A QUADRIPLEGIC man is being evicted from his home despite being bed-bound and offering to buy it.
Dr Harvey Cowe, 62, has rented the property in Hove, East Sussex, with his wife Sheree for the last 25 years.
The house has been modified to fit his needs, including a hydrotherapy pool and voice-activated computer so he can continue working as an academic researcher.
But despite raising thousands of pounds to buy the £950,000 home from their landlords after they told they were selling, Dr Cowe and his wife were handed an eviction notice last week, Sussex Live reports.
Dr Cowe, who has been effectively paralysed from the neck-down since a car accident in 1984, said: “I’m stuck in the bed. I’d have to be stretchered through the doorway. I just feel so let down.
"Why can’t they give us an explanation of why they don’t want to sell to us? It feels like a punishment. I feel totally depressed and deflated.
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"The logistics of moving would be a nightmare, we would have to bring so much equipment and supplies with us."
Mrs Cowe said her mum and sister both sold their homes in order to help them raise them the funds to buy, while her cousin sold a considerable amount of cryptocurrency.
She also told how bailiffs tried to get into their property to boot them out, describing the process as "horrendous".
Mrs Cowe said: “The bailiffs came and drilled through the doors. It went on for 40 minutes.
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"Harvey can’t even get out of bed, we haven’t got a place to go. I naively thought if you didn’t answer then they would go away, but they managed to get into the side of the house.
"I had to move the electric wheelchair against the other door so they couldn’t get any further. “The bailiffs said they were going back for a higher warrant, and said they could return any day.
"They said the police could arrest us and put us in a cell. I was so scared, the thought of the bailiffs coming again is awful."
Rachel Lashmar, speaking on behalf of the landlords, said: "We can’t comment on the case itself except to say this has been an incredibly complex and emotional situation for all parties involved spanning three years."
Why can’t they give us an explanation of why they don’t want to sell to us? It feels like a punishment.
Cllr David Gibson, co-chair of Brighton and Hove City Council's housing committee said it is "very sad" the landlords are pushing ahead with immediate eviction.
He said: “I’m incredibly disappointed the court has not exercised its discretion to put a halt on the bailiffs giving more time to agree for the Cowe family to purchase the property with help from the council.
"If they had, this might have enabled them to remain in the home they’ve lived in for the past 25 years. Mr Cowe has very significant disabilities. We have previously provided major adaptations to the property to enable the family to continue living there.
"The possession order was served in April. It was suspended for three months. During this time, due to the exceptional circumstances we worked extremely quickly to help put in place an arrangement to enable the family to purchase the property.
"The council agreed a loan to assist the family with the purchase based on a valuation, and we made our loan offer known to all the parties. We worked very closely with the family to make sure they had the resources to purchase the property and also make sure that the loan repayments would be affordable for them.”
Councillor Robert Nemeth added: "It was devastating to hear that eviction is still proposed when it feels like there is still plenty of room to continue discussions.
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“There is now a very practical problem of how Harvey would be removed from his home in compliance with the eviction notice which I hope serves to focus minds on returning to the negotiating table.
"The idea of him being dragged out on his mattress is simply scandalous and cannot be allowed to happen."
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