Home ownership is something that many people aspire to but not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to afford in their life. Property is expensive and mortgages with affordable rates aren’t particularly easy to find, either. That means a good portion of the population relies on renting to keep a roof over their head. Jayne Sayner, a 75-year-old woman, was in that exact position when she began renting a 2-bedroom home in St. Albans, Melbourne, Australia from millionaire John Perrett for $250 a week more than 20 years ago. However, she recently got an incredible surprise.
- John Perrett was a very good landlord. Not only had he always made sure Sayner’s place was kept in good condition when any issues arose, he also kept her rent the same for more than 20 years, never charging her more even though he definitely could have done.
- Jane Sayner never would have been able to afford another place. Had her rent gone up, she would have been forced to move in with her stepchildren or look for work again despite her advanced age. She had been working at her previous job for more than 25 years and was ready to relax and enjoy her older years. Thankfully, Perrett made sure she never had to.
- Perrett died in September 2020. He never married or had any kids, but he did have a very successful career before dying. He was a kidney transplant recipient which extended his life by more than 30 years, and when he died, he was able to leave nearly $20 million Australian to the nephrology unit at Royal Melbourne Hospital. But that’s not all he was able to do.
- One of the apartments he owned was sold for $400,000. The proceeds from that went to the hospital. However, two other units went to their long-term tenants. That’s right — Jane Sayner became the owner of the apartment she’d rented for more than 20 years.
- To be fair, it wasn’t a complete surprise. While he was still alive, her landlord called her to get her full name. “Then one day he just rang me and said, ‘My solicitor’s here, can you please give me your full name, because I’m leaving you your unit.’ I thought I hadn’t heard it right. Surely not. For the whole time I had known him, [leaving all his money to charity] was always what he was going to do,” she recalled, per The Daily Mail.
- Jane has always made sure to take fantastic care of the property. In fact, she always treated it as if she owned it rather than just rented it. “I treated this place like it was my own. When I first came here there was no garden out the back. Because I was living here, I planted lots of plants and flowers, which are still here today,” she said.
- What an incredible gesture from Perrett. He gave Jane Sayner an amazing gift and it’s certainly one she’ll never forget.
