Nasty tenant

I had an interesting experience with my first tenant. This was towards the time when she wanted to move out. I believe she was having trouble in her personal life. She didn’t like her job and was possibly feeling homesick, as her parents lived some distance away. She just wanted to get away from the coast. I gather she quit her job, and had given a few weeks notice to her employer, but her visit to the real estate agent may have posed problems. Breaking a lease before the expiry date carries certain penalties, some of which are distinctively nasty.

We received a letter from the real estate agent who was managing the property rental.  The letter was to remind us of the policy when a lease is broken.  There were a number of things listed, but the penalty that caught my attention related to an existing tenant having to continue to pay rent until a replacement tenant was found.

Our tenant may have been about to get into a tricky situation. When her income dried up after quitting her job she’d be in a dire situation if she had to continue paying rent for a place she was no longer interested in having. Such a situation could last months. Well, at least until another tenant had been found. It wasn’t a well thought out plan. It could have meant she’d be paying rent for the place and not living there.

She should have notified the agent she wanted to quit the lease early and bided her time until someone was ready to move in, and then quit her job. Not the other way around. She should have worked the dates better.

As a compassionate gesture, we offered the use of our unit should it become necessary. We suggested to both our tenant and the real estate office that if someone suitable should be found who wished to move into the property, but if the move-out move-in dates for our old and new tenants didn’t match particularly well then our place could be utilized for a short duration. That of course, meant that we wouldn’t be able to stay there for however long was necessary.

She took up our offer. We asked for some rent for the period; less than half her usual amount. $80 per week seemed fair, and the offer was willingly accepted. A better deal than a motel could offer. Our real estate agent advised against this plan, but we thought it was the right thing to do.

As it happened our real estate agent found a suitable replacement tenant quite quickly. It seems that the rental market is such that nothing is left vacant for very long. However, the timing did not quite match perfectly and our old tenant was pleased we had made our half of the house available to her for a few days. On the last day of the weekend that we’d been staying there our tenant brought in her mattress and bedding. She said she loved her bed, and despite our offer to move into our place and use everything, including our bed, she preferred to use her own mattress. The bed frame was to be moved as part of her shift along with the rest of her stuff. Each to their own, I guess.

Anyway, the real estate agent in finalising the lease had made an appointment to inspect the property. This was the usual end of lease check prior to concluding the tenancy, to confirm the place was in good repair, and was nothing out of the ordinary. The agent considered the property to be in reasonable condition, however, she was concerned about the kitchen bench top. Though the inspection missed the badly repaired window fly screen, and missed the fact that one of the vertical blinds no longer operated on a lounge window. The agent noticed some cuts in the kitchen bench top and took photographs of the damage emailing them to us for comment. The agent didn’t know whether the damage was present before the tenant moved in noting that the marks didn’t seem like normal wear and tear.

This was an old property. There is wear everywhere, and the laminex bench top was slightly scuffed when we bought it. This is normal wear and its condition was noticed prior to purchasing the property, but it was reasonably okay.

After we’d been renting the place for a few months we noticed some changes in the bench top surface. With the occasional visit to address problems you can’t help but look around. We had noticed the bench was looking the worse for wear. The bench top was becoming pitted. Knife marks were showing which indicated the surface was being used as a cutting surface. We had a spare nylon cutting board in our place. When our work was finished we left the cutting board on the bench. This should have been a sufficient hint, but it seems to have gone unheeded.

Some months had passed since the cutting board had been left. And now the real estate agent was inspecting the property and had sent photographs of the damage. The photograph provided by the agent showed that the knife marks had continued to worsen. The cutting board wasn’t being used.

The bench top before the property was purchased

I had hundreds of photographs of the house that I took when the property was on the market. It’s amazing what you forget following an inspection, and a few photos provide a great memory jog. It also allows you to study aspects of the property in detail, which isn’t normally possible in a normal open house. Fortunately, I had taken several photographs of the kitchen which by good luck quite a few happened to include the bench top. You could plainly see some general scuff marks on the surface, but there were no deep knife marks.

The same section of bench top showing the knife damage

The agent notified the tenant of the situation and that quotations for repair would be sought. We left it to the agent to determine what a reasonable cost split between us and the tenant might be.

A new bench top surface was quoted by a provider at $1400. That seemed a ridiculous amount. The existing kitchen bench and cupboards looked like they were knocked up in a couple of weekends by someone using offcuts. The bench cupboards and drawers were neat and functional but pretty crappy. Spending $1400 would be a waste.

Bunnings sell kitchens for a little over $2000.  And you can get some nice used kitchens from ebay for much less than that from people who have upgraded.

One of the repair companies the agent called in to inspect the damage noted that the surface was made of a softer material than should have been fitted to a kitchen bench top. I wasn’t aware laminex came in different hardness ratings. This advice fits with the general condition of the property which is all a little less than perfect. I expect the previous owner would have opted for a cheaper option. It explains why the knife marks were deep. The tenant was still wrong in using the bench top as a cutting board.

A lot of people use bench tops as cutting boards. I’ve seen them doing it. Though, I don’t understand why. Knives can be almost razor sharp. I admit it must be convenient to abuse your bench top like this, but it will surely shorten its life. These people may also be the same ones who use metal implements on Teflon saucepans. You shouldn’t do that either. To me this is like using the bonnet of your car as a surface to mix concrete; the paintwork will be damaged. It’s just something that shouldn’t be done. Even cutting boards get damaged. So why would anyone not use one? Perhaps someone can explain it to me.

From this point relations between us deteriorated rapidly. It’s not that she was a tenant any more. A new tenant had already taken up residence. Our claim that she damaged the bench top was denied, saying the surface was already scratched when she moved in. She plainly believed it wasn’t her fault. She became angry, upset, and then abusive. Her only defence was that the damage already existed, that it wasn’t her. This was in spite of the fact that we’d witnessed the damage worsen under her care.

This dispute and argument took place while she was living in our half of the house that we had made available to her as a favour, as a kindness, and at our inconvenience. She did not seem to appreciate that situation. At one point she telephoned leaving an abusive tirade on our answering machine some of which was unintelligible due the sound distorting due to the intensity of her screaming on the phone line. On hearing the message she was told to pack her things and vacate. We drove to the coast immediately. The two hour drive to ensure she vacated was worth it for our peace of mind.

When we arrived that evening we told her to leave. The dispute continued. She became angry, and threw a punch that fortunately missed its target. From that point her belongings were moved out with less care. She phoned her parents. She screamed abuse. She phoned a friend to help shift her things. She was upset. We were pissed off. The police arrived.

The new tenant said when we spoke to her later, that she was unaware of the commotion. Perhaps she was being tactful. There seemed to be a lot of noise. The police knocked on the door of the unit belonging to the new tenant. This must have been confusing for both of them. She couldn’t help the police and directed them downstairs.

I don’t know who called the police. So, I don’t know the pretext on which they were attending: to check out a disturbance, or to protect a tenant’s rights. She didn’t have any tenancy rights as the lease had expired and a new tenant was already in the unit. To put it mildly, we just wanted an unappreciative ex-tenant out of our property. When the police understood the situation they went on their way leaving their phone number should there be any problems. Eventually, someone called by with a ute, helped her packed her things, and they drove off. We locked up the place and went home. I wondered what the new tenant thought of all this.

When we returned on the following weekend several things had been left behind. An old car battery, a gas bottle, and a large lounge chair were left on the footpath at the front of the house. I didn’t want to pay for disposal of something that was obviously rubbish. The bond wasn’t going to be returned until the rubbish had been cleared. The items eventually disappeared.

