Elderly Greek couple, Nitsa and Spiros Tzavellas, have been ‘overwhelmed’ by the community’s response to a GoFund Me campaign aimed at helping them save their home of 50 years in Earlwood and avoid strata bankruptcy.
The campaign was first launched by the couple’s nephew Anthony in response to an article by The Sydney Morning Herald by Caitlin Fitzsimmons detailing the Tzavellas’ dire situation.
It has since raised close to $63,000, with donations now closed.
Many donations were from the Earlwood community, including fundraising at the local Coles supermarket organised by Samantha and Lenya.
Anthony tells The Greek Herald the Tzavelles’ are very grateful and overwhelmed by the support of the community.
“They’re feeling much better. Really relieved. They’re very thankful to the community, very grateful and appreciative, for all that they’ve done for them,” Anthony says.
“The money will go towards getting everything paid off including the strata, legal fees and all that and we’re hoping that after it’s all paid off, they can finally get those windows fixed.”
Nitsa and Spiros, pensioners aged 78 and 81 respectively, were first caught up in the strata saga in 2019 when their body corporate voted to upgrade the building’s old windows and raise a special levy to pay for it.
The Tzavellases’ initial debt was about $18,000, of which they say they paid $13,000 in regular instalments before receiving legal advice to stop paying.
As of two weeks ago, the debt had grown to $44,000 because of a 10 percent interest rate and the rapidly growing legal costs of the owners’ corporation and strata company.
Now Nitsa says she just wants to thank everybody who donated “with all my heart” for their support.
“People supported me and my husband, and I will never forget this. Everyone saved me to stay in my house,” the Greek woman told The Sydney Morning Herald.
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald.
