Woman made £10,000 by reporting neighbour and claims anyone can do it
A woman has told how she managed to earn £10,000 by reporting an empty and run-down house in her neighbourhood.
Rebecca from Balham in Greater London, noticed squatters in a boarded up property - a large, 2,000 sq ft late Victorian house and wondered what had happened to the owner.
After leaving a note and receiving no reply, the 54-year-old decided to report it to a company called YouSpotProperty.com, which rewards members of the public for spotting derelict houses.
If the property you find meets the eligibility criteria, then you will initially be awarded a £20 voucher for M&S or Amazon. But if YouSpotProperty goes on to purchase that home, then you get a 1% share of the property value, up to £10,000.
Rebecca told the Mirror: 'I'd come across YouSpotProperty.com on social media and thought I'd give it a try when I uploaded a few lower value derelict looking properties. The house in question though – on the corner of my road - I thought would be the least likely to get anywhere.
"It was boarded up, but a neighbour had told me it was squatted in where there was a broken window. I'd left a note to the owner, whoever they were, in the letter box which I can see was taken, but I received no reply.
"Done up versions of such properties would fetch anywhere around £1.5million so I thought such a valuable house would ultimately be on the owner's radar.'
Rebecca is the second person to receive the maximum £10,000 reward since 2017. Last month, YouSpotProperty revealed it has handed out more than £1million in money and vouchers to members of the public.
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Ben Radstone, co-founder of YouSpotProperty, revealed how the company discovered the owner was still alive, but was incapacitated and living elsewhere in care.
'A year ago we traced the owner's sister who has asked our advice as what to do to help her brother (the owner) liquidate his house so the proceeds could be put towards his care.
'In order to gain permission to act on her brother's behalf she had to gain 'court of protection for her brother – enabling her to legally make decisions on his behalf.
'We advised her on this in May 2024 and all the legals took the best part of a year. Fast forward to now and we were eventually able to secure the house for £1million.
'Listing a house in such a condition with a high street estate agent would otherwise taken ages to sell and mortgage buyers would struggle to gain finance for such a property – this is where we step in.'
In the past couple of weeks Rebecca received the phone call, informing her of her win. Rebecca, who has worked in television production on programmes such as Cash In The Attic, said the money will be used to repay a £5,000 loan to her mum, in addition to buying a "decent" computer. The rest will be put into savings and some set aside for holidays.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
13 hours ago
- Metro
Andy Burnham wants to take Manchester underground
Andy Burnham pricked up ears this week when he unveiled ambitious plans for an underground railway in Manchester. The Mayor of Greater Manchester said the city's transport network would have to go underground by 2050 if it is to keep up with the demand. Outlining his ten-year strategy earlier this week, Burnham promised Britain's third largest city its 'best decade since the Victorian era'. Burnham announced the eye-catching proposals, centred around a flagship underground hub at Piccadilly railway station. Citing the limits of expanding the city's existing Metrolink tram network on the surface, Burnham announced he had instructed Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) to 'start planning' for an underground network. Manchester previously experimented with the concept of a 'Tube' like railway between its two major stations, Piccadilly and Victoria. The plan, dubbed the 'Picc-Vic', was considered in the 1970s. Trains would have run every two to three minutes in twin tunnels between the hubs, and ten minutes to areas outside of the city centre. But it was abandoned after the Westminster government decided the costs were prohibitive, having been estimated at more than £9million (or £139million in today's money). In his speech, Burnham said the Bee Network, which comprises of Manchester's Metrolink tram network as well as buses which have been brought under local authority control was fast reaching its capacity. He said: 'We are building the Bee Network on the surface. If we achieve our economic ambitions, we will be struggling to manage. 'I am going to ask Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) to look at options for underground services. We will work with the government to look at financing it.' The new subterranean concept would be centred around a new interchange at Piccadilly Station, he said. It would complement the existing tram system, which runs on a mix of dedicated lines and streets shared with road traffic. As well as relieving congestion on the local and suburban rail network, it would offer better connectivity within the city centre. A total of 42 million passenger journeys are made on the tram network alone – up from 25 million in 2012. The idea of an underground station at the city's main rail terminus was previously considered as part of the now cancelled leg of HS2 and in plans for a new railway between Liverpool and Manchester. In 1971, Manchester's then transport authority presented plans to go