The tenant encounters the vertical blinds

The tenant mentioned a problem with the vertical blinds in the lounge. She said one set of vertical blinds wasn’t working. I dropped by to see what was up. This was the second time I had repaired the blinds for the tenant.

Some months ago I spent time straightening one of the mounting brackets. The bracket had been bent down so far that it caused the slats to drag along the floor, and many of the links at the base of the slats had become dislodged. With the slats dragging the ground the pull cord was difficult to operate. We fixed it. Straightening the mounting bracket raised the blinds. With the slats off the floor opening and closing became much easier. It wasn’t perfect, but quite reasonable. We explained that this was an aging property. The aging blinds also required a gentle touch in their operation. She couldn’t have listened.

On this second occasion the mounting bracket was bent so far down that the rail itself seemed to be twisted. I wondered how much pressure could have been applied to bend the steel bracket so much. How could this happen? I removed the bracket and took it to the workshop. With the bracket straightened and refitted I was expecting the problem to be resolved. However, when I attempted to draw the blinds they wouldn’t budge. The pull cord was seized. The cord which swivels the slats was also seized. Nothing worked. I didn’t understand what was going on so I disconnected all the slats and removed the rail entirely and took it away to check it out. I was surprised with what I found. No, I was amazed.

It was interesting to inspect the mechanism of the vertical blinds. To see how the innards of the blinds actually worked. The draw string on the blinds forms a loop arrangement. There are two tiny pullies at one end of the rail, and one pulley at the other end. The cord runs in these pullies and the weight keeps the cord taught.

The cord had been pulled with such force that the rail mounting bracket had bent, the force of which had twisted the rail into a position that caused the cord to dislodge from the pullies. The cord then jammed itself between the pullies and the slat swivel mechanism. One of the pullies had been damaged in the process, and had become chipped. The pulley at the opposite end of the rail which supports the cord had been ripped from its mount. This pulley was missing entirely. I can’t imagine how hard the cord would have had to have been pulled to cause the pulley shaft to rip from its mount. I only hope whoever did this got rope burns in the process, or when the pulley broke with the force of whoever it was that was forcing things gave them a good crack on the head as it twanged across the room.

This damage, in so far as I can tell, effectively destroyed the rail beyond repair. There was no way I could fix this. A quick solution was to remove the cord, which freed up the slat swivel mechanism. There was now no way to draw the blinds, except by hand, by pulling on the slats.

I asked the tenant about the cord weight, which was missing. This is the weight that dangles at the end of the cord to keep the cord firmly located in the pulley mechanism. Apparently it broke. The weight was a plastic assembly incorporating a single pulley for the cord and includes a lump of steel (ie. the weight that’s tucked away inside it). How can a weight break? It probably broke when it hit the floor when the pulley was ripped from its mounting. I asked where it was. Don’t know, was the response. I asked about the missing pulley in a vain hope that it might be able to be refitted. I also asked about it to draw attention to the fact that it was missing. Don’t know, again, was the response. I was pissed off at the lack of care.

We must try not to rent to a young person in the future. You learn by experience.

It's not too much to expect

If you book a room in a motel you don’t go sticking a knife through the window’s insect screen for any reason that might be convenient to you.  It doesn’t matter what the reason is; you just don’t do it.  If you have a problem you call the manager.  Was it because the tenant was some kind of spoilt brat who did whatever she wanted at home and expected the same treatment everywhere else? 

It comes down to respect for other people’s property.  The place was being rented.  That doesn’t entitle the person to treat it like their own or worse.  If you hire a car from a rental company and lose some money down a crevice in a seat you don’t have any right to start cutting up the upholstery in search of it.  It's the same with property rentals.  You don't go cutting things up without asking permission.

Some curious tenant behaviour

I have to admit being surprised to see the change that had taken place to one of the windows in the unit the tenant was renting. Doing some maintenance around the house I spotted one of the window fly screens had had a piece of screen cut out of it. A neat square had been opened in a lower corner. I didn’t remember seeing such a large hole before when I was checking out the property. Then I realised, with the sliding window opened slightly the cut out would be a spot for the tenant’s cats to walk in and out. It was a cat door.

I wouldn’t have dared doing anything like this to someone else’s property. I couldn’t believe someone would do it to mine. Presumably it would be repaired at the end of the lease. It was a disrespectful thing to do which annoyed me. I might have agreed to it, but I wasn’t asked. That was annoying.

I was surprised a few weeks later when I noticed the same fly screen lying against an outside wall. Why was the tenant removing the flyscreen? Possibly the hole wasn’t as large as it needed to be for the cats to get in and out. Possibly one of the cats had pushed through and dislodged the screen. I don’t know. The screen seemed precarious where it was resting, so I shifted it. While moving it I saw that it was damaged.

It is an aluminium screen, and one of the corners of the frame was bent. It was the sort of damage that might occur had the screen been caught by a wind, flown through the air, and hitting something hard. I felt irritated when I saw the damage. I have to say I don’t exactly recall seeing the condition of the screen when I bought the property, but I have no reason to believe it was anything other than perfect; well to be fair: serviceable. Now it was well on its way to being stuffed.

Expenses

I was impressed by a local car service workshop I had been going to.  I had some trouble with an old car while driving on the highway. The car barely made it home.  I found a repairer and the problem was quickly fixed.  It struck me that the guy seeing the interstate number plates could have fleeced me, but he didn't.  So, I developed a favourable impression of the workshop and staff, and that lasted until recently.  It lasted until noises, clunks, and a vibration started coming from the back of the car each time the brakes were applied.

I had taken the car to this workshop based on my previous experience with them. I was genuinely impressed with the place; the guy who ran it seemed genuine too. Well that was until the brakes gave trouble. There were no horrible accidents caused by brake failure, just a horrible bill.

We’d come to Canberra from Melbourne and the car had to have a vehicle roadworthiness inspection prior to being registered in the ACT. It passed the roadworthy without incident, but there was a sound from the rear you could hear when the brakes were applied. My enquiry to the mechanic about the noise was that it was dust and nothing to worry about.

The noise did sound like dust in brake drums, because I know that sound. This car had disks all round. The months passed and the noise got worse. Before the car was taken to a brake specialist there were clunking noises and a noisy scraping sound that reverberated through the whole car. The brake pads had worn down to the extent that there was no pad left on one of the wheels. The noise was the sound of metal on metal, and the wear had been such that one of the callipers was damaged. If the brakes had been inspected property during the roadworthy check the $1000 expense of replacing disks and callipers may not have been required. During such checks, mechanics often check one side of the vehicle during their inspection and assume the other side to be the same. That may have been the problem, but I have to wonder if any brake check was done at all. The mechanic might take offence at that suggestion, but the bottom line is that the noise couldn’t have been dust and they missed picking up the brake problem.

Getting the finance for this property was a bit touch-and-go at one point. The last straw on camel’s back that nearly brought things to a halt was the solicitor’s fee. I was expecting them to bill me, oh, sometime later. No, they wanted their fee included in the settlement cheques. I didn’t really account for that and consequently had to use credit card money to help cover the cheques.

Banks have a killer interest rate on cash advances from credit cards. It’s not that borrowing on the card maxed out the card, but it came close. Then there were other expenses that did max out the card. As a consequence I’m having trouble getting the card’s debt cleared. I’ve had the property for about a year and I still have the credit card debt, and the way banks operate the cash advance interest will remain until all debt on the card has gone.  A banking policy of kicking you when you're down; making things hard for you when you can least afford it.

