms, and another couple in a bedroom. This unexpected arrangement continued for months, with Tom sharing food, bills, and everything else with his six housemates.
But things took a turn when one of his housemates began a troubling routine. Every Sunday, she would return home in tears after a weekend fling with a straight girl. The pattern repeated itself every week, and Tom watched it unfold without interference at first. However, after a few beers one night, he finally voiced his thoughts.
“I innocently asked, ‘Why don’t you stop picking up straight girls?'” he recalled. “I said, ‘This is free advice: the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again without changing it.'”
The response was immediate and hostile. Food that had once been shared now came with labels, and nasty notes appeared everywhere. His washing was even dumped from the machine into the sink. Things escalated further when Tom received a call from his landlord.
The landlord informed him that he hadn’t paid last month’s rent. Confused, Tom explained that he had been giving his portion of the rent in cash to one of his housemates for months. But the landlord had a different story.
“What flatmates?” the landlord asked, which made everything clear to Tom. He was the only person on the lease, and the others had effectively been squatting in the house. They were living there rent-free while Tom was responsible for all the bills.
Tom was able to get financial help from his parents to pay off the debt, but the situation wasn’t over. The landlord threatened to evict everyone, which was a major concern for Tom. He still had three months left of his internship and couldn’t afford to move back home.
Determined to solve the problem, Tom devised a plan. He asked the landlord for letterhead and then contacted his uncle, a barrister, about creating a fake eviction notice. His uncle gave him the go-ahead, and Tom printed the notice on official letterhead.
He enlisted a friend to act as the landlord’s representative, and the chaos began. The housemates rushed to pack their belongings, and Tom secretly moved his own items. When the time came, he handed over the keys and watched as the housemates left their belongings on the side of the road.
After leaving the house, Tom went to stay with his uncle, and his friend collected the keys and locked the place up. Eventually, Tom called the police, who arrived and removed the housemates. He later returned to the house, unsure if his ex-roommates ever found out about his scheme.
Today, Tom has moved on from that experience. He found new housemates, completed his internship, and moved back to Canberra, where he met his wife. He now runs a consulting agency that helps martial arts, dance, and yoga studios grow their businesses.
Reflecting on the incident, Tom admits it was a tough time, but he now looks back on it with humor. “It’s one of those times in life that you look back and laugh your ass off. At the time it was awful, but you look back and it’s funny.”
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