underground, with promotional artwork depicting Victoria Line style tube trains which would run on a 2.75 mile between Piccadilly and Victoria. The Picc-Vicc railway formed part of a four-phase 25-year plan for Manchester's transport system. The same decade, partially underground mass transit systems were established in both Liverpool and Newcastle. But the Manchester scheme never took off after a failure to secure central government funding for the project, which would have cost £139million in today's money. Instead, the city revived its tram network, closed in 1949. The Metrolink has expanded to 99 stops across 64 miles of track. In 2012, remains of the tunnel scheme were discovered by two lecturers at the University of Manchester. Dr Martin Dodge and Richard Brook found what would have been the beginnings of a station dug 30ft below the Arndale shopping centre. One major obstacle to the project, like its 1970s predecessor, would be its inevitably huge cost, with underground railways notoriously expensive to develop and construct. London's Elizabeth Line was delivered at a final cost of £18.8billion, significantly up from the £14.8billion originally budgeted for the scheme. The cost of Burnham's ambitious 'tube' plans would certainly be measured in the billions, possibly as much as £10billion for what would almost certainly be a far shorter railway than Crossrail, an expert has said. David Leeder, from consultancy Transport Investment Limited, said the mayor would struggle to deliver the scheme from local taxes and would instead rely on a grant from Westminster. More Trending He told Metro: 'Yes, the rail infrastructure in Manchester is undoubtedly crowded, but how will a multi billion pound scheme actually be funded when we are on the precipice of a public spending and borrowing crisis? 'The city mayors are set up in such a way that their default answer is always 'by a grant from the DfT / HM Treasury, to be paid for by taxes that mainly fall on London and the south east'.' He added that the scheme, given its complexity, could eat up 'hundreds of millions' in just the development stage, and would likely require operating subsidies in the region of 'tens of millions per annum'. 'The passenger volumes in Manchester are a fraction of those in London. Yes it was very hard to make an economic case for the Elizabeth Line, even with such huge volumes, so it will be harder still in Manchester', he said. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: M60 closed for hours after serious crash on motorway MORE: I got a massive tattoo of this UK city to prove my love MORE: BST Hyde Park issues update on headliner's health after sudden gig cancellation
The Herald Scotland
19 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Family sells 'respected' Scottish bus firm after 70 years
McGill's Group said the acquisition of Prentice Westwood, which also operates bus routes, is part of its continued expansion in the coach travel sector. Businessmen James and Sandy Easdale. (Image: McGill's) The firm said that the "seven-figure deal will see the respected West Lothian-based business join the portfolio of McGill's Group" companies owned by former Rangers directors, Sandy and James Easdale. Tony Williamson, chief executive of McGill's Group, said: "We believe Prentice Westwood will play a significant role in supporting our continued growth across coach travel in central Scotland and beyond, and we look forward to welcoming our new colleagues into the business." Read the full story here Methil yard chief reveals renewables jobs hope There is hope for a positive future. (Image: Navantia) The head of Navantia's fabrication yard at Methil in Fife has revealed hopes of at least doubling the workforce from less than 180 to between 350 and 400 within the next two or three years. Matt Smith also highlighted a possibility that the headcount could rise as high as 600, depending on the work that comes into the yard. Mr Smith, who has been at the Methil yard for 12-and-a-half years under various owners, highlighted 'ups and downs' over this period and described the current trajectory as 'probably the most significant up we have been on with the acquisition by Navantia this year'. He flagged the boost to the local economy when the Methil yard was busy, as well as underlining the scale of the opportunities in the renewables sector and the site's capacity to undertake defence work. Read Ian McConnell' exclusive interview here Fanny By Gaslight sets re-opening date The well-known pub is to open again. (Image: Google) One of the oldest pubs in Kilmarnock is set to re-open a year after mysteriously closing down. Fanny By Gaslight on West George Street in the East Ayrshire town has been a public house since 1846, previously going by names including Railway Tavern, The Saddle Bar and Fifty Waistcoats. The Victorian pub was known for its traditional feel and Friday night rock gigs, but closed suddenly in June of 2024. It was put on the market by Iona Pub Partnership and new tenants have been found, with Fanny By Gaslight to re-open later this month. Read Gabriel McKay's exclusive story here AROUND THE GREENS ⛳ 'That's plenty': The revival of golf at Eastwood Twelve The course opened for play last month. (Image: Eastwood Twelve) This article appears as part of Kristy Dorsey's Around the Greens series Play has resumed at Eastwood on the south side of Glasgow with a new 12-hole format that owners of the course say is proving popular among golfers who are short on time.