So just when I wanted a steady uninterrupted flow of money to help pay off these debts we were asked by our tenant if we could fit new screen doors to the property.  I don't know why we were so soft.

Should you bother with what the tenant says?

Well, of course you should. But you shouldn't let their requests get in the way of your own priorities in life.

The last thing anyone needs immediately after settlement is bills. Some effort and money was invested in cleaning the place. We repaired a few things around the house that needed doing, and replaced the existing lampshades in the unit. To improve presentation prior to renting. There had never been a need for a letterbox by the previous owners, but one was required now before we could rent. Things were generally done economically. We were looking forward to getting a tenant into the place.

The property was advertised and a tenant was found remarkable quickly. I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly it was taken. The agent was considering several applicants and gave it to a young woman who had a few pet cats.

Very soon after our new tenant took up residence she came to us with a request. She was concerned the unit would get hot and uncomfortable for her cats if they were locked up all day with the doors shut. The house had two sliding glass doors along with two sliding aluminium screen doors. They were security doors but not as tough as some products on the market, and of course the fly screen was nylon. Not the most durable thing when cats start scraping at the door. She was concerned the screen doors would not offer sufficient security if the main doors were left open. Could she please have security screen doors fitted?

As it happened she knew someone, a friend, or a friend of a friend, who was in the business of making and fitting security screen doors. He could do a deal because of her relationship with him and the price would be good. And he would fit a new screen door to our downstairs unit at the same discounted price.

We briefly explained our financial situation, which I doubt interested her. Basically, we were saying we couldn’t afford this. Stainless steel mesh insect screen doors are relatively expensive. She volunteered to pay for the doors herself. She must have said that without thinking, and possibly bit her tongue afterward. At least it indicated the strength of her bank account. We agreed to have the doors fitted, but only if she purchased them and we undertook to make regular repayments to her each fortnight. I find that arrangement so bizarre: she was to pay us rent for living in the property, we were to pay her for screen doors.

Anyway, we had three aluminium and stainless steel screen doors fitted to the house. I had seen these things advertised for some time. They have an aluminium frame with stainless steel mesh. The screens give the impression of having the door open which of course allows more of the view to be seen. In hindsight we should have said something along the lines: no, put up with things as they are or move out.

Experiences like these make you hard. Particularly when unexpected car repair bills hit. There were a few other expenses too. Clearing the debt was tougher than expected.

Looking for a tenant

The real estate agent was surprised when we said pets were okay. Most rental properties don’t allow tenants to have pets. The agent said allowing pets would open up the market for us.

The property has polished floor boards. So there are no problems if are any little ‘accidents’ occur. No carpets to worry about. Anyway, the floor lost its highly polished surface many years ago and is looking a bit scuffed. So, the odd scratch that appears on the floor will blend with the existing marks.

Within a very short time someone was interested in renting. Actually, a few people were interested. We left the decision to the agent. A young woman took the place. She had a few pet cats for company, and seemed happy in her new home.

Is it safe?

What is it about people with their disregard for the dangers of electricity? A lot of people like to dabble with their home electrical systems. It can save you money, and if you are competent why not. But if you don’t know what you are doing – do yourself a favour and and leave it alone!

There could be a whole variety of problems that might cause what's happening in this picture.  The heater itself could have a problem, perhaps the power outlet has been damaged, or the insulation at the plug might have been damaged.  It is images like this that were on my mind and led me to change the fuses in my new property.

My new property is an older building and the house wiring uses fuses in the meter box rather than circuit breakers. I bought some fuse wire and set about replacing all the power and lighting fuses. Everything was working okay before I started. I just wanted new fuse wire in each fuse. It’s not as odd as it seems.

The fuse wire in most of the fuses seemed okay. The occasional one was discoloured, which is perfectly fine.  But if got so hot to cause a discolouration you have to wonder what was going on. They all got replaced because I had no way of telling for sure that the correct rating fuse wire had been fitted to each fuse. Fuse wire for lights is thinner than that used for the power system. The thickness can give an indication, but you don’t know for sure what’s in there. So, I replaced the lot. Except for the stove and main fuse which generally never blow and ordinary usage wouldn’t affect them.  The only way to be sure of what’s fitted is to replace the fuses with new, correctly rated, fuse wire.

One fuse caught my eye. The fuse wire on one had been replaced with copper wire. How did I know it was copper wire? Because it was very flexible and comprised multiple fine strands twisted together like you would find after stripping the insulation from a piece of speaker wire. What idiot would do such a thing? I don’t know but I suspect it happens a lot.

If you overload the wiring in a correctly wired and correctly fused circuit the fuse will blow.  That's what's meant to happen.  The fuse blows before any damage is caused.  But if fuse wire has been replaced with something else you are removing a safety device, and run the risk of starting a fire.  The example in the picture would be easy to see and smell, but if the fire starts in a wall cavity or in the ceiling you are unlikely to know about it until the blaze is well alight.

I was checking the fuses because of previous experiences. I bought a house in Tasmania many years ago, and just out of curiosity I had a look at the meter box and all the fuses. There was a huge piece of copper wire in one of the fuses. (Huge: think power cable.) It was plainly dangerous.  From that day onward I never trust what other people put into their fuses. When I bought my next house in Canberra I made the same check, and you guessed it, one of the fuses had a piece of copper wire installed. It was a thin piece of wire, but it wasn’t fuse wire. So, it’s no good.

I can just imagine the scenario. Someone loaded up the circuit in the house with too many appliances, or some electrical gadget developed a problem and the fuse blew. And the power went off. This would have happened in the dead of night, or on a Sunday or public holiday when the shops were closed and there was no fuse wire to be found anywhere, and there was a house full of guests. So, what did the numskull do? Grabbed the first bit of scrap copper wire they could lay their hands on and stuff it in the fuse, and think it’s fixed. Wrong! No doubt done with the intention of replacing it next time they went to the shops, but that never happened, because they forgot.

With this experience, I can understand why replacing fuses was considered the work of a qualified electrician. Doing it with the incorrectly rated fuse wire (or with copper wire) can cause a fire. Replacing fuses is also kind of tricky. The ceramic fuse blocks can sometimes be very difficult to get out. Sometimes you have a fight on your hands to pull them out, as they can be difficult grab hold of. They can stick like someone used Loctite, or Araldite, or something to glue them in place. There is also the constant danger of inadvertently touching one of the electrical contacts during the process. Yes, I know, there are switches to shut off the power, but who’s to say the electrician wired the house correctly. Trust nothing. You should even check that the light and power fuses actually go to light and power. Like I said, trust nothing.

I left the card of fuse wire in the meter box for the tenants should they need to replace one on their own. Now that I’m about to rent the property, maybe I should replace all the fuses as a matter of course after each tenant moves out to make sure the correct rating have been fitted.

Don't adopt a "She'll be right" attitude, and forget about it.  Check it.  Fix it. Make it safe.  If you don't trust yourself, call an electrician.  It'll be money well spent.

Taking possession

I expect settlement took place smoothly enough. No problems were reported, and we drove to the coast, picked up the keys from the real estate office, and let ourselves in. The real estate agent had left a bottle of wine. I must try it someday. It was a bottle of red. I can’t understand the appeal by so many for cheap red wines.

