At 76, Jane Sayner can finally turn off her 3 a.m. alarm and retire from her job selling vegetables at the market, having inherited a house from her late landlord.
In 1998, Sayner rented a two-bedroom house in St Albans, northwest Melbourne, for 200 AUD per week. For over 20 years, her landlord, John Perrett, never raised the rent. Perrett became a millionaire through savvy investments after selling his pharmacy business.
Sayner described Perrett as a rare and exceptional landlord. When she first visited the property, the kitchen sink was broken, but it was fixed by the time she moved in. Every two years, Perrett hired professionals to inspect the heater and other appliances in the house. Knowing her love for gardening, he even gifted her several potted plants that once belonged to his father.
Living alone, Sayner worked at the local fruit and vegetable market, waking up at 3 a.m. daily for her job. Her life took an unexpected turn in early 2020 after a phone call from Perrett. He mentioned his lawyer was present and asked for her full name. “I’m leaving the house to you,” he told her.
Sayner was stunned, thinking she might have misheard. “It was a complete surprise because, after more than two decades of renting, I’d now own it outright,” she said.
Millionaire John Perrett was a humble man. Never married and with no close relatives, he devoted much of his time and wealth to helping his neighbors. Many benefited from his generosity.
One of Perrett’s most generous acts was bequeathing over 19.6 million AUD to the Royal Melbourne Hospital, where he worked in his youth and had received a life-saving organ transplant 30 years prior. He also left another property to a different tenant in St Albans, while a similar house to Sayner’s was sold for 400,000 AUD to support the hospital.
Sayner said her relationship with Perrett went beyond a typical landlord-tenant arrangement, built on mutual respect and kindness. When Perrett grew older and struggled to cook for himself, she often helped him buy groceries. Each time she paid rent, she’d stay to chat with him.
“We’d talk for about an hour on all sorts of topics. He loved sharing stories about his father and his work as a pharmacist,” she recalled.
Just six months after donating much of his wealth to the community, Perrett passed away in a nursing home.
Sayner underwent surgery for bowel cancer last year and was told by doctors that her health is now stable. The 76-year-old expressed relief at her recovery and the security of having a home to return to.
“For the rest of my life, I’ll live with gratitude for him. Without him, I’d still be out selling at the market at 3 a.m.,” she shared.
