Can I stop my wife moving back in?

John_In_Lincs

Hello all.

My wife and her new husband-to-be want to move in with me. I hope there is something I can do to stop this happening.

Legally, we are still married, but the divorce procedure should be reaching its conclusion any day now. I hope.

She moved out of our property earlier this year and moved in with a former boyfriend.

This is a housing association property. Her name is still on the rent card and they have stated that they are unwilling to remove her name since we owe £1300 worth of rent. We are unable to just pay this off.

I live in Lincolnshire. She currently lives with her boyfriend and his mother in Cornwall. She has recently been offered a housing association property there, but this has suddenly been declined on the grounds of our debt to this housing association. His mother wants her out.

As her name is still on the rent card here, she says she is legally entitled to move back here and there's nothing I can do about it. I can't check with my local housing association as they are closed until the new year.

Do I have any rights or legal way of stopping them moving in here, other than just saying NO !!! ?

This is the sort of ridiculous thing you only expect to see happening in TV soaps.

Thank you if anybody can throw any light on this.

John.

Comms69

You cant stop her, you might be able to stop him.


She is entitled to have visitors, just like you are.

spirit

shelter are great at this sort of thing, you should be able to get someone to advise on their webchat.


https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/council_housing_association/can_you_inherit_a_housing_association_tenancy

four_candles

I think as Comms69 said, HE has no right to live there, and the HA could get funny about having another tenant in the flat. He's unlikely to want to commute regularly between Cornwall and Lincolnshire, I would have thought, so maybe if lover-boy can't move in she won't want to either?

Ames

Legally yes she can move in. I doubt she wants to anymore than you do but it sounds like there isn't anywhere else she can go.

I'd be trying to work with her to find a way of clearing the arrears asap.

four_candles

Ames wrote: »

Legally yes she can move in. I doubt she wants to anymore than you do but it sounds like there isn't anywhere else she can go.

I'd be trying to work with her to find a way of clearing the arrears asap.

She (and/or the new bloke) could do what other people have to do: get a job and find somewhere to rent in the private sector.

What self-respecting man would want to move in with his fiancee's soon to be ex husband?

John_In_Lincs

Interesting. THANK YOU all for your prompt replies.

I suppose I should have realised that he had no rights here. To be honest, this has caught me by surprise today and it's got me quite worried.

I will pursue the "She can come here but HE CANNOT!" line.

Thanks also for the Shelter info. Will digest that now.

Regards.

John.

John_In_Lincs

Clearing off the arrears will happen soon, but slowly.

four_candles

John_In_Lincs wrote: »

I will pursue the "She can come here but HE CANNOT!" line.

If she tries to play the 'but he'd only be visiting' card, do you have it anywhere in writing (texts, screen-prints etc) that she intends to move him in with her?

Comms69

Like I said, you MIGHT be able to stop him.


Ultimately she can have visitors and so can YOU. Use that information as you see fit.

Ames

four_candles wrote: »

She (and/or the new bloke) could do what other people have to do: get a job and find somewhere to rent in the private sector.

What self-respecting man would want to move in with his fiancee's soon to be ex husband?

Would a private landlord let to someone with significant rent arrears and liability for rent on another property? Even if she hides those facts, she's not going to have a reference which will put off prospective landlords.