I met someone at uni, as a student. We were playing Bridge and he offered a glass of red. I declined as most of my earlier experiences of reds were nasty. My memories of reds were rugged, throat scratching experiences. White wine is reliably easier on the taste buds. However, I was persuaded to try, mostly by mention of the guy’s wealthy parents providing him a wine allowance in addition to his living expenses. That was probably a boast, but he had spare cash, and spent it on quality wines. His father owned a small aircraft service.

Why is it that you have to spend a fortune to get a good red wine? That was the one and only time in my life I have ever drank a red that slipped down my throat with a silky richness. I love port and didn’t mind spending a few dollars on quality fortified wines. Good ports are easy to drink. Well, my friend’s bottle of red reminded me of that and it gave me a whole new impression of red wines. That was about 25 years ago and I have never come across a reasonably priced red that was as good. I have to wonder what his wine allowance was. In the mean time I’ll just stick to whites.

Most of the furniture had been removed from the house except for a few things here and there. An old cabinet had been left in a corner of the kitchen where the fridge used to be. It seemed to be covering a stain. A couple of very wobbly wardrobes were in one of the bedrooms, that we made use of. Some of these things were quite useful. Some weren’t so good. A very wobbly cabinet went straight into the garage. It was made of chipboard and water had got into it. Chipboard is fine when kept dry but starts swelling and falling apart when it gets a whiff of water. It’s horrible stuff. I don’t know why it’s still available as a building material.

We now had to get the upper unit ready for renting. There were a few things to repair, door stops to install, installing a letter box, and cleaning the place to make it presentable.

Batemans Bay

In anticipation of the transaction we took a trip to the coast to look over our new property. Settlement had yet to take place but it was virtually a done deal. With a sense of adventure we took a drive to see our new place. We did some gardening. There is a significantly higher rainfall on the coast compared with Canberra. The lawn was very green and lush as were the neighbours’ gardens, and it seems bizarre to see palm trees growing. The lawn in my Canberra garden by comparison is almost a dust bowl.

There are no sea views like some properties have that are on the foreshore. But you can hear the surf from the house, and there is a tolerably pleasant view from the upstairs front of the house.  We were feeling excited, and pleased with ourselves.

We spent the rest of the day ambling around the beaches at Surf Beach and strolling around Batemans Bay. There are a surprisingly large number of shops in Batemans. Some are closed which may be a sign of hard times. There are a couple of op shops in town too: the Salvos and Vinnie’s stores are both on the same street. There is a mall with a reasonably sized Coles supermarket and lots of other shops. The supermarket seems to have more Coles brand products than I’ve seen in any other Coles supermarket. I like to buy non Coles brands when I can. I guess this Coles outlet has the market sown up. There’s no where else to go. There are also a good number of restaurants of varying standards and prices. The eating at Batemans Bay is a very nice experience, with some restaurants having water views.

A bizarre conversation with my solicitor

Things begin to fall into place. Finance was approved. The real estate agent had the deposit and contracts were exchanged. A settlement date was set. I’ve always been so curious about the process involved in settlement, and at some stage would like to be present when it takes place.

I imagine a darkish, sombre room. The room might be wall-panelled, perhaps a glassed book case stands against a wall, a mahogany table dominates the room, everything reeking of conservatism and money; perhaps it would be the office of a bank. On opposite sides of the table the solicitors or conveyancers are seated, representing me and the vendor. The real estate agent might be present, and perhaps a couple of bankers representing the financial organisations. The very stern solicitors would study the contract of sale, check the sale price, ensure the cheques were just so, and then various documents would be slid across the table.

Though, probably a brightly lit office tended by clerks and junior legal staff manage one settlement after the other, and the coffee stained table is strewn with snack wrappers. It would have to be this way given the lack of care some conveyancers and solicitors demonstrate.

I was curious about this particular settlement, given that it was almost 200km distant from Canberra. I wondered that one or other of the legal teams would travel to the other city, or meet somewhere between the two locations. Neither of these options were considered, when I enquired. My solicitor would contract someone to act on his behalf, or if no one could be found, the vendor’s solicitor would be asked to handle everything. Did I mishear something: the vendor’s solicitor would do everything. Sounds like a potential conflict of interests. It’s done all the time, he said.

My job

The one thing I didn’t mention to my lender was my employment situation. Well, not in as much detail as I could have done. I answered all the questions that were put to me in the application form. I answered completely and truthfully. However, there were certain things happening in my life that the form didn’t ask. So I didn’t tell them.

I had been in the same job for about 4 years. I expect lending institutions like to know that you are in a steady job. It helps keep the repayments coming. The application form asked questions about my employment history and I responded with exact dates and salary. They asked about my personal finances and I responded accurately and completely.

What they didn’t know was that the company I worked for was in the middle of a restructure. This restructure had been on the go for some time, and my job had been targeted as one that had to go. I had managed to procure an alternative job; I then sought permission to quit my current job early, and start the new job the day after the old one finished; which was nice. My separation package made up a substantial proportion of the deposit for the property I wanted to buy. So, redundancy was a good thing for me. Though I have to say, I did enjoy the job very much, I knew it well and did it well, and I knew I was going to miss it. That’s life I guess. Apart from my annoyance with my employer of what was going on, because I thought management were making some bad decisions, the payout was going to help buy me a property. So, to some extent, I have to thank them for providing the means of purchasing my second property. It wouldn’t have been possible without the separation package.

Restructure: that’s a term more and more people are becoming familiar with. I’ve met with restructure experiences more times than I would have preferred. This restructure was an on- and off- and on-again experience that was really pissing me off. More than a year previously there had been a staff announcement about an intended restructure. Jobs were to go. Then notice came that my job was safe; it wasn’t going to be targeted. The restructure wouldn’t affect me. Then about six months or so later it was on again and my job was to go. Then once again they changed their mind; my job was safe. Then there was a new development and my job was to go, and it was definite this time.

It makes it difficult to plan your life when the crowd you work for can’t make a decision and stick to it. It makes you wonder about the calibre of the management. I was determined not to let their sloppiness upset my life. Though, their decision had upset my life. There is no getting away from that.

I used to live in Melbourne. I left Victoria, selling my house to move to the ACT and a new job. This job. And here I was being retrenched from it. Yes, I felt put out. My house in Melbourne didn’t sell for as much as I would have liked, the new house was purchased in Canberra for more money than I would cared to have parted with, and it was a smaller house than my Melbourne place.

Anyway, the new job had a better salary, which always helps, but the job was only a six months contract, with the possibility that it would be made ongoing. My intended lender didn’t ask me if I had plans of quitting my current job, or if I was considering changing jobs, or whether the new job was in a more or less stable environment. They didn’t ask. So, I didn’t tell them. Well, why would they? They would have had no idea. They probably assume people wouldn’t be asking for a loan unless you have a job that enables you to make the repayments.

I felt relatively sure I would keep the new job. I didn’t want to jeopardise my chances of not being approved for the loan. So, I didn’t say a word.

I suppose at some point the lender could have contacted my employer to check me out. Perhaps they did. Wary of not being approved for the loan, I kept quiet about it. Each time I received an email or phone call from the lender I felt on edge. I was always expecting a question on my employment situation that would have given the game away. Fortunately, it never happened.

Westpac stuffs up

My funds to cover the deposit were held in two accounts. A Westpac savings account had the payout from my previous employer. I had just changed jobs while in the middle of a real estate deal. The money was from the termination payout. The remainder of the deposit was held in an offset account linked to my existing home loan, which had a cheque account facility. I wanted to write a cheque, but there were insufficient funds in the cheque account to cover the deposit. It was about $10,000 short. So, I needed to transfer some money to make up the difference.  That shouldn't be too difficult.  Surely.

