Astounded disappointed RSPCA

[indie999]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ife-haven-RSPCA--sell-bulldozed-built-on.html

I have always defended the RSPCA and never agree with some of the comments on here about them not doing their job as my experience had been good and it has been one of my favourite charities but this ie appalling.Even the guys brother has said its not what he wanted. So wont be giving to them anymore.

Just so sad for the guy who thought he had kept this little wildlife haven safe.

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

Whilst I think its sad that they have gone against his wishes - just shows solicitors can get round anything if they want to... - none of the animals are and endangered species and there are healthy populations of all of them.

 

[millsandboon]

That happens time and time again. Mostly old ladies who leave their houses to the CPL thinking they are going to be turned into a cat sanctuary. I wish people would learn.

 

[Mike007]

Money grabbing bunch of hypocrits

 

[misst]

Why am I not surprised I haven't given them money for many years (since the hunting debate got really heated during Tony Blairs time). Whilst I am sure individual officers are well intentioned they seem to have no idea what they are doing half the time and the administrative side seems totally useless.

 

[Flame_]

Things like this just stink. Eurrrrrrrrrrrgh! Its just not right is it?

 

[TallulahBright]

I lost faith in them after I reported a show jumper who was selling a horse 'for a friend'. When we arrived he was beasting a youngster, on the lunge with a dummy on, mouth and feet pouring blood. It was barbaric, his comment was 'It's being a bugger to break'. The horse we'd gone to see was lame and back v sore. I reported him and they visited but phoned me to say everything was fine and they couldn't do anything because the chap in question has a good reputation!! No more donations from me!

 

[joelb]

What an absolutely tragic betrayal of trust. Such a shame this old dear wasn’t advised to put a full legal covenant on the land. So angry for him; may he rest in peace.

 

[Hedgewitch13]

Greedy, money grabbing barstewards. I hate the RSPCA. I give to a local cat's charity where they spend the money on the cats! Novel idea to the RSPCA I should think...

 

[Holly Hocks]

I'd like to know what they've ploughed the money they sold it for, into. I bet it wasn't caring for animals....

 

[Jesstickle]

I don't much care for the Daily Fail and am not really one for charity bashing but if this

The RSPCA ... said: ‘Mr Brown wished us not to sell the land for building though this wasn’t a binding condition of the will. The RSPCA has used the money for its animals.’

is really what they said, that is pretty damn cold

 

[indie999]

I don't much care for the Daily Fail and am not really one for charity bashing but if this

The RSPCA ... said: ‘Mr Brown wished us not to sell the land for building though this wasn’t a binding condition of the will. The RSPCA has used the money for its animals.’

is really what they said, that is pretty damn cold

Exactly I dont care for Dmail but it is raining and it seems well quoted. I appreciate they can sell and use money etc but with wildlife etc or any green patch of England once its gone its gone. Just seems a bit sad that the binding condition etc etc. Sound a right cheeky bunch of greed. I like traditional charities and the genuine concern for welfare but to go against someones wish when they donated it to the RSPCA. Fair do if they had built something for abandoned animals etc ie a home but to sell it to developers stinks.

 

[Ladydragon]

What an absolutely tragic betrayal of trust. Such a shame this old dear wasn’t advised to put a full legal covenant on the land. So angry for him; may he rest in peace.

This... I think it's pretty appalling and it's irrelevant whether the animals it was home to are on the endangered list or not...

I've not had great experiences with the RSPCA but I've been happy to acknowledge they probably do a lot of good and unrecognised work... This is pretty darn low and disgusting though...

 

[HashRouge]

Things like this depress me so much. I hate the thought of this poor man doing what he thought was best, trying to protect the land and the animals who lived there, trusting that the RSPCA would want the same thing...and then his trust being betrayed. Sure, the RSPCA didn't have any legal obligation not to sell the land, but surely it's a question of common decency

 

[Penny Less]

Well they need all the cash they can get. agreed its morally wrong, but who would look after the bit of land, stop it from getting used as a rubbish tip etc?

 

[rockysmum]

Well with a bit of luck this will loose them millions. People see this in the national press and I bet a lot of wills are being changed.

With luck some more deserving charities will pick up the cash instead.

Dont know how the RSPCA keeps it Royal title and status these days. They dont seem to have anyones respect anymore.

 

[rockysmum]

Well they need all the cash they can get. agreed its morally wrong, but who would look after the bit of land, stop it from getting used as a rubbish tip etc?

Then they should have refused to accept the donation, they can do.

His family could then have sourced someone who would. Its not as if it didn't go along with a house and a fair bit of cash, plenty to pay for its upkeep for years.

 

[cptrayes]

This was a quarter acre of scrub land in the middle of an area of housing, in a very upmarket region near to Manchester, with massive areas of protected land around it at Nether Alderley, Over Alderley and Lindow Moss. The area has no need of a tiny wildlife reserve, if it ever deserved that name. It was never going to be possible for the RSPCA to spend its resources managing a wildlife reserve that tiny - a quarter acre is around 30 metres by 30 metres. Uncared for, it would quickly have become a dumping ground for people who didn't want to travel to the nearest refuse tip and a place for youths to drink and worse.

I suspect that they have done the only thing they could possibly do.

 

[Capriole]

Then they should have refused to accept the donation, they can do.

His family could then have sourced someone who would. Its not as if it didn't go along with a house and a fair bit of cash, plenty to pay for its upkeep for years.

this

 

[cptrayes]

I wouldn't bet any amount of money on a family agreeing to maintain it as a wildlife reserve once they found out that is was worth £300,000.


