From time to time he’s written me emails chewing my tail off. Whenever I got bad press, he believed it and skanked me. As far as I know, he’d some biker guy in Ottawa who occasionally sends me notes and orders me to post them on this blog.

I don’t know him any better than I know you. Just that his name is Mike. He’s a tough guy. At least I thought.

A month ago he wrote and told me he’d bought a POS for back taxes, with a winning bid to the city. After slapping on some paint and drywall, he said, he’s make some serious coin. But first there was some old guy who lived there – and tons of his crap – to get rid of.

I did not respond. And today this note arrived:

Garth, I have gotten myself into quite a project in more ways than one. If you recall I purchased my storey and a half brick wartime house in central Ottawa  through a tax sale in late November. So I knocked on the door with my registered letter in hand to talk to the (former) owner expecting the worst. The 70 YO man, Mr. MacPherson, has lived there since ‘71 having inherited off his parents.

Mac is an only child, who has a literature degree and speaks 3 languages. They came from Edinburgh Scotland in 1954 to ottawa. He was a free lance writer and unfortunately did not contribute to CPP. Hence he is “living” on 520$/month OAS.

He was overjoyed when I told him what I paid as he was expecting considerably less, closed bids started at 45k$. He should net about 155k$ from the courts after the dust settles.

Although you could call him eccentric, think hoarder, he is physically and mentally healthy. Just seems like a lost soul who never married or had kids. Neighbours only have good things to say about him. I took him to Service Canada last week and applied for a pension supplement with him. He told me he feels like he is stealing asking for it. I also have been helping him find new accomodations, helping him fill in the paperwork for city housing and driving him to see apts. We went and got him a pay as you go cell so he can be reached.

I probably paid close to fair market value for the house, the next of 47 bidders being 26 k$ lower than me. One nice thing is that Mac has agreed to pay for half the dumpster and has been working dilligently to help me clear debris and even helped take down a 45′ manitoba maple in the backyard.

Hopefully the money transfer will happen this week and we can get Mr MacPherson into his new place for Jan1st. I have already had an unsolicited offer for 10k$ above my costs on the place which I’m seriously considering. I’m hoping to keep my total under 230k$ all inclusive, typical neighbourhood prices range from 260-300k$ so there is not huge money to be made, this one will be a private sale, no agents to steal my equity.

I guess everything happens for a reason.

Funny thing is my father died 30 years ago and would be 70 now. My 15 YO son never had a grandfather.

This weekend cutting down that big tree, there was a good vibe between us all.
Mike

I feel it.