That evening after work I rang Westpac telephone banking. I explained that I wanted to transfer some funds, mentioning that I wanted the funds transferred quickly. The person on the phone said there would be no trouble in transferring the funds, but advised that it might take a few days, and added that if I wanted to transfer the money quickly it would be best to visit a branch and speak to a teller. This person emphasized that the process would be much quicker through a teller at a branch of the bank. So, a visit to the bank was required. I thanked him, and made that my first priority in the morning. I was up early and waiting at the front door of my local bank branch at opening time.

There was plenty of money in the Westpac account. I asked for $10,000 to be transferred, and I provided the account details. How long would it take, I asked. Usually overnight, the teller said, but she explained that as the funds were to be transferred to another bank, they couldn’t tell me exactly how long it might take, but probably the day after next. This was remarkably similar to what I had been told by the online banking person on the previous evening. And I mentioned my recent experience of the evening before. The young teller I was speaking to admitted to being inexperienced and sought advice from her supervisor, who turned out to be a nasty piece of work.

I explained my request and passed on the advice I received from Westpac telephone banking. That’s wrong, the supervisor said, it is much faster for telephone banking to have done it for you. She added that telephone banking is always saying that. And they’re wrong, she snapped at me. She then directed me to a telephone in the corner of the bank that I could use to contact their telephone banking service if I wished.

I wonder if there was no phone in the corner of the bank and had the closest public telephone been down the street somewhere whether she would have directed me to the pubic telephone box.

I was in a bank and a supposedly experienced banking officer was offering the use of telephone banking services when there was a teller sitting across the counter from me. I found this experience bizarre. I didn’t know what to say. The stupidity was bewildering, but what really offended me was the aggressive and offhand manner of this person. This was a Westpac experience; I’d like people to know that. I suspect the funds would be transferred equally fast or slowly by either method. I declined the use of their telephone and asked the teller to continue with the transfer. I was getting fed up.

With the funds now on their way to my cheque account I wrote the cheque for the property deposit and took it to my solicitor explaining what I had done, and asked him to hold it for a while. This was on a Tuesday. The solicitor agreed not to post the cheque and contract until Friday, which would be more than ample time for my funds to be transferred and cover the cheque.

On the weekend I saw the $10,000 appear in my account. The cogs in the financial machinery were turning. The funds took longer than expected to be transferred but the money was in my account. The cheque was covered. The transfer took about four days rather than the estimated two that Westpac advised. I doubted the mail service would be very fast in getting mail to a regional area meaning the cheque wouldn’t have reached the real estate office before Tuesday. Everything was working out. Wrong!

I got a call from the real estate agent early in the week to say the cheque had been dishonoured. I apologised and said I couldn’t understand why that would have occurred saying I would look into it. I was panicked.

How could this be? Had I made a mistake? Had I misread my account statement? I was beginning to doubt myself. I felt a sinking feeling as various possibilities for what went wrong began circling my mind. I skipped work and went home where I could try and come to grips with this.

At home I checked my account again. The $10,000 was definitely there. The account total balance had gone up. The total balance was greater than the cheque I had written. No home loan payments had taken place. But a new entry had appeared: a $40 dishonour fee. How could this be?

I rang both financial institutions. Neither of them helped. Though, in speaking to some informed staff from both I got to the bottom of it. The cheque had been dishonoured because the $10,000 was forwarded with a note from Westpac instructing that a 7 day hold be placed on the release of the funds, which caused my cheque to bounce. The $10,000 had been transferred as though it had been a cheque, in which a certain time has to pass before access to the funds was allowed. The staff where my cheque account was held, very reasonably asked if the $10,000 was a cheque deposit. I said no, and they couldn’t understand why this request was made.

The staff at the Westpac telephone banking were helpful and courteous, and in particular a woman I spoke to. She was a supervisor at telephone banking. She confirmed that the funds had been transferred as though it had been a cheque. She could see from my account that the money was available and should have been transferred without a hold. She could not explain what had happened. To her credit, she deposited into my account $40 in lieu of the dishonour fee that I was penalised by the other financial institution. This was nice, but it didn’t help me pay the deposit.

The real estate agent needed the deposit without delay. Ironically, I was advised that if the cheque were to be presented again on the next business day it would have been okay. Had the real estate agent not have been so quick off the mark to bank the cheque the funds would have been available. But the agent couldn’t present the cheque again as it was still in the hands of the bank and wouldn’t be returned for a week or so. Another urgent visit to the bank was required.

I rang the real estate agent and explained what had happened. Though I doubt they would have had much interest, and may have been wondering if I were some sort of charlatan. I asked for my cheque to be returned when they got it, and requested their bank account details and made a cash deposit. It was a different bank but fortunately only a short walk from my own. My pockets were stuffed with two envelopes bulging with $100 notes to cover the $30,000 deposit. It’s surprising how much space money occupies. I was a target waiting to be robbed. Fortunately, within a short time the deposit was safely in the real estate agent’s trust account. Perhaps I should have done this first time around, but money transfers are supposed to make things easy, not difficult. I hate Westpac.

The Westpac stuff up had enraged me. On my visit to the Westpac branch I was itching to catch the eye of the supervisor who botched this. I wanted a word with her. I wanted to tell her what I thought of her and Westpac. She would have got an earful of abuse. She wasn’t on duty. And unfortunately the teller who dealt with me that morning had to wear my grumpiness. I had him count the money several times; when he finished weighing the notes on his machine (which I didn’t trust), I got him to do it again manually in a private bank office. He was irritated by my request. I didn’t care. Stuff them.

Finance approval

I received an email and a phone call from my new lender shortly after my visit to the solicitor. The content of which was to say my application had been approved. Are emails written confirmation? Do they really count? They are a form of written communication, but do they carry the same weight as a piece of paper delivered by Australia Post. My solicitor seemed to think so.

So, that’s it. The deal is a happening thing. We have a new property. Well, almost. Things were beginning to look positive.

I wondered if the telephone conversation I had a few days earlier with a finance rep made a difference. I was at a Westpac branch getting a statement when someone rang me. I fibbed and said Westpac had been tempting me with their home loan deals.  I said they were trying to get me to change lenders. It wasn't really true, but I wonder if that helped get things moving a bit faster.  The fear of loosing a potential customer.

I was feeling happy, and had a lilt in my step. Although, another problem was about to occur that was completely unexpected.

Meeting our solicitor

We made an appointment with our solicitor. The solicitor’s office was on the top floor of one of Canberra’s few tall buildings. We took the elevator to the top and got out. The office was on the next floor up. That’s odd, and a thought occurred to me. I began to think of the movie “Being John Malkovich” and that weird seven and a half floor thing. We climbed the remaining stairs to the office. Glossy stairs, shiny handrail, gleaming black marble everywhere. The office was perfectly neat and spotless. We sat on the plush leather couch and waited for our solicitor. It was such a surprising contrast being led into our solicitor’s room to see an untidy tousled haired unshaven man. So long as he can do the job. That’s all that counts.

We looked over the contract with the solicitor. Property contracts are boring documents with few interesting sections. Though their detailed maps are worth a second look, and documents showing the history of the property makes interesting reading. Some of the maps and diagrams are ancient, and you get an opportunity to check out all the previous owners. There’s a lot of legal mumbo jumbo to look through. It was a tedious meeting. Our solicitor was slow and he pondered over things that didn’t interest us.

