Money Moral Dilemma: Should we return the furniture we thought we'd been given for free?

ripongrammargirl

What cheek! I can’t believe somebody would give you furniture and then demand payment for it despite donating to the son’s charity race. Maybe he thought you were really rich as you gave a very large sum of money to the son, so he now thinks he is entitled to more money!

Either tell him to collect it and return the £100 or just ignore his insane greedy demands. 

Some people really do have the nerve to take up space and use up oxygen. We just don’t need greedy individuals like this. Unbelievable l!!

Rd1994

Stick with it. Don’t increase your donation unless you really want to. It was a gift, they should have been clear if they expected money or a certain amount, 

orangerose1

Have nothing to do with this horrid person . Take the now tainted furniture back and sit on the floor if necessary . Forget the donation , you were good to give that . Buy second hand furniture from charity shops or get off Freecycle from nice people 

LP53

What kind of people are they! They gifted you the furniture to help you set up your new home.
They didn’t say at the time that you needed to donate the full value of it to their son’s charity.
Really 100 pound is a good donation.
i would say I’m sorry I was under the impression it was a gift to help us out and that your donated to charity was a just a donation totally separate from the gifted furniture.
also say they are welcome to collect it if wires have been crossed and they want to sell it to donate more to the charity but say you need the 100 back towards new furniture. 

Groom

If the neighbour wanted to sell it to you, he should have made that very clear when you wre offered it.  You were under no obligation to donate to the son's charity but did so out of gratitude. Don't do anything, if you return it you will be left with no furniture and also be £100 out of pocket. 

Shell1989

I’d point out that your £100 donation was voluntary and simply a good will gesture, “paying forward” his own good will gesture to you, and hope that he understands, but if there’s an issue tell him you’d be happy to return to the furniture for your £100 back.

pammieb

What a petty, mean quibbling neighbour. No further comment needed!

I'm glad I don't live next door to someone like them. 

Superfi

It sounds like the original understanding of the offer was that it was an offer, so your generous donation as a gesture is purely that; a generous gesture. Don't feel over-sensitive about it.

The donors do not directly benefit from your donation as you gave the money to a charitable cause, so that was a very thoughtful gesture. If the money had been given directly to them then they may have had more of a leg to stand on with their statement but in the current situation they benefit no more or less by what you gave.

Perhaps this has been propagated by something between your mum and them, rather than being directly related to the furniture? Either way, maybe best to be light about the comment and treat it as just that - a comment. Ignore any conversational leans into the subject, and just simply let them know you were grateful for their help.

It was their decision they made at the time so they have to deal with that, not you. When you do come to move the furniture on, just make sure you give it away. 

Allandsundry247

I agree with the previous comments that say you should keep the furniture and move on. He gave you the furniture and once you have received it, it belongs to you. Whether you choose to make a donation, or not, is irrelevant, the items are now yours. It leaves an unpleasant feeling but it will pass in time.

Androids

Absolutely not! They gave you the furniture. You made a generous donation to a charity. The two were only connected by an act of reciprocal, passed on, kindness.

I’d be tempted to tell them they are being cheeky and if you’d known there were strings to their ‘gift’ then you would t have accepted it. 

Cheeky buggers!