Desperate plea for help with a complicated housing situation

DJBenson

My apologies if this is the wrong forum (please move if so) but I did not know into which category to put this.

My brother is in a situation now which he cannot cope with, and I am trying to find out how to help him but I do not know where to start.

We were raised by our grandparents, my grandfather only recently died, and my brother still lives in the family home - I moved out years ago.

My grandfather about a decade ago signed the house over to my brother and I so we are joint (50/50) owners.

My brother has no money coming in, is receiving court summons left, right and center from utility companies, and is stealing to fund his alcohol and drug habit.

I want to sell the house (which he has effectively turned into a drug squat and trashed) and he has agreed that he wants to sell it too (on legal advice I was also told I could force the sale, but that may not be necessary).

My concern is, when I sell the house, he will become homeless, and having just spoken to the council housing team, he will be eligible for no help as he has a beneficial interest in the property, and they see no reason why he cannot afford to run the place.

He absolutely needs to leave that house, for two reasons a) half of it is mine (and I resent him for what he's done to it) but more importantly b) he cannot maintain a 3 bedroom house in his state, he would never have been able to do so.

I'm at a real loss what to do for the best.

Help please

Guest101

Huh? Why should the tax payer supply your brother with housing when he's in line to get a substantial amount of money from the sale of the house? - sorry I just don't understand the issue

lincroft1710

With his share of the house sale, he can either buy somewhere smaller and cheaper or rent.

DJBenson

The house is valued at around 50k in its current state, so yes, he will get 25k at the end of the process, but I would hardly consider that a 'substantial amount of money'.

He has a drink and drug problem, is not working and not claiming benefits for whatever reason.

There will be a period between the house going on the market where he will have to leave the property and it will need to be secured, so he will be homeless - it is that period of time I am worried about - once he receives his money then it's up to him what he does with it.

silvercar

Help sort him out with a private rental. Although you want the money from your home, it is your brother that we are talking about.

If your brother is willing, sort out an LPA so you can help him manage his money.

There is a real danger that your brother will spend his share of the money from the sale of the house on drugs. He needs guidance in money management.

DJBenson

silvercar wrote: »

Help sort him out with a private rental. Although you want the money from your home, it is your brother that we are talking about.

If your brother is willing, sort out an LPA so you can help him manage his money.

There is a real danger that your brother will spend his share of the money from the sale of the house on drugs. He needs guidance in money management.

Exactly this - he is already spending the money in lieu by borrowing from friends, so he could end up penniless at the end of the process anyway.

He has a destructive personality and an addiction to addiction, he's been taking drugs since he was 14 and he's now mid-30's. He's not really my problem, as a grown man I don't think he should need to rely on anyone for anything and he really needs to stop blaming the world for his wrongs, but sooner or later he will end up needing assistance (or worse he'll just kill himself).

aneary

You may have to force the sale.

If he has lots of court orders they will eat into the 25k and when he is left with 16k he can claim benefits. In addition if you force the sale you are making him homeless and the council will have to sort something out for him. Additionally you could try and see if you can claim back half the market rental that you haven't received whilst he has been living there, this will also reduce his lump some (which you could keep as an emergency fund for him).

Guest101

DJBenson wrote: »

The house is valued at around 50k in its current state, so yes, he will get 25k at the end of the process, but I would hardly consider that a 'substantial amount of money'. - Well it's a years salary for an average fulltime worker, before tax! Certainly it's enough to live on!!

He has a drink and drug problem, is not working and not claiming benefits for whatever reason. - How is that relevant?

There will be a period between the house going on the market where he will have to leave the property and it will need to be secured - well he could stay until it's sold, which is what typically happens. , so he will be homeless - no he wont. He will have a home. He's chosen not to live there. - it is that period of time I am worried about - once he receives his money then it's up to him what he does with it.

He could live with you ofcourse?

lincroft1710

DJBenson wrote: »

but sooner or later he will end up needing assistance

I would think sooner

(or worse he'll just kill himself) which he is already probably slowly doing.

I am inferring that he doesn't seem the type to go in for rehab and unless he commits a crime which carries a custodial sentence or can somehow be compulsorily detained in a suitable hospital/clinic, his future is very bleak. Although apparently prisons are full of drugs, so rather than getting on a drug free programme, he may end up in more debt!!

The alternative would be to let him live there, but make sure that he makes a will that on his death his share of the house is transferred to you

IAmWales

DJBenson wrote: »

Exactly this - he is already spending the money in lieu by borrowing from friends, so he could end up penniless at the end of the process anyway.

He has a destructive personality and an addiction to addiction, he's been taking drugs since he was 14 and he's now mid-30's. He's not really my problem, as a grown man I don't think he should need to rely on anyone for anything and he really needs to stop blaming the world for his wrongs, but sooner or later he will end up needing assistance (or worse he'll just kill himself).

He clearly needs help now. Have you offered to go to the doctor with him, or looked at what other support services are available?

Guest101

lincroft1710 wrote: »

I am inferring that he doesn't seem the type to go in for rehab and unless he commits a crime which carries a custodial sentence or can somehow be compulsorily detained in a suitable hospital/clinic, his future is very bleak.

The alternative would be to let him live there, but make sure that he makes a will that on his death his share of the house is transferred to you

They own it jointly, it will automatically.