The property has an access lane at the back. I don’t know what the history of that was; possibly something to do with sewerage and access. Most of the properties have a driveway leading from the lane, with some having a carport. Our property had a garage that was accessed from the lane. That was in addition to the driveway that came off the street. It was unusual. Our solicitor studied it and pondered the situation, and took pains to point it out. Yes we knew the set up. Despite us telling him we’d seen the property, walked around it, and knew about the lane our solicitor pondered some more and took pains to discuss the easement and describe the hazards.

In some ways it would be good to learn how to undertake your own conveyance processes. There are do-it-yourself kits available, though I’ve never been game to try it. Perhaps if someone deals in a lot of property it might be worthwhile. There was a news item on the weekend about a real estate scam that caught my attention.  If it's true the solicitors didn't do much of a job in checking ownership.

The document had to be signed and the deposit paid. Up until this point no money had exchanged hands. And that wasn’t going to happen until my finance was approved. We asked the solicitor about making the sale conditional on securing finance. This was not possible, he said. I was amazed. Properties can put purchased subject to the sale of another property. So why wasn’t this possible. I don’t know but it was annoying.

There was a clause in the contract, our solicitor pointed out, which would hit us hard if we backed out of the deal for some reason, or did not proceed on the specified dates. We asked the solicitor to sit on the contract for a while. There was no way it was going to be signed with that sort of clause, at least, not yet. Not until finance had been approved. The waiting continues.

The vendor gets tough

Up to this point the vendor's agent had been leaving messages trying to get things moving faster. Possibly being pressured by the vendor. This had been going on for a few weeks. But the most recent call was different. The most recent contact had a vicious edge to it.

The message was along the lines, if exchange does not take place within a week the property will be put back on the market and listed with another real estate agent. It had a nasty tone. These vendors didn’t seem particularly nice at all. Of course, the agent had always been polite to me. I could tell that the real estate agent who rang me wasn’t pleased with the vendors either. After consideration, it seemed to me to be an empty threat.

From things we’d been told by staff from various real estate agents who knew this particular property this threat didn’t make much sense. Various agents had said the property had been on the market for ages. It was priced way too high initially and wasn’t selling. We were told that there had been a few offers in the past, but all had been rejected. They had shifted agents once and it still wasn’t selling. Anyway, it occurred to me that should the vendors have decided to relist the property with another agent I would have spotted it with the new agent and I could have worked with them. By all accounts we were the only people showing any interest in recent months. Chances are that we would be buying the property from whichever agent they chose to sell it through. Surely the vendor didn’t think listing with another agent would magically release a whole new bunch of potential buyers that would somehow have excluded us. Anyway, I was doing all that I could, under the circumstances. This was an annoying development.

I can understand the agent feeling miffed by this recent development. After all, it’s the agent who stands around showing people through the property week after week waiting for some punter to come along. I imagine they wouldn’t be impressed if, after hooking me, the vendors decided to pull the property from sale and change agents.

It was with this aggressive attitude of the vendors and all the badgering they had been doing in recent weeks that we decided to cancel the arrangement to buy the existing furniture that was in the house. The arrangement would have suited us, but it was also done in part to save the vendor the inconvenience of having to deal with it. They lived in Sydney and may not have wished to go to the trouble of moving it. Stuff them; they can keep their furniture. But we still wanted the property. Though the thrill and excitement of owning it had been eroded.

It was at about this time I heard some news that took my attention. There was a news item on TV. It may have been coincidence, but a few days before the vendor made this threat there was a news segment that took my interest. The essence of the news story was to say that real estate prices were moving upward again. The news report said that the upward movement related to capital cities only. There was also an implication that the financial crisis may have been coming to an end. I wondered if our vendors had spotted that news item too and may have considered they might have been able to get more money for their property. Perhaps they were wondering if there were any buyers out there willing to pay more than we had them locked in for with our offer. We were certainly dragging our feet somewhat. Though, the news item focussed on major cities, which was certainly not the location of this property. There was no comment in the bulletin regarding regional towns.

I suspect with finance being tight, jobs being lost, that investment properties or holiday houses would be getting sold, and country areas would be the first to see property sales. People are not going to sell the family home if they have an investment property. And that was the appeal for us: get a bargain if we can. On the other hand, perhaps the vendors were just pissed off with us for taking too long to finalise the deal. Who knows? Though, it’s not as though real estate prices had fallen to bargain basement give away prices. This property was okay and it was a fair price.

Anyway, it was remarkably soon after that news bulletin that the vendors seemed to be getting agitated and wanted things to move faster. I was still having difficulties with the finance people. I was on edge over the deal. I wanted the property, but had no funds as yet.

Norton antivirus software

I mentioned in my last post that I don't use my PC for banking. I've been using Norton Symantec products. I've really gone off them in recent months.

I’ve been using Norton for about six or more years. The last few PCs I bought have had the Norton antivirus software pre installed and I saw no reason to change. What a great marketing strategy it is to have it already loaded on the PC. It worked with me. I was hooked, but no more. Every year I paid the renewal to keep the PC protected. It was easy. It was convenient. I considered the company was well known and probably as good as any other. Well, they’ve lost me as a customer. There is no way I’m going to user Norton for anything, ever again. Let me share a few experiences with you.

Following an incident I will no longer use the PC for internet banking and the like. I don’t trust Norton to do the job properly. My subscription is still valid. The software seems to work, but as to how well it performs its task I have no idea. When the software is due to be renewed the subscription will lapse. I’ve had my fill of Norton. They are a money grabbing company that provides poor service. I don’t mind a money grabbing company if they provide a good service, but in my experience Norton leaves a lot of room for improvement.

My first annoying experience was about nine months ago. I was considering changing companies. I hadn’t done any research on alternative software. So, at that time it was just something I was considering. The subscription only had a few weeks to go which meant the PC was protected. Anyway, a Norton dialogue came up prompting me if I’d like to renew my subscription or think it over for a while before deciding. Words to that effect. I clicked on the think it over button, because I hadn’t decided on an alternative company. Later in the month and before the subscription had expired I got my credit card bill in the mail. There was an entry on the statement for the subscription renewal for another year. I hadn’t authorised a renewal and now I have a bill from Norton. This enraged me. I never gave them permission to bill me but they went ahead and did so.

There was a similar experience I read in the Canberra Times of someone having trouble with Norton antivirus software. This guy started an old computer to get some data from it. I gather the computer hadn’t been used for a long time, and by all accounts it wasn’t going to be used much because of its age. However, what happened in the background while this guy was looking for the files he wanted was that the Norton software that was installed on this old PC determined that the subscription was overdue, and automatically provided this information to Norton, and Norton billed him. That skinks, and must be one of the most lousy, underhand things a company can do. It’s theft. It’s like a pickpocket slipping their hand into your pocket and taking your money.

The second annoying experience I had with Norton involved an exchange I had with Norton technical service. I was using the PC and I clicked on a system icon. I was looking for system information. It was something I’d done many times before. You initiate a function and something happens (like defrag), and when done you close the window. It was different this time. When I clicked on the icon a dialogue came up asking me to install some software. I took note of the name and did a web search. There wasn’t much to be found, but the sites I did find said it was malicious software. Hang on. Didn’t I have antivirus software installed that’s supposed to safeguard my PC against such things? Isn’t this why I pay an annual subscription? Okay, some things get through I’ll see if I can get help or advice on this.

