Big Badger House (aka Noisy Lodger) HE'S GONE!

Jowo_2

Badger_Lady wrote: »

Those who asked what she's been living off, well she told me in August that her bank had given her a £2,500 overdraft which is now maxed out (and having charges applied), so that explains that... how she managed to do so in such a short space of time without paying rent baffles me though! That's an awful lot of money to spend on eggs...

She's been burning through £300 per week?! And not a penny spent on accommodation and household bills? And with other people buying her travel tickets and goods off ebay?! £300 per week without any discernible outgoings?

This works out at about £45 per day or an average weekly sum on job seeker related benefits! This is someone, who if they are eligible for ESA or DLA, is likely to have an income very, very much lower than that.

Jeez.

Badger_Lady

Jowo wrote: »

Was she employed when she moved in and did you take up employer and ex-landlord references, run a credit and electoral register check and so on?

She was on disability, with operations scheduled to get her back into work (which she seemed very keen to get on with). So I knew it would be housing benefit, and that it would be going via her... I couldn't see any problem with this (having had so many lodgers before who've always paid up, even if after nagging). She's only 21 with basically no credit history.

Her previous landlady was a relative of her boyfriend's, and they had fallen out a bit. Both Quackers and her boyfriend convinced me that the falling out was entirely down to the landlady, who was an unreasonable woman offering unliveable conditions (cleanliness, maintenance etc...).

In actual fact, when she moved in we thought it highly likely to be a short-term thing - perhaps only a month. This was because she'd been interviewing for live-in jobs and planned to start one as soon as her operations were finished. So I didn't worry hugely - I've had so many short-term lodgers before, I don't ever have a problem re-letting the room and it's a smaller committment for me.

Her boyfriend is working his bum off now to prepare for their child... some disaster would have to happen for her not to move out with him in a few months. Frankly, if she stayed, she'd be liable for a much higher rent - two people, two lodgers...

Jowo_2

How about contacting the previous landlady to verify if the decision was caused through any failure on her part to pay, get her side of the story?

A 21 year old has about 3 years credit history should a person want to check if they've any CCJs, defaults and the like...

Was she actually receving DLA and is she definately re-applying for it as opposed to ESA? ESA is replacing incapacity benefit and now the majority of people who have medicals pass them and either get support through ESA to get back into work or moved onto JSA. ESA rates are somewhere in the region of £60-90 per week. Getting DLA would probably mean a higher rate and more points on the social housing register, being treated as a priority.

As she's currently spending two or three times the rate she'll ever receive in income on benefits, I think her budgeting shows that you should cut your losses and serve her notice. Even when she had access to thousands of pounds in credit, she did not prioritise her rent and is making you take the hit on the outcome of LHA/DLA disputes (if they are real).

And if she is collecting LHA and her boyfriend is supporting her financially, she's got the type of income someone who is a crack addict would envy.

Jowo_2

Badger_Lady wrote: »

Her boyfriend is working his bum off now to prepare for their child... some disaster would have to happen for her not to move out with him in a few months. Frankly, if she stayed, she'd be liable for a much higher rent - two people, two lodgers...

Are you sure he's working his bum off? Couples living apart is a pretty standard feature of people maximising income from benefits. What's the hold up with them living together now?

Wouldn't you prefer to strengthen their relationship now by serving her notice? This act will ensure he is actually taking direct responsibility and care for his disabled pregnant partner by...erm, living in the same property?

roses

Is she really pregnant or is that another lie? I think you should tell her now that you want her out by next week end. No more excuses.

Horace

I think that she should be given her marching orders.

Mind you she sounds like the devious mare that has moved into the flat below me - she smokes dope (I can smell it as it wafts into my flat via the airing cupboard) and has a cat that sprays everywhere - its an un-neuteured tom cat and their urine is particularly pungent plus she plays extremely loud music during the day so much so that the neighbours above me thought it was me:mad: She turned around and told the landlord that she wasnt the noisy one - funny how since she was spoken to that she has stopped playing loud music although the dope smoking hasnt ceased, she denied all knowledge of having a cat:rolleyes: On 9 September our landlord put a notice up in the communal hallway reminding us about a clause in the tenancy agreement saying no pets and that anyone who had pets should dispose of them humanely. Well, she still has the cat as I saw it sitting on the window sill today so I got my phone out and snapped it (since she has moved in I have had to buy loads of airfreshners to get rid of eau d'tomcat and eau d'dope:mad:

poppysarah

Eau de dope should be reported to the cops. And the cat needs sorting out... it stays forvever that smell.

stationaryace

wow i hadn't realised this epic had actually continued, i thought it was just the victim of random bumping. having read the last 15+ pages weren't you considering chucking out Quackers after 3 weeks of overdue rent...

duchy

OK if I got told by housing benefit that payments were going to start on X date and they didn't......I'd be ringing them to ask why. If they said there was a payment made on X date and it wasn't there-would I blithely ignore it......or not?
Why would I tell my landlady the claim had been suspended when the council had told me otