flats in Luxor egypt.

In march 2008 I met Mr Machmood Quite a pleasant man a lovable rogue as he was once called by an ex renter. I do not call con merchants lovable. And this Machmood is a con artist.
the main reason for my moving from this flat with lovely views and in a great place
apart from the dust from the busy building site next door was because the landlord could not tell me the truth. the place is coming down as is all the houses in the immediate area around the new heritage centre, all the story is on http://www.myegypt.co.uk/index.php?f=data_home&a=8


Some of the lies I have had to put up with from this man Machmood. and he had the cheek to say " when I ever lie to you Mr Tony." when did he ever say the truth.
first visit to this flat my wife decided that with all the hassle I had with court cases Etc. see
http://justliars.blogspot.com
That this flat was ideal out of the way nice views and peaceful/ but I must have air condition, no problem as he flashed his Lloyds bank visa card I have money.
Then it was I need 1 year rent up front,,,, sorry Mr that is out of the question as I am short of money. so am I he said so we agreed on six months at 1000egp per month and the air con will be in asp. now it seems as soon as possible means as soon as he can afford it,
after a few weeks and the weather was getting hotter and a lot of begging from Mr M , I went out and bought a water cooling system these are big cumbersome units it was great on the roof but I had to leave the door open to cool the flat down the flies also liked my new cooling system in the flat open all hours. I was paying 500 per month rent over 4 months, so I could get my money back but seeing that I had to leave the doors open I decided to get a 3 horse cooling unit with the motor outside and the cooler unit indoors but this was 5.500.egp. and knowing full well my landlord was going to make another sob story I thought I would take it with me when I left.
the water unit and more lies from my landlord Oh Mr Tony my family so hot downstairs
I deed the water cooler no I said this is my cooler for the roof area. I have paid for it, he said,, just about I said and where is my money for the cooler you promised .They never even used the unit it was in the front room and he said twoo much wqater everbody get cold. I said thats what the unit is for keep cool outside area's. He knew its just that He had paid for it and he wanted it.
next thing was I realized the flat got hot because the hottest part of the day the door into the flat and the walls where in the direct sun so I decided that I needed a canopy over that area from the existing canopy that was set obout 6ft from the door , Good Idea Mr Tony,, I said I would buy the material and do it myself . I know just the place to get it he said!
so off we went just 5 minutes after mentioning the subject. the place was where all the carpets and linen came off the cruise boats plastic chairs and sun loungers any thing that may have had a second use.
I bought several good quality lined curtains and had them sewn together to cover a 8x2 meter it cost 300egp plus I bought 2 nice what would have been bed spreads but they made nice curtains in my flat and they where of thick linen material. so was quite happy with my purchase even though i knew My landlord was taking commission from my purchase
next thing was I needed some steel to extend the canopy so the material could sit on top of it, next thing some guy came up to the roof and said mr Machmood wants to make a steel frame and you are to pay . . O'k I thought play along , and asked how much. then the tape measure came out we need this this and this. needs to be strong so so it will cost 100 great was my first reaction. when can you do it? now He said as soon as I get the money, so I went inside got half of it 50 egp and said I give you half now to pay for the steel then another 50 when finished He looked at me as if I was simple in the head and said no I need 100 english.
I will not say what I said to him or Mr Machmood. the piece of material was put under the bed until I got over the shock. and that is where it stayed and is now under the bed in my new flat until I find A use for it . so mr Machmood wanted me to pay heavily for something he knew was coming down in a couple of years. just like the rest of the building this poor sod of a wife built for him, The lies he must have told her,
no wonder she refuses to come here . after finding out the bugger is already married and moved his family in as soon as the place was built.

That was another lie this man said . once I moved in I realized that there had been a scotch person Female living in this flat from all the bits and pieces left in cupboards etc, and asked Mahmoud. . I really do not understand he said we are married a few years now she no come cos I move my family in she knew we are married before, What he means is She refuses to give him any more money until his first wife and siblings move out. Egyptians have a great way of making out nothing is ever there fault...

oh Mr tony I have so many problems and My son is in collage and all the time I need money. I used to dread the end of the month" rent day " the first lie he said on rent day. Mr tony I need 7 ooo for my sons collage . I know as with all payments here in Egypt money up front Achmed the son was on his final weeks of collage. ..next time was oh Mr tony I need 3000 for going to Cairo. yes on this time he was not lying but he needed the money to go bonk his Scottish Wife who refuses to come here to the home she built, since finding out her husband is married with 4 kids and they live in the new home. wonder if she knows her home is due to be demolished.
Another lie .
I paid 150 per month for fast internet with a company called Td Data (rainbow Net)
the phone line is with Egypt telecom and had a standing charge of 45le per three months rent, I never used the line only for internet so it should be only a standing charge bill after 3 months my internet went off and I started shouting at td Data, who in turn said the line was not paid for. so off I went to egypt telecom to pay the bill 1990 egp they said! how is it that much? you use internet many telephone calls . so off I went to have a word with my lying landlord.
Problem was I had to pay the bill or no internet. and I needed the line number and landlords name to pay the bill. so I thought rather than that I wold buy a g3 internet stick from vodaphone. all was ok until I went over the Quota, I paid 1400 for the unit used it for 2 hours and had a bill for 450 egp so another visit to the vodaphone shop and was told ah yes you have to pay. you used it . bollocks I said and threw the g3 unit on the counter and walked out. like kids vodaphone cut off my mobile until I paid the bill A new mobile card and number is only 10 egp so I have a new no. going on with telephone lies. I traced the telephone lines in the house it went to all the flats the line downstairs was in constant use kids on the net playing games etc then there was the telephone in constant use. soon put an end to that with a direct line to my computer. nothing was said until I got the next quarterly bill of 120le . i need to see the bill Mr machmood . Ah I paid the bill under the table . so i went to the phone company and asked how much the bill for my number , 45le no telephone calls good I said. because I pay 120 to Rainbow net for my Isdl fast internet. and I asked him about why is it more paying under the table ( no receipt )
no such thing I was told by an angry young man all telephone bills payed down stairs in computer no baksheesh , after calming the guy down I explained what happened. and off we went to the nearest computer . machmood has 3 telephone he said and two bills paid in one day, 45le and 75le. so i was duped again. and the reason the last bills were not paid was mahmood thought his home would be demolished before the bills had to be paid.
This guy gets around 5000 egp per month plus money from 2 taxis he owns All the money is direct in his pocket his Scottish wife paid for this building, another lie he told us, he was manager on the railway he even took me to his office in Luxor station and pointed to his name (IN ARABIC) on the door. he is a ticket collector on the train and since I have be in his flat has only worked to my knowledge two days apparently has a problem with his arms needs both as a ticket collector. he needs both to drive his car and has no problem when he puts his hand out for money?? so Egypt rail you are paying good money to a shirker,
there was a lot of lies he told me relating to my court case. he is a relation of the swindler Mohamed Awad, but claims he is not related to such a bad man. he told me in a heated argument his grandmother is the mother of both mothers, so work that one out.
The Argument started because I said mohamed Awads mother Samira used to bring Camel meat for me when I lived in my hotel . Mohamed said ! its easy for them to bring it from Cairo as she was from Zamalec and all her relations still live there and the reason she went to Cairo once a month. I told Machmood I had already found out the real reason she went to Cairo was to pick up the drugs. she as the wife of an Imam and would not get stopped by the police on her return to Luxor,
Rubbish Machmood said" I know she is from My village on the west bank, she is my grandmothers daughter, but smiled at me about the other part. they have a funny way about lying if what you say is true they smile, but if its a lie they soon pull you up about it.
so because his aunt has a bad son they are not related, hum? neither did he tell me His uncle was not an Imam (muslim priest) but a teacher, as I found out from The Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb's nephew. If I knew in the begining of my renting I would have been warry of what I said to him things like why I was taking his other cousin Mustafa the lawyer to court. when two weeks later the lawyer turned up at the first court hearing armed with the english rent contract, thats when I confronted My landlord and asked if he was a relation to the con man Mohamed Awad. OOOH , no Mr Tony never would I be a relation to such a bad man and such a bad family he comes from drug dealers all of them, like Mafia Mr Tony. you know he already come here and threaten me ! Why I have you in my home. I had already told him the reason why I moved from the flat in Karnak after threats to the landlady . Not Mr Awad personally but one of his friends. after finding out My landlord or rather suspecting he was a relation I fed the liar false info then he had the cheek to ask why I lie to him, no lie Mr Machmood Only a white one no understand Mr Tony, ah Good job then isn't it I said.
the last confirmation on my landlord being a hungry money man ( as people would call him)
was A trip I made to the White desert Farafra.
I made arrangements to take a taxi to the White desert Myself and two German Lady friends
one hour before our departure the Taxi driver turned up at my flat with part of an engine the carburetor. saying he can not take us but knows a man who can. so down stairs we trundled to see our nice landlord who on the tip of his tongue said I can get a taxi fir 3 thousand for the three day trip. hmm, I thought full of knowledge is this man , and handed me his telephone where I could haggle the price with the Taxi driver , no deal, so he gave me another taxi driver that could do it for 2 thousand but we had to pay for his food and bed. not negotiable.
ok I said this taxi driver I made the deal with can get another taxi and take us for the thousand he originaly quoted. but He has never been to the desert before.. Not what He said when we wanted a taxi to take us yesterday. and back came the telephone with another taxi driver and the quote was 2 thousand plus keep. I then phoned the ladies who by now where anxiously waiting by the prearranged meeting point. and they agreed the first quote was too low . and off we went. the fun of the trip is on http://mydeserttrip.blogspot.com/
one week after we got back I saw the taxi driver Hamada . (now a friend and my taxi driver.)
why you no use me Mr Tony too bloody expensive I said,, ah" but Mr Tony, Machmood take more than half. I also now now Mr Machmood is the owner of the first taxi the driver Hassan is just one of two driver, and had no right to make a deal without first consulting machmood.
plus his taxi would never have made the round trip. without breaking down. so this mr machmood my friendly lovable rogue made money just by getting up a bit early and phoning a few friends with his problem. most likely cost him a few pounds egp backsheesh. but if he treats a friend as he called me like that I would not like to be his enemy.