Norton has an online help service to its technical experts. I used it with the purpose of having them provide some instruction on how to fix the problem. After about an hour or so, it was confirmed that the file was indeed malicious, and would I like it removed. Well, sure I would. They could remove it for a cost that was more than my annual subscription. I don’t want to be charged for a service particularly when I’m paying the company an annual fee for software whose prime purpose is to safeguard my computer against malicious software.

I can understand that new stuff is coming out all the time, but isn’t it Norton’s job to keep up with these things. When anything new is found on the web the software houses should update their software to remove this stuff. This should be done as part of the deal, and not charge an additional fee. It was at that point I firmly decided to shift to a different company.

I would advise everyone to avoid Norton. Here is the dialogue between me and Norton:





Arun: You are being transferred to Arun.


Arun: Welcome to Norton Support, my name is Arun, can I please have a minute to go through the information you have provided?


ME : ok


Arun: Hi, I see that you suspect a threat in your computer ?


ME : yup


Arun: I’ve noticed you have been waiting for longer than expected. I’m sorry for this inconvenience and I assure you that I can help you to fix the issue you are facing.


Arun: If we get disconnected for any reason, we’ll call you back within 30 minutes. Can I check that the phone number you have provided is the best number to call you on?


ME : Yes, XX XXXXXXXX


Arun: Thanks, your case number is 497950615 , please write this down.


Arun: I assure you that I will do my best to resolve this issue for you.


ME : got the number


Arun: From looking at your computer it appears that your computer may be infected by a virus. To help you with removing this virus off your computer what I can do for you is to transfer you across to our fee-based virus removal specialist team. Would this be ok with you?


ME : Sure, but I have run updates, a complete scan only yesterday, and this morning through your help system downloaded the most uptodate file, and I still have a problem


Arun: Okay.


Arun: Shall I transfer the case to the Virus Removal Team ?


ME : Yes, please.


Arun: Okay.


{ Your issue is being escalated. }


Surya: Welcome to NortonLive Spyware & Virus Removal Service.






Is this the first time you are contacting us?


ME : yes


Surya: Please allow me to collect some general information for our records as that would help us to speed up the process. Thank you for your co- operation.


ME : go for it


Surya: Please confirm your email address is xxx@xxxxxx.xxx and direct phone number is XXXXXXXXXX. Is that correct?


ME : correcct


Surya: Please tell me which country you are connected from.


ME : Australia


Surya: Please provide me your alternate phone number or mobile number.


ME : mobile: XXXXXXXXXX


Surya: Which Operating System do you have on the computer? (Operating System would mean Windows Vista, Windows XP, Mac OS, etc.)


ME : Windows Vista


Surya: Is your computer connected to a local area network or it is a stand-alone PC?


ME : stand alone


Surya: Are you connected from the computer which has this particular issue?


ME : Yes. There is only one PC, broadband connection, on continually.


Surya: Your Priority ID is 497950615 . Please note down your Priority ID. If you need to contact us in the future about this issue, you can provide your Priority ID to the chat agent or enter it if you call. This will expedite our handling of your case.


ME : That's the same as the Case Number. Got it.


Surya: Do you get any pop ups that prompt you to download anti virus or other protection software?


ME : Personally, I haven't experienced it, but someone mentioned the other day that something happened. I wasn't there so can't tell. Would you like me to speak to her?


Surya: No, please not to worry I will help you.


ME : ok


Surya: As I understand from your issue description, your computer is infected with virus and you need help to remove it . Is that correct?


Surya: Are you with me?


ME : Yes. pcdr5cuiw32.exe is described as a 'worm' by some writers in chat rooms. When I attempt to view my System Information I get a message saying 'do you want to install pcdr5cuiw32.exe' but have not done so.


Surya: Not to worry I shall help you to fix the issue.


Surya: Once there is an infection on your computer, it will normally try to spread to other files on your hard drive and to other computers/devices connected to your system. Most of the times, it creates or manipulates entries and keys in your windows registry. For these cases we need to manually remove the registry entries and also remove the infected files.


Surya: When there is a virus in the computer, the virus might block the proper working of Norton and might not allow Norton to work properly, So in this case, Norton wont be able to work properly and so not able to detect it. So we need to remove it manually and then ensure that Norton is working properly


ME : ok


Surya: There are multiple options for virus/malware removal available. The primary options are:


1. Do-It-Yourself (DIY) procedures available on the Norton Support website.


2. Fee-based Premium Services whereby Norton technicians remove infections.


Surya: The, DIY options on the Norton Support website provide step-by-step removal for most infections. But, the procedures often involve risky operations like modifying the Windows Registry. Highly technical users often find these instructions sufficient. Users that don’t have experience with editing the Windows Registry, booting into Safe Mode, or modifying system files are often overwhelmed by the amount of new information that must be learned and used to remove infections.


Surya: For users who do not find the standard Norton Support options sufficient, Norton has expert technicians on staff who can remove infections .Norton expert technicians will remotely access your computer and do all the dirty work while you relax. Also, as part of the service, the Norton experts will provide information about how to avoid infections in the future.


Surya: For the removal of the infections in the computer, I can provide you with two options which would be Virus removal service and Bundle service.


Surya: hall we go ahead?


ME : go ahead


Surya: In Virus removal service, our expert technicians will do a complete diagnosis of your system, and troubleshoot any malware present on your computer. If required and if your system permits they can connect to your computer remotely and do all this for you directly. Moreover they would provide you the best solutions possible based on their analysis of the threats on your computer.


Surya: The second option Bundle includes the PC Tune up service. The PC Tune up is a sequential set of steps that ensures optimal performance of your computer. This option includes the PC Tune up service. The PC Tune up is a sequential set of steps that ensures optimal performance of your computer. This service enables our experts to tune up your PC, through a remote connection thereby optimizing your computers speed and performance. By availing this service, you have the dual advantages of Virus removal and PC Optimization. Shall we go ahead?


ME : Every time i run the scan it does a tune up, anyway


ME : One question, if I may.


Surya: The Consultation fee for virus removal service is AUD $139.99.The Consultation and the service fee for bundle service is AUD $ 199.99


Surya: Our work is backed with a 7 day warranty. You have a full week to work with your computer and ensure that the issue has been resolved to your satisfaction. You can contact us at any time during that period for a follow up consultation.


Surya: Which option would you like me to go ahead?


ME : Is pcdr5cuiw32.exe a virus. If so, why doesn't Norton360 remove it?


Surya: Norton most probably is working well on your computer. But it’s also important to note that no security software can afford you 100% protection. This is because a lot of environmental variables, the vulnerabilities of Windows and the software’s/applications on your computer play a pivotal role in keeping your computer secure. If there is any level of insecurity or any security holes, the possibility of a security breach is always present.


Surya: Once you have a virus on your computer, it may attack Norton and prevent it from working properly; in these cases, the virus must be removed manually.


ME : I'm broke. Can't afford this.


ME : Can I reinstall Norton, easily?


Surya: If you go to local technicians, they normally format the hard disk, and reinstall all the applications again.


Surya: Norton products offer industry leading protection against virus infections on your computer provided it is properly installed & updated. If a virus is already present on your computer prior to installation, Norton products may not be able address the issue. It is better to remove the threat first before installing the software.


ME : Do you have pcdr5cuiw32.exe listed as a known issue?


Surya: It is a malicious file.


ME : Then why didn't Norton identify it and remove it?


Surya: Once you have a virus on your computer, it may attack Norton and prevent it from working properly; in these cases, the virus must be removed manually.