Look at the picture, folks, if you haven't already - it's in the middle of a housing estate. Why would they forgo all that money, and spend more to maintain it, for the benefit of the people who live in those houses? The wildlife doesn't need it, there's more green open space and woodland around that area than anyone can count.

 

[fidleyspromise]

Moral of the story: if you plan to leave anything to a charity, make sure to talk to them to see if its feasible to keep your wishes.

 

[rhino]

This was a quarter acre of scrub land in the middle of an area of housing, in a very upmarket region near to Manchester, with massive areas of protected land around it at Nether Alderley, Over Alderley and Lindow Moss. The area has no need of a tiny wildlife reserve, if it ever deserved that name. It was never going to be possible for the RSPCA to spend its resources managing a wildlife reserve that tiny - a quarter acre is around 30 metres by 30 metres. Uncared for, it would quickly have become a dumping ground for people who didn't want to travel to the nearest refuse tip and a place for youths to drink and worse.

No point in trying to defend the RSPCA on here cptrayes, not as long as people refuse to be honest as to why they dislike them...

Open minded + RSPCA just doesn't happen on here sadly

 

[misst]

I wouldn't bet any amount of money on a family agreeing to maintain it as a wildlife reserve once they found out that is was worth £300,000.


Look at the picture, folks, if you haven't already - it's in the middle of a housing estate. Why would they forgo all that money, and spend more to maintain it, for the benefit of the people who live in those houses? The wildlife doesn't need it, there's more green open space and woodland around that area than anyone can count.

I entirely see your point and sort of agree - BUT - they kind of accepted it knowing the spirit it was given in, so whilst they may have had little choice with what to do with it, they could have declined the donation if they felt they could not continue in the spirit it was given in. Alternatively perhaps they could have had a community meeting and at least done some useful PR explaining their reasoning and motives

 

[touchstone]

I have very little respect for the RSPCA, but actually as CPTrayes says, it makes more sense (although morally wrong regarding the deceased) to sell the small area of rough land in order to benefit more animals. My overriding concern is whether it would actually be used to benefit animals though.

 

[Moomin1]

Putting a slight spin on it - maybe, just maybe, had the deceased person known the dire financial situation the RSPCA are in currently was going to happen, they would have actually agreed or understood why the money from the sale could be placed into more beneficial schemes.

I fully agree with CPTrayes.

 

[FlashHarry]

I also agree with CPTrayes. The RSPCA are not in the business of managing wildlife areas. It's not what they do. The only practical thing they can do is sell it to the highest bidder & use the money. I am really fed up with RSPCA bashing on here. It is because of their stance on hunting.
Also - they can't really decline it once he's dead - it would simply be sold & proceeds divided between relatives, so would have inevitibly ended up built on anyway.

 

[Ladydragon]

This was a quarter acre of scrub land in the middle of an area of housing, in a very upmarket region near to Manchester, with massive areas of protected land around it at Nether Alderley, Over Alderley and Lindow Moss. The area has no need of a tiny wildlife reserve, if it ever deserved that name. It was never going to be possible for the RSPCA to spend its resources managing a wildlife reserve that tiny - a quarter acre is around 30 metres by 30 metres. Uncared for, it would quickly have become a dumping ground for people who didn't want to travel to the nearest refuse tip and a place for youths to drink and worse.

I suspect that they have done the only thing they could possibly do.

Then they could have refused to accept the gift if they were concerned about maintenance... Or they could even have had a community meeting to see what support might have been garnered there... Just as presumptuous as the suggestion the area is likely to have a bunch of youthful drinkers ready to descend on it with rampant fly tippers is the theory that the local residents might have been happy to pitch in with maintaining it...

Flogging it against the wishes of the donor was not the only thing they could do...

 

[Jesstickle]

This was a quarter acre of scrub land in the middle of an area of housing, in a very upmarket region near to Manchester, with massive areas of protected land around it at Nether Alderley, Over Alderley and Lindow Moss. The area has no need of a tiny wildlife reserve, if it ever deserved that name. It was never going to be possible for the RSPCA to spend its resources managing a wildlife reserve that tiny - a quarter acre is around 30 metres by 30 metres. Uncared for, it would quickly have become a dumping ground for people who didn't want to travel to the nearest refuse tip and a place for youths to drink and worse.

I suspect that they have done the only thing they could possibly do.

I agree. My comment only relates to the slightly cold hearted response they gave. Their actions are pretty much what I would expect them to do and I do think they probably did what was sensible. Given that the chap has living relatives however, I hope they gave them a better answer than, effectively, 'it wasn't illegal so what's your problem?' which seems to be the public line they have taken.

 

[cptrayes]

Then they could have refused to accept the gift if they were concerned about maintenance.

I'm not sure that they could. Legally I think the terms of their charter, or whatever it's called, might oblige them to take it if it is willed to them. I've seen a case reported where another charity was fighting a case taken by someone who expected to inherit a farm which was left to them instead, and they explained that they were legally obliged to defend the action to protect their revenues.

Unfortunately I've also read of a case where land was given with the condition that it should not be sold or built on, and it was possible for the recipient to go to court and get that condition overturned by a judge, so not even that is safe.

presumptuous ... as the suggestion the area is likely to have a bunch of youthful drinkers ready to descend on it with rampant fly tippers

I live near the area. I see other areas like it misused on a regular basis. Experience, not presumption.

 

[Pedantic]

Gave up with them years ago.