£4m Lotto winner is told: You’re not living here
Exclusive: Neighbours’ objections scupper her bid to buy £440k dream home
TRANSGENDER lottery winner Melissa Ede has had to pull out from buying her dream home after neighbours said they did not want her there.
The £4million scratchcard winner had set her heart on the £440,000 five-bed house but a residents’ group opposed the sale, blaming her celebrity profile.
Melissa, 57, said: “We all know what it’s about really.”
lady whose house it is. She’s totally innocent in all this. I know she’s gutted about it. It was a cash sale and they had a house ready to move in to. I feel terrible for them.
“This has caused a lot of distress. The house is now back up for sale and I await to see if the next buyer is good enough for their select community.”
Yesterday the couple selling the house refused to comment. But a local resident close to them said: “They are absolutely gutted about this and furious. They think it’s a complete injustice. Legally this management company cannot stop the sale, but they’ve obviously done enough to make her pull out. It’s an absolute farce.”
According to the source the couple had kept the buyer’s identity a secret to protect Melissa’s privacy and thought the consent was a mere formality. The source said: “They were told permission had been granted, then days later they got another letter saying they’d ‘rescinded’ the letter of consent and were demanding to know the details of the purchaser.
“Next thing this couple know they’d turned it down. They were devastated. It’s left this couple so worried and so upset.”
Melissa has now made an offer on a new property. She said: “I couldn’t live there now anyway because if they are so against me moving in they will watch us all every moment to try and catch us out. It would be extremely uncomfortable. I think they’ve violated my human rights by saying you can’t live in a property.
“We have the right to be who we want and live where we want without prejudice.”
Several neighbours yesterday denied they were discriminating against Melissa. One, who did not wish to be named, said: “Everyone’s opinion is different, but it’s not the discrimination you’re thinking of.
“It’s the stuff on YouTube really, and the attention-seeking.
“This is a very quiet place and this is a person who wants a lot of attention. It’s not about her being transgender at all. We have nothing against transgender.
Her husband said: “It’s to do with privacy and publicity and security. She seems to strive for publicity. I want a peaceful life, don’t want people driving by.”
His wife added: “Most people here are retired. We’ve nothing against her.”
Several other residents said “no comment” while another said: “There was a board meeting and quite a few abstained.”
Another said the vote was “quite even”.