A benevolent businessman from Texas has opened up two of his mansions to help house and rehabilitate the victims of the recent tornadoes that devastated the state. Ron Sturgeon, who is reportedly worth $75million, told affected families that they could live in his mansions for three months, at a meagre rent of $1 a month.
The two houses, reportedly worth $3.5million, are currently unoccupied and up for sale. Sturgeon himself was in Jamaica on vacation when the tornadoes struck north Texas last week. When he returned, he decided to put the mansions to good use.
“Does anyone have friends or relatives that lost their home in Garland or other city that needs housing?” he wrote on his Facebook page. “I have a 10,000sf home in Colleyville (empty for sale) that I will loan to someone to stay in for up to three months. And an extra car they can use. No charge. The home is big enough for two families. The home is pet friendly with a 10 car garage to store belongings in.”
The post has been shared over 10,000 times and thousands have commented suggesting their friends take up the offer. Looking at the overwhelming response, Sturgeon later posted the second home as well, mentioning that it was also large enough for two families.
When contacted by the media, Sturgeon said it was the obvious thing for him to do. “I got up Tuesday morning and I was looking at my Facebook, and I was just seeing all these posts about lost dogs and families that didn’t have a place to go,” he told NewsFix. “And I was just astounded at all the devastation and how all the homes were just completely destroyed.”
“I was just thinking about having those two big homes,” he added. “We’ve got them listed for sale, and it doesn’t make sense for them to be vacant when somebody could be using them that obviously would have a great need,” he added, to NewsFix. “Some people think I’m crazy, and why would I do that. But I have a thousand tenants, so I understand tenants and I understand rental properties. I’ve never been a victim of a tornado, but it’s pretty devastating looking at these pictures.”
One of the houses, worth $1.9million, has four bedrooms, a large garage, and a swimming pool. The other one, a five-bedroom home, is valued at $1.6million. Sturgeon is currently taking applications on a first-come first-served basis, from people who’ve lost their home in the storm. All he requires is that they pass a background check and have a decent credit score.
Sturgeon, who made his millions in the auto salvage industry, has had a taste of homelessness when his father died. He started his own business after graduating high school in 1978, and eventually amassed a fortune worth $75million. This isn’t the first time he’s in the news for his eccentric acts. In 2014, he hired a social media expert for his pet dogs. He paid him $45 an hour to make regular online posts about his King Charles Cavaliers – Willy, Dixie, and Lance.
Photos: Zillow
