MEDIA RELEASE: GOVERNMENT FUNDED ORGANISATION MIND AUSTRALIA INTIMIDATES AND BULLY’S SMALL BUSINESS OWNER WITH NO REGARD FOR MENTAL HEALTH

In early 2021 this organisation that claims to care about people’s mental health has shown their true colours by aggressively commencing legal action against a Small Business Owner when there was many other alternatives.

The business owner was sub-leasing a property from Mind Australia. During the covid period the business owner had difficulty catching up on some rent payments that were behind because he lost 95% of his business but still maintained payments so it would not get any worse even though he was exempt from having to make payments.

Around April 2021 Mind Australia’s lease was ending and the property Manager by the name of Bob Shergold told the business owner he had to take over the lease or get out. The business owner decided to take over the lease because he wanted to continue the business and not have to lay off 15 staff members if he did not do so. In response to agreeing to take over the lease, Bob forwarded the Business Owner an agreement to pay the arrears that he owed them with what could only be called ruthless terms.

The Business Owner relayed his concerns about such harsh payment plans but Bob reassured him that if there was any issues, he would work with him to lower the payments as long as he kept up consistent payments. The Business Owner signed the document under duress and felt he had no other alternative because Bob was holding it over his head in regards to taking over the lease. Bob Shergold threatened that if he did not sign it, he would not allow the Business Owner to take over the lease therefore forfeiting the opportunity to remain in the premises and also be forced to lay off 15 staff members from work.

Once payments commenced, the business owner paid the amount on the agreement for a few weeks but found himself under serious stress because he could not afford the payments and also pay his other weekly costs. He appealed to Bob to please assist as discussed and allow him to make lower weekly payments so he could pay his other costs as well. Bob then retracted from their agreement and said he would not do it and blamed the Mind Australia board for being heartless and they don’t care what the situation is.

The Business Owner continued to make regular payments on what he could afford to show his intent to pay this debt but this did not seem to be good enough for this organisation. Mind Australia’s response to working with the Small Business Owner was not to assist in these trying times and workout something to satisfy both parties, it was to immediately commence aggressive legal proceedings in the Supreme Court.

This is the definition of bullying knowing the Small Business Owner will have difficulty finding the money required to defend this in the Supreme Court. It is a classic case of an organisation that is government funded misusing funds to intimidate and bully others who they know may not have the means to defend themselves.

As a last resort, the Small Business Owner has done everything he can to make contact with different individuals in the organisation to plead for help to no avail. He has spoken to an Andrew in complaints twice with the promise he will be contacted back to see what assistance to resolve this can be done but both times, he has not been contacted back and ignored.

The Small Business Owner also sent an email pleading for help to the CEO Gill Callister and senior management team of Belinda McCollough, Mikki Swindon, Max Maclean and Melissa Field with no response to his pleas for help.

The behaviour of Mind Australia is disgusting especially in these trying financial times where everyone is assisting each other to get through it together. Mind Australia is a mental health organisation but the way they have treated this Small Business Owner smacks in the face of being hypocritical and heartless and has the potential to destroy someone’s life.

It would be recommended that you do not use the Organisation for such a serious matter of mental health if you are in need because as you have read, what they say they are is not reflected in the way they have behaved.