mORGANICo.cOM's recent art doings: Our family home of 40 years in Brixton being evicted by Lambeth council

As a Brixton local resident of 40 years suddenly i find myself facing eviction from our council family home at any moment now, so i’m writing this blog to draw attention to the current brutal trend in policy of Lambeth council to evict all & sundry at the moment without consideration to the lives they are ruining.

A portrait of my ex girlfriend i did hanging in our hallway

This dire situation Lambeth council have put us in is causing my 71 year old mother to be put at risk of homelessness as well as myself.

R.I.P: Seaview our family home of 40 years

Im the artist known as Morganico that grew up in this Brixton area and became a well known and valued artist in this community. The skill set I brought and shared with local people and projects with voluntary work has been really appreciated for many years ive been a resident here working as a freelance artist, community volunteer & sometimes being even paid directly by Lambeth council when i helped to restore the Stockwell war memorial mural with fellow local artist legend Brian Barnes MBE and also as a Brockwell park gardener.

World war 1&2 remembrance mural i restored with Brian Barnes MBE

the much loved Peckham totem pole i carved for Southwark council at the park

Peckham totem pole i carved featured on a lamppost pole by Southwark council

Now our family home is facing imminent eviction by the same Lambeth council. Their eviction action means the council is destroying my ability to function as a self employed artist now by taking away my home & studio storage space and they are trying to force me to go onto benefits to afford private rental prices.

close up of the Rastafarian character on Peckham totem pole chilling in the sunshine

When i went to the Nu-Town hall council housing management office to ask to be rehoused in a 1 person flat they literally said to me “Well, it’s a nice day outside”, advising me to go & live in street as a homeless person. Shocking attitude!

Stop the no fault eviction of residents!

The background to the situation is as follows:

1. I have lived in “Seaview”, our council home, for 40 years since our family moved to beautiful Brixton in 1978 after I was born in Stockwell 3 years earlier (close to where the artist Van Gogh lived). Very recently we were discussing transferring the tenancy from my mum to myself when suddenly Lambeth council started trying to evict us out onto the street. I never anticipated that my tenancy in this borough would be jeopardised by these means so brutally.

2. The method by which the case was mounted against my mother was based on unsound false evidence and we attended court on solicitor and barrister advice that the case was technically inaccurate and would be dismissed on the basis that the documents were not properly served and that evidence had been wrongfully obtained by the council to validate proceedings. I accept the findings of the court against my mother, but I do not accept it was properly and fairly presented with consideration to all the evidence. I do not accept that my tenancy and my home should be penalised on the same grounds

3. Lambeth council misinformed the court that our home had been used for mass subletting and was sublet to a high number of people (19 names)

4. This evidence was false and obtained by the council engaging 3rd party arms length credit checking agencies (Equifax) to procure evidence and names of persons which are registered and publicly visible on the council's own electoral roll register which Lambeth know.

5. The identities of these people are known to me, because they live next door in the new build private flats at 24A (we are 24) and are therefore they are just my neighbours. Even the Lambeth housing officer in court said there was no evidence of a sublet happening.

6. The council knew these people were registered on their own electoral register but the incorrect data they used to present to the court became distorted to give the impression they lived in our house and that I was in breach of my tenancy by subletting.

7. This is not then a sole case against my mother for abandonment.

8. The council has to ensure that evidence obtained for legal proceedings is lawful and does not contain covert misrepresentation and false evidence against my tenancy obtained by the above methods and which are at odds and irrelevant to the case made against my mother on which my tenancy is currently being jeopardised.

9. The council has a duty NOT to make people deliberately homeless. I have not sublet, I have always paid my rent.

10. I believe the council has a duty to recognise my residency in Lambeth dating right back to my primary school and birthplace.

11. I am very very worried about the impending bailiff eviction date and I do not want to be forced out of my home onto the street by these means.

Our original tenancy agreement show my name included as a tenant beginning in 1978

Bird theme mural i did for Peckham community space on Pelican estate

I respectfully insist that the council reconsider and reinstate my rights which are being breached by a government body contrary to Article 8 of the Human Rights Act and prejudicial to my right to PROTECT my tenancy and HOME LIFE IN THE HOME I have lived in for 40 years. Having my home taken away from me will terminate my ability to do much of the public artwork projects of big colourful murals and chainsaw tree carvings I do & cut apart the community network of kind souls, friends and artists we have become part of during our 4 decades of life based here, like they did to Carlton Mansions and so many other cultural gems in such a creative vibrant area. Its sad to think our home base here is being culturally bleached into a social cleansing oblivion for reasons of bureaucratic chicanery. It would be the end of all we've known and loved here.

The Peace Candle sculpture i carved at the Imperial War Museum 2015

Our family is now facing very large legal costs causing us huge stress & bankruptcy due to trying to stand up for justice and our rights in this case which will likely have massive knock on effects for our family in the future. Helen Hayes MP our local councillor asked the housing department on our behalf if we could exercise our Right To Buy opportunity to try get a mortgage on our council home instead of being thrown out onto the street but they refused this request.

Our family cat Kato having a nice bath

It’s ironic to be evicted by my own council just when i’ve had a children’s picture book i wrote & illustrated published all about the blessing of finding your place in the world.

'Searching With Sam Widges' the children's book i just got published with GBPublishing.co.uk

I would be grateful to anyone who could write to the newspapers or council on our behalf to stop this happening to ourselves and many others at the moment.

We set up a GoFundMe page for any one wishing to donate here https://www.gofundme.com/artists039-eviction-resistance-fund

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Cheers

Morganico

If you wish to take further action to help this situation you are welcome to sign our petition
https://www.change.org/p/lambeth-council-save-seaview-brixton-family-arthouse-from-lambeth-council-eviction