Have you heard this news from Devon?
Brian and Wendy Wilshaw, owners of Oldborough Retreat, Morchard Bishop, a lovely estate featuring a 5-bedroom home, 4 holiday lodges, and a fishing lake, found it difficult to find a buyer at their £950,000 asking price. They thought perhaps a raffle would seem rather an easier way achieve the value they desired.
The Wilshaws sold 46,000 Raffle Tickets at a rate of £25 each, for a sum total of £1.15m. In short, they achieved their goal. As readers of this blog are well aware, lottery laws in the UK would make a straight raffle illegal, so the Wilshaws added a competition aspect to their draw, asking participants to answer a question about fishing licences. However, their method fell under suspicion, and the draw was delayed over six months while authorities investigated the legality of the contest. Besides allegations that the question was too simple, and that those who failed to answer correctly were given second chances, the Commission worried that the Wilshaw’s personal gain in the matter violated the law of the land.
At long last, however, the Gambling Commission found in the Wilshaw’s favour earlier this summer and the prize draw proceeded without any further difficulty. Another couple, Stephen and Caroline Sickelmore, immediately offered up their home as a prize in their own raffle, and other homeowners throughout the UK have followed suit.
In today’s economy, home sales can be even trickier than lottery laws. It was a long road for the Wilshaws, but once again, Raffle Tickets saved the day!
{ 1 trackback }
{ 0 comments… add one now }