Seriously SCARY situation

Katgrit

Slightly off topic, it's a shame there's not a service where you can take in locks/lock barrels + sets of keys and anonymously swap them for alternatives.

There must be a lot of money spent changing locks where you don't necessarily need new ones, just different ones.

I know of an (unofficial) locksmith who used to do this. Lovely chap I knew from Church where I used to live, and I gather before he'd straightened out his ways he'd been a bit of a bad lad and was good at picking locks. As he knew his stuff really well he volunteered his services to friends and family who couldn't afford extorsionate locksmith charges. He came round to change one of my locks in an emergency and fitted me a second hand barrel, taking my old barrel with him. "Great, this will do for someone else I know who needs a new lock too". Into his box of locks it went. Meant he always had a good supply of locks and so could help people very cheaply. If everyone from church had coordinated we could have probably opened va large number of each others doors!!

haras_nosirrah

Muttleythefrog wrote: »

It's one of those rare cases where you hope Jeremy Beadle turns up with a grin on his face

hope not - he's been dead 10 years. Zombie Jeremy Beadle would indeed be a seriously scary situation

michelle09

The thing that I find curious isn't the solicitor ID check. One of the (many) things our vendors left in boxes were their drivers licences and recent bills/statements and I suspect that the right (or wrong) person could have used them to forge their details quite easily. But every time we attempted to exchange the solicitors phoned both my OH and I up and we had to verbally confirm we were ready. How did the ex get around that one?

For another change the lock story. After we completed we strolled up to our new house to find most of the things still there. Less than an hour later the previous owner turned up as they hadn't moved out yet because they had been told by the EA we weren't moving in until the following week....

He also came back the following day and started threatening us because he'd not been paid yet. Once we'd got a copy of proof of sale from our solicitors he gave up on us and went to the EA. Apparently he was there all day and very angry. From the fist marks in some of our walls/doors I think anger was a definite issue for him and I'm glad we changed the locks pronto, and the doors three weeks later.

G_M

Gorecki wrote: »

Slightly off topic, it's a shame there's not a service where you can take in locks/lock barrels + sets of keys and anonymously swap them for alternatives.

There must be a lot of money spent changing locks where you don't necessarily need new ones, just different ones.

???

There is. There are locksmiths in most towns s well as large DIY sheds.

* unscrew old lock from door
* take to locksmith
* buy replacement lock or ask locksmith to replace the barrel
* go home and re-instate!

Keep the old one yourself to put on new door in the next property you move to.

davidmcn

michelle09 wrote: »

every time we attempted to exchange the solicitors phoned both my OH and I up and we had to verbally confirm we were ready. How did the ex get around that one?

Because that's not universal practice, and even if it were, how does solicitor know the identity of the voice on the end of the phone?!

PasturesNew

G_M wrote: »

* unscrew old lock from door
* take to locksmith
* buy replacement lock or ask locksmith to replace the barrel
* go home and re-instate!

Meanwhile, your house is sitting there ...empty without a lock at all on the door!

I want to know what was in the boxes!

On the basis we all have stuff we'd not like to lose, be it our hanky from when we were 6 or an 18th birthday card, or jeans we swear will fit us again one day .... a box of stuff we lug around "because".

So, was the box of stuff old jeans? Or his treasures?

BlessedNotStressed

The boxes had an extensive vinyl record collection; some war memorabilia (this guy is too young to have fought in any world wars); and some 1980s style hideous clothing

stator

Oh dear, did you check with the vendor before disposing of them?

pandy19691

Sounds like some important memories in the boxes then, perhaps that's partly why he's so angry.

Mojisola

BlessedNotStressed wrote: »

The boxes had an extensive vinyl record collection; some war memorabilia (this guy is too young to have fought in any world wars); and some 1980s style hideous clothing

So am I but I'd be really upset if someone had thrown out my father's diaries, letters and medals.