Rebecca Pickett calls out state government for backing out of contract

A Gympie family has been left in the lurch and scrambling to find a home after a deal with the state government to buy their property was unexpectedly canned.

A Gympie family’s life has been turned upside down by an eleventh hour state government decision to back out of a contract over a small retaining wall it deemed unsafe.

Rebecca Pickett fears her family, including husband Greg and three children Samuel, 10, Jessica, 7 and Billie, 3, could be homeless if their house cannot sell in the next two weeks.

“It makes me sad that with the severe housing crisis happening, and people homeless and struggling to find a place and people screaming out … the government is getting away with doing this,” Mrs Pickett said.

“(It’s) possibly making us homeless if we don’t sell fast, and incurring more financial and emotional stress.”

After a stressful eight weeks on the market, the Pickett family were delighted when they received a cash offer from the Department of Housing on their family home.

Rebecca Picket with her young children Samuel, Jessica and Billie were preparing to move from their home when a deal to sell the family home to the Department of Housing was unexpectedly cancelled.

Rebecca Pickett said the offer, even though it was below asking price, came as a pleasant surprise to the family.

“By that point of almost eight weeks of cleaning for valuation, photography and videos, open homes, we were ready to accept a lower offer,” Mrs Pickett said.

But, just weeks later, after quitting their jobs, withdrawing their children from school and preparing to move out, Mrs Pickett and her husband Greg were blindsided by a last-minute decision to cancel the contract.

A Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy spokesman said the house was deemed unsafe.

This retaining wall was constructed by an accredited builder, but posed a key safety risk, according to a Department of Housing spokesman.

“Properties (the Department) acquires must be safe and easy to maintain,” he said.

“As part of its due diligence investigations, the contract was subject to a building and pest inspection, which is typical of most residential contract conditions.”

“Inspection of the property revealed it did not meet the department’s requirements.”

Mrs Pickett said the decision was driven by a small retaining wall at the property.

Shortly before the date the deal was to become unconditional, the Picketts received an email from solicitors requesting a week extension on settlement for an investigation into a small retaining wall on the property.

Mrs Pickett said the wall was in line with Gympie Regional Council requirements and the department was aware of it throughout the sale process.

The Pickett's house had been on the market for eight weeks when they received the offer from the Department of Housing. Picture supplied.

After the offer was originally scheduled to become unconditional on October 4 the Picketts received an unexpected call from their real estate agent.

“We got a frantic phone call... saying the government had sent a contractor to our house for a valuation,” Rebecca said.

“The kids had gastro the week before and the house was a mess, so I was beside myself with people going into our home with no one there, and our agent had to drop everything and go to the house to meet them there.”

The inspection found the retaining wall was potentially dangerous.

Later that day, the family was sent a final email from the government’s solicitor, saying the contract had been cancelled after due diligence.

This steep backyard was part of why the State Government backed out of the contract.

Mrs Pickett said she felt blindsided by the decision.

“They had all the house plans, photos, videos, all information and valuation etc from the start- yet somehow now they are able to get away with pulling the sale after the due time, when it seems to me something was forgotten and they didn‘t realise until the last minute,” she said.

Expecting the sale to go through without a hitch, the Picketts had already started to organise their move.

Electricity was cancelled, mail was redirected, and most importantly according to Rebecca, therapy appointments for two of the children were cancelled.

“They all require two weeks minimum notice (to cancel), so the kids are not coping well now,” she said.

“Not having those support services available to us anymore, means this isn’t just unfortunate for our family, it has a huge impact of their whole daily lives, and my ability to actually meet their needs properly.”

Originally published as Rebecca Pickett calls out state government for backing out of contract