December 1
From: Owner
Sent: Tuesday, 1 December 2009 2:22 AM
To: QLD Police
Subject: Advice Needed
Importance: High
Hi XXXXX,
I need your advice on what I can/should do about a situation that has developed.
My wife XXXXX, son XXXXX, and I are currently in the US on vacation. This is XXXXX’s reward for four years of hard work culminating in her recent successful completion of a Nursing Degree at XXUni.
Whilst our neighbours were willing to look after the animals for us whilst we were away we felt that it was not reasonable to put that burden on them for the two months that we were going to be gone, especially as it covered the school holiday period.
We engaged a farm sitter through an agency to look after the property and the animals whilst we were away, and to collect our mail. We also did not want the property to be uninhabited for obvious reasons. The agency take no responsibility for the people who list through them but we did a check of the reference that she supplied and this was glowing.
We signed a housesitting agreement with Ms XXXXXXXX XXXXXXX which defined expectations on both sides. There was also a list of contact details (Farmall, water cartage, vet, etc) in case anything should go wrong. We reduced the previously agreed bond from $500 to $200 so she would have funds available to her in case of emergency. We agreed to reimburse her on our return for any reasonable expenses incurred on our behalf. Normal utility costs (electricity, gas, telephone, etc) were to be to her account.
We have three small breed cattle (Dexter crosses), one miniature bull, one dog, two ducks and twenty odd chooks. I purchased sufficient food to last them for the period we were to be away at their usual rate of consumption. I also purchased 20,000 litres of drinking water less than two weeks before leaving. We have two dams on the property, one of which supplies irrigation water for our veggie garden and orchard through an automatic watering system. The other is a backup and provides water for the cattle who roam freely on the property (54 acres). Whilst the water level in the irrigation dam was low because of the prolonged dry spell, there should have been sufficient to last around two weeks at the normal rate of usage. There was plenty of water (several months supply) in the backup dam.
The housesitter arrived on Monday, 9th November and over the next three days we explained how everything worked and shared our meals with her. Things seemed to be going well but on Wednesday evening, after a few drinks, she revealed that she had caused major problems for a person whose house she had looked after in the Northern Territory. When I photocopied her driver’s licence it showed her address as XXXXXX caravan park, although in our earlier discussions she had said she was staying at a caravan park at Ballina. Whilst both these were a cause of concern, nevertheless we left confident that everything would be OK.
We left the property on Thursday, 12th November at midday for our flight out from Brisbane. On Saturday the 14th Jaye-Cee sent an email saying she had Farmall out the previous day (the 13th) to restart the pump, and that the “water in the dam was disappearing rapidly”.
On Tuesday 17th November I received an email saying the dam was empty as were the rainwater tanks supplying the house and demanded that a money order for $1,000 be sent to the Childers post office. I ignored the demand for the money and contacted XXX Water Cartage in CXXXX to deliver 6000 litres that afternoon or the following morning. I paid for this by credit card.
I spoke to Jaye-Cee by phone to advise her of this and received a stream of abuse in response, followed by her hanging up on me.
On 24th November XXXXX XXXXX, our vet, sent me an email to say that he had been contacted by our caretaker (his words) saying that she was concerned that there was no food for the animals and suggested that perhaps I should send her some money for feed. I responded to XXXXX the following day explaining the provisions that we had made for the animals. I also phoned our neighbours at XXXXXXXX, XXXXX and XXXXX XXXX, and asked them if XXXXX could go over and check things out. XXXXX could use our ute to pick up more feed if necessary and we would reimburse them on our return.
XXXXX confirmed that all the hay was gone (twenty bales for four small animals in less than two weeks!!) and that there was very little water left of the 6000 litres we had delivered the previous week. XXXXX has advised by email that they have ordered another 6,000 litres of water and picked up nine bales of hay.
Jaye-Cee has confirmed by email that the water and feed has been delivered but has now said that the gas has run out.
There was sufficient in the gas bottle supplying the cooktop (everything else in the house is electric or solar) to last us about a year when we left. There were also two full 9 kg bottles of LPG, so I can’t believe that everything has run out.
I have received numerous abusive and threatening emails and phone messages from Jaye-Cee that I have ignored and tried to focus only on the substantive issues, but this is turning into a nightmare and is ruining our holiday. We are not due back in Australia until the 8th January and our tickets do not allow for changes in flight arrangements, even if I wanted to come back. Fortunately, our neighbours have been great, but I can’t expect them to continue to take the burden of her behaviour.
What do you suggest that I should do? Particularly when I return to the property in January?
Best regards
XXXXX
From: Owner
Sent: Tuesday, 1 December 2009 2:27 AM
To: 'Isis Hardware Sales'
Subject: RE: water delivery
Hi XXXXX,
Thanks. I gather you had trouble delivering the load I ordered on 17 November.
Cheers
XXXXX
From: Isis Hardware Sales
Sent: Monday, 30 November 2009 7:49 AM
To: Owner
Subject: water delivery
XXXXX,
XXXXX XXXX (Neighbour1)has requested us AAA water to deliver a load of water to XXXX XXXXXXXX Rd. He has paid us $90 for this load and asked if we could e.mail you a letter of comfirmation regarding this delivery
Kind Regards
XXXXX XXXXXX
Isis Hardware & Irrigation
From: Sitter
Sent: Tuesday, 1 December 2009 2:07 PM
To: Owner
Subject: telstra
Telstra a/c biller code XXXX Ref. 903 6739 8004 amount$98.57