NIRRANDA squatter Robbie Moloney is still occupying his two-storey mud-brick house despite the Sheriff’s Office warning he was due to be evicted five days ago.
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Mr Moloney said there had been no sign of the Sheriff’s representatives this week despite the issue of a final eviction notice telling him to be off the Mathiesons Road property by Monday.
The 48-year-old has moved most of his belongings out of the house in preparation for his eviction and was prepared to live nearby in a tent if he was evicted.
He told The Standard on Monday he would be forced to stay in a tent because he had nowhere else to go.
Landlords had been unwilling to rent to him because of his self-confessed reputation as a regular dope smoker.
Mr Moloney and his 18-year-old son have been squatting in the house for the past 12 months after it was confiscated by authorities under proceeds of crime laws. Mr Moloney lost his home of more than 20 years after he was caught growing a commercial quantity of cannabis in 2008, which he said was for his own use.
However, efforts by law enforcement authorities to confiscate the house and the 2.5-hectare bush block on which it sits have been stymied by the failure of the property to sell at auction because of a slew of legal problems, including the self-built house not having proper approvals from Moyne Shire Council.
Mr Moloney has said he wants the bank to again put the property up for auction so it could write off its loan to him.
The sale stalemate, which has included the bank refusing to accept Mr Moloney’s repayments, has meant his loan for the house has more than doubled.
Mr Moloney fears continuation of the loan would bankrupt him.