Surya: With thousands of threats being generated every day, many of which are unique, one-of-a-kind threats that are served up to uniquely infect your particular system, it is possible that you have come into contact with a threat Norton does not yet recognize. In addition, some malware is designed specifically to disable Norton's anti-virus software. Trojans and worms can be very difficult to fix because they contain no clean code which Norton can repair automatically; instead, they have to be manually removed.


Surya: Shall we go ahead?


Surya: Our expert technicians will do a complete diagnosis of your system, and troubleshoot any malware present on your computer. If required and if your system permits they can connect to your computer remotely and do all this for you directly.


ME : The PC was purchased new, Norton was already installed, and I renewed my subscription each year since then.


ME : I want you to remove the file at no cost


Surya: This infection has to be manually removed from the operating system files and then the security services has to be enabled and set the security services to appropriate level, so that you will be protected from future infections.


Surya: As your computer is compromised to the infection, it will invite more infections to your computer. This can be due the infection becomes reactive in your computer. As this is a little serious issue, I suggest you to follow our technicians and make your computer safe . I request you to follow our expert technician's instructions to stay away from infections in future also.


Surya: I do understand your concern. But this is a paid support and we can proceed only after processing the charges.


ME : If the file is not removed at no cost I will have to consider changing my subscription


Surya: I appreciate your co-operation but would like to add that, this is purely a paid service/support. We regret to inform you that we are unable to proceed, unless the charges are processed.


ME : Thank you for your advice. I will try to solve it locally when I have some money. When the subscription expires I will use another company. Please pass on this comment to management.


Surya: That certainly is an option. Please be aware that it would mean a loss of all your personal settings & data files. Backing up the data will take time. You will be starting from scratch: You will need to restore backed up files, customize your computer and software, and reconfigure your connection settings All of this comes at the cost of your time and whatever costs you will incur with reinstalling the OS and backing up your files.


Surya: Please be certain that you don’t back up the infected files when you are performing the backup as it is possible to reintroduce the malware/virus when you restore those files afterwards.






.


Surya: If you chose to proceed with this Consultation, our expert Technicians will troubleshoot the malware on your computer without any potential loss of personal files or undue risk to your Operating System


ME : Thanks for your help. Bye.


Surya: Is there anything else I can help you with?


ME : No, all done, thank you.


ME : YES


Surya: If you need to contact NortonLive Spyware & Virus Removal Service again please visit http://www.symantec.com/vremoval






It has been pleasure assisting you. Thank you for choosing NortonLive. Have a great day.


ME : Please make sure my subscription is not automatically renewed, as was the case last time.


Surya: For product related issue you need to contact our technical support team and they will help you.


Surya: Are you with me?


ME : I'm actually all done. I'm just reviewing our conversation.


Surya: If you need to contact NortonLive Spyware & Virus Removal Service again please visit http://www.symantec.com/vremoval






It has been pleasure assisting you. Thank you for choosing NortonLive. Have a great day.


Surya: Please click on End Session.


ME : ok, give me a few minutes. I'm still studying there earlier advice.


Surya: Alright.


Surya: Are you with me?


ME : I'll quit in 5 or 10 mins


Surya: You can have the print of the chat once you click on the end session.


Surya: You are having an option there.


ME : That's a good idea. Thanks.

Request from the lender

The lender eventually requested identification documents to be forwarded, or rather, demanded documentation. Some grumpy person rang me. Rather than a pleasant greeting the caller snapped at me. Where is my identification material, he demanded. I explained that no one had asked for anything.

Had I not doubted my chances of being approved I would have grumped right back. Despite the grumpiness, this was a positive step. When I enquired about doing this at an earlier stage I was advised not to trouble myself. Then I got this demand as to where the material was, as though they were waiting for me and I was dragging my feet. The documents had to be copies endorsed by a JP and posted to them.

I guess that’s the trouble when the lender doesn’t have an office and everything is done by phone or by email, and with different people dealing with you. In fact the original person I was working with took some recreation leave and I had to work with someone else, then the original bloke came back for a time and then he got sick and was off work again. I don’t know if these breaks and different people were to my disadvantage, but it would have slowed things.

You could put a case that this is where these institutions fall down. Banks fall over themselves trying to demonstrate that online banks can’t provide a good service. They say they disadvantage themselves by not having a shop front. To some extent that’s true, but I’d rather have the lower interest rates than the good service. In my experience that good service is sometimes difficult to find amongst the shop front banks even when you look for it, despite what they say. My experience of the average financial institution with a shop front leaves a lot to be desired. The only thing I dislike about the online services is the risk of fraud associated with financial dealings when using your home computer with the various viruses, worms, Trojans and the like.

The last thing they requested of me was proof of my ability to pay the deposit. They wanted bank statements. I immediately obliged and took a lunch time trip to my bank (yes, a Westpac shop front) to get the documentation they requested. I couldn’t give them a statement, as I didn’t have one yet. My payout money had only been in the bank a few weeks. I doubt they’d be interested in the slip of paper teller machines print out.

I wondered if this was where things were going to get difficult. I had just changed jobs, and I wondered whether I might be questioned on this subject at some point. It was something I thought might cause everything to come crashing to halt. At that precise point in time I was working for a different company than I had been when I applied for finance only a few weeks before. I provided all sorts of information when I applied, everything related to the old employer: payslips, group certificates, but nothing for my current employer. Well, when I completed the application form I didn’t have the new job. What else was I to do? I had only just started the new job and it was too early to even have my first payslip.

Anyway I was at the bank. I told the teller what I wanted: a statement showing my balance. I explained that it was a request from a financial institution where I was applying for a home loan. I expected the bank would print it on some sort of official looking lettered headed paper. But no, it was a printout on a plain sheet of paper that was stamped using an inked rubber stamp with the bank’s name, and dated. It looked pretty ordinary. I was unimpressed, and I said so. The teller said she knew what was required and it would be acceptable.

The teller reminded me that they have a loans officer who could discuss the bank’s home loan options. This was a Westpac bank, and I have black-listed them. Westpac’s staff had given me some really poor treatment in the past so I have decided not to use Westpac other than a simple transaction account. I listened to the teller and politely declined. At that point in time I was quite happy to pursue my current application, if they’d have me.

I had just finished with the teller by a few seconds when my mobile rang. I was actually pushing my way through the door of the bank when it rang. The caller was a guy from the lender reminding me that a bank statement was required. An email and now a phone call. How much notice do they think I need. It was a different voice on the phone. Not the grump I had spoken with earlier. Anyway, I told him I was at the bank at that very moment doing exactly what was requested. He seemed pleased. I told him I had the statement in my hand, and that I’d send it to him today. Then a thought occurred to me.

I considered it would do no harm to give them some encouragement in processing my application. I dangled a carrot in front of them. I mentioned that while at the bank I was asked by the teller why I wanted the statement. I related how I mentioned I was looking for a home loan and the statement was required as part of my application. I then went on to say that the bank officer began to put a sales pitch to me and sell their home loan services and explain the benefits of getting a home loan through Westpac rather than the company I had my application with. This is a very reasonable scenario because it happens. You do get badgered. However, none of this took place, other than a short chat. A loans officer was there and could have spent time with me, but I declined. Instead, I embellished the experience. I wanted to give the impression to the guy I had on the phone at that moment that Westpac was seriously after my custom. It was all a bluff, but it may have helped, because a few days later my application was approved.

The next few days proved awkward because at the time I had no idea of how my loan application was progressing. I didn’t know how close the application was to being approved; they didn’t communicate anything of this nature.