Daily Record
21 hours ago
- Daily Record
Pensioner brought down pair behind the world's largest lottery scandal
Dawn Nettles discovered the scam used by a London banker and his gambler sidekick who scooped a $57 million jackpot. A London banker and his gambler sidekick who were behind the world's largest lottery scandal were brought down by a 74-year-old woman. Bernard Marantelli, aided by Zeljko Ranogajec, known as 'The Joker', set up shop in several locations in Texas, including a former dentist office where over three days, associates and some of their children manned dozens of machines that worked around the clock, spitting out 100 or more tickets every second. Marantelli and Ranogajec scam resulted in them scooping a $57 million jackpot. It was all made possible because the state of Texas allowed online lottery ticket vendors to print tickets for their customers. But when seasoned 'lottery watchdog' Dawn Nettles began to investigate, she said: 'There hadn't been a winner in 92 draws and sales didn't support the odds'. Dawn dedicates her life to the Lotto Report website, which was first launched in 1998 as a draw results page for players. She spends between 12-24 hours a day monitoring sales of the Texas Lotto for the morning, day, evening, and night draws. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The retiree always carries her computer with her so she can post the results from anywhere in the country and admits she doesn't go to bed until at least '1 or 2am.' She had been successful in exposing the lottery's wrongdoings and the unfair way it had treated its players. One example included showing a Willy Wonka game that promised a $1billion winner that did not actually deliver any winners. The closest she found was a Texas winner who won $42,500 (£31,000). Dawn was tracking the sale of lotto tickets when she noticed a strange surge in sales. Tickets for the draw on April 19, 2023 surged to an 'unbelievable' $7.3million (£5.3million). She said: 'That night, I thought someone had invested £5million and used a computer program to predict numbers would be drawn. 'There was no winner that night so the jackpot was raised to $72million (£53million) for Monday evening's draw. 'Sales were normal considering apps were selling tickets to people across the US. There was no winner on Monday night, so Wednesday's jackpot was raised to $73million. No winner on Wednesday so the jackpot was raised to $74million (£54million) for Saturday's draw. 'But on Friday, the Texas Lottery Commission raised the jackpot to $83million (£63million) and that's when I knew what was going on. I knew someone was buying all the combinations and I also knew on Friday that the commission would increase the jackpot again. And they did, on Saturday – they raised it to $95million (£69million) which I figured was a little too high.' The Mirror reports that Dawn believes Marantelli and Ranoajec waited longer for the jackpot to rollover and increase in value in order to maximise the $26million spent on tickets. The pair had enlisted an online ticket-selling company and put 'dozens' of machines into action to churn out tickets from warehouses in Texas. In the time between the April 19 draw and the following one, their crew spent an intensive three days purchasing 99.3% of all possible number combinations. With the capacity to turn over 100 tickets a second, their efforts culminated in clinching a $57million (£42million) jackpot, after Texas gave the green light for online ticket outlets to print tickets for players. Dawn added: 'I also firmly believed it was an app selling the tickets. I reasoned that the only way they could get all of the combinations into systems electronically. Two years later, we know QR codes were used, 60 to 70 lottery terminals were delivered to four locations and the bad guys were working 24/7 for three days to print the 25million tickets.' The Texas Lottery Commission said there was nothing suspicious about the games. However, lawmakers have blamed Texas Lottery Commission for allowing third-party courier apps to print tickets for customers. It later transpired that the winning ticket was printed in Colleyville and sold by a shop named 'Lottery Now'. Curious to see if the shop actually existed, Dawn hopped in her car and drove to the given address. 'I drove over there on Sunday morning and there was no shop called 'Lottery Now', which was the name the Texas Lottery Commission posted as winning the ticket', she revealed. Texas Lottery executive director Ryan Mindell stepped down in April amid serious concerns about the courier services. Dawn said: 'There was no retail store at the address the commission provided – it was a small strip office complex. There were no signs indicating someone could buy lottery tickets there. There was no one there and I looked through the window and only saw two desks. 'The Texas Lottery Commission knew exactly where sales were coming from on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and they sat back and watched. It made me sick knowing how all this works. 'This was extremely unfair to Texas Lottery players. I knew this on Friday, April 21 when they upped the jackpot from $74million to $83million.' Governor Dan Patrick labelled the crew's win as 'the biggest theft from the people of Texas in the history of Texas'. In April, the Texas Lottery Commission decided to ban couriers from selling tickets online following several high-profile incidents, including a £70.33million jackpot win in 2023 involving bulk ticket purchases through a courier. The worry over using apps like Jackpocket to buy lottery tickets online through licensed retailers has triggered investigations about potential misuse. Texas Lottery executive director Ryan Mindell stepped down in April amid serious concerns about the courier services. 'The proliferation of couriers in the state has raised serious concerns that the integrity, security, honesty, and fairness of lottery games is being undermined by the continued activity of courier services,' he stated. Mr Mindell told a Senate hearing earlier in the year a junior employee signed off the request to allow people to rapidly print tickets. The men behind the scandalous lottery scheme have never spoken out. Bernard Marantelli was approached for comment. Dawn confesses she only feels 'partially vindicated' following the ordeal and wants those responsible to be held to account. She added: 'I need to see that those responsible for the many wrongdoings for the past 30 years are held accountable. Will our lawmakers right the wrongs committed against unsuspecting lottery players?'.
