Dad living in my house - is he a tenant?

cuffey

He's suddenly started forwarding post - so he must be going in there to get it! And yes, a neighbour is now in touch with us which is useful. We can't change the locks yet as he's technically still the tenant, and he has keys.

Yes, chances are I'll lose money on it, but it's never been about the money, it's about getting it off my back and being able to get on with the rest of my life without them sponging any more. It's the idea that they can send 2 proposals for how to distribute the cash, and ask me to decide which I'm going to accept. Odd way to open negotiations - and I haven't told them my plans to refurb and sell. For all they know I could be moving in, or renting it out. They really are very, very greedy, people. We've agreed we will continue to ignore them, it's the only way not to get sucked into their silly games. I expect the hassle will crank up a notch further now.

paddyz

So are you planning to share the profit from the flat with your mother as she did put 75k into it?

Or are you planning on keeping the lot if she hasn't got any proof of her financial input into the property

DVardysShadow

cuffey wrote: »

He's suddenly started forwarding post - so he must be going in there to get it! And yes, a neighbour is now in touch with us which is useful. We can't change the locks yet as he's technically still the tenant, and he has keys.

Repackage some booklet or something and post it to yourself at your flat. Get a certificate of posting. See whether it is redirected. Might be useful later.

cuffey

I still intend to share it with my mother, but I simply don't know why the other members of my family feel they have any right to the proceeds. Warped thought processes I think.

Might try the post trick and see if he posts it on. Good idea. He shouldn't have been able to redirect any post with my name on it via Royal Mail should he?

In the meantime, I'm pursuing the order for possession to make absolutely sure.

DVardysShadow

cuffey wrote: »

... Might try the post trick and see if he posts it on. Good idea. He shouldn't have been able to redirect any post with my name on it via Royal Mail should he?

Living at the address, the process would allow him to. RM readdressed mail is done with preprinted stickers IIRC which should certainly be recognisable to a friendly postie, even if you don't recognise them yourself.

BigAunty

cuffey wrote: »

I still intend to share it with my mother, but I simply don't know why the other members of my family feel they have any right to the proceeds. Warped thought processes I think.

....

I expect the sharing out of the 75k deposit plus the imaginary profits (forgetting of course that it requires significant refurbishment and yielded little rent) across all the family members is not necessarily due to the 'generosity' of your mother but it probably inspired by benefit means testing of capital.

She may very well want to give them their inheritance early (what's your share...?) but if they are benefit claimants, if they receive a large lump sum (over 16k) their income related benefits cease while over 6k reduces them.

I think pensioners can have 10k in capital (such as savings) before their council tax, pension credit and housing benefit is affected.

So this might account for the dispersal. I think ignoring the demand is a good strategy, so too, is working out how much of her original 75k deposit has been reduced by the lease extension, repairs, mortgage payments, legal fees, estate agent fees and so on...

One way to be both honourable and frustrating is to return the deposit money (less any expenses incurred in the rental, of course) to her in a single cheque with a note saying 'distribute the proceeds how you wish'. Clearly, this will annoy her as the cheque will take her over the means testing limit and she'll be paranoid about cashing it and alerting the benefit authorities as to the origins of the money. The DWP and local council will expect tens of thousands of pounds to last her years and may even launch a deprivation of capital investigation if she signs off benefits for just a short period, they'll want to know why she's returned to signing on for housing benefit, pension credit and council tax benefit so quickly.

RAS

cuffey

When you get the flat back, get sale prices from three EAs for selling it as it is.

I suspect there will be a substantial reduction in value because of dad's antics.

Aunty is probably right. Mum knows that she is a benefit cheat already but hopes you do not realise. If you share any proceeds around the family than she can avoid losing her benefits. It is called deprivation of capital.

Keep the benefits thing up your sleeve; you can always offer to shop her.

paddyz

I'm glad you are willing to return her money, as it was both parents life savings at the end of the day, don't shop your mother as that is a horrible thing to do to a parent, remember you was as involved as she was by being a party of this nightmare, Its time to get out by doing the right thing firstly for yourself but also by doing being a decent person and returning the money to her.

BitterAndTwisted

Sod the parents' life savings! Neither has behaved as a parent should towards their child and have both sought to take terrible advantage of him. They are not deserving of anything.

loracan1

paddyz wrote: »

I'm glad you are willing to return her money, as it was both parents life savings at the end of the day, don't shop your mother as that is a horrible thing to do to a parent, remember you was as involved as she was by being a party of this nightmare, Its time to get out by doing the right thing firstly for yourself but also by doing being a decent person and returning the money to her.

I suggest you read through this thread again and take note of how these 'parents' have behaved! The OP stands to lose out if he returns the full £75,000, because the property has clearly been reduced in value.