Please help- moral dilemma

moneyistooshorttomention

Bart1 wrote: »

You need to look up the word friend

A true friend does not expect someone to go against their own moral code in support of them.

I am personally very supportive of my friends and have been told that I am the first one they would turn to in extremis because they trust me to fight their corner as hard as I fight my own - BUT BUT BUT they are moral people and this person doesn't sound like they are.

Where do you draw the line? Put like that...then it sounds like you would support someone even if they murdered an innocent bystander - just because they had the title "friend" in your mind.

We all draw our own conclusions and decide where to "draw the line" personally. In my own mind, for instance, if someone killed a criminal/major drug-dealer type etc - then I would turn a blind eye and keep quiet and not think any more of it and my next meal would be eaten with a perfectly good appetite - but if it was an ordinary innocent person in the street then I would "turn them in" even if I were married to them.

An online acquaintance told me the details one time of what had happened to someone who had raped a relative of theirs. The details were "forgotten" the second they told me...because I could tell they were telling the truth about it. But, if the exact same treatment had been meted out to even someone who I had previously regarded as a very close friend (eg husband) they would be up for the high jump if what they had done was that far from "right action".

agrinnall

Does he live there as well as run his business from there? If so, the people renting rooms would be lodgers, and I'm not sure whether HMO rules would apply.

anselld

agrinnall wrote: »

Does he live there as well as run his business from there? If so, the people renting rooms would be lodgers, and I'm not sure whether HMO rules would apply.

Three or more lodgers with a resident landlord still makes an HMO. However, the property would need to be three or more stories to require a mandatory license (unless the local authority has additional licensing scheme in place).

The OP has not confirmed if there is any evidence for the alleged
HMO or tax issues so hopefully they get confirmation before shopping their "friend".

Cautious_Optimist

Mind your own business.

maisie_moo_2

You use the word "friend" loosely

stator

Theoretical idea: Send him an anonymous letter giving him time to sort everything out before you report him.
Unless you think he would know it was you

I would definitely report him and I wouldn't want to be his friend

societys_child

Love this, the thread has gone from someone having a vague idea that his "friend" might be fiddling his tax, to post #12 talking about murder and rape . . only on the internet . . .

G_M

societys_child wrote: »

Love this, the thread has gone from someone having a vague idea that his "friend" might be fiddling his tax, to post #12 talking about murder and rape . . only on the internet . . .

Posts 8 & 12 were making the point that crime is crime.

At the extreme, we would all (hopefully!) have no hesitation in taking action. But the severity of the crime should not make a difference. If you'd report a rape you should report an assault. If you'd report an assault you should report a theft. If you'd report a theft you should report a benefit farud. If you'd report a benefit farud you should report a tax evasion.

and evasion of compliance with HMO regulations.

anselld

G_M wrote: »

Posts 8 & 12 were making the point that crime is crime.

At the extreme, we would all (hopefully!) have no hesitation in taking action. But the severity of the crime should not make a difference. If you'd report a rape you should report an assault. If you'd report an assault you should report a theft. If you'd report a theft you should report a benefit farud. If you'd report a benefit farud you should report a tax evasion.

and evasion of compliance with HMO regulations.

... but you would not report a vague suspicion of any of the above with no supporting evidence.

kinger101

G_M wrote: »

Posts 8 & 12 were making the point that crime is crime.

Well, no evidence has been provided, particularly in the case of the alleged tax evasion.

I don't think the "crime is crime" point works. Obviously, almost everyone would report if their friend had become a serial killer. But if someone drives at 75 mph on the motorway, or enjoys smoking cannabis in their own home, then you'd have to be a rather twisted to be reporting this to the authorities.

But back to the original post, if I had a friend who did this type of thing, I think the decent thing to do would be to confront them and make them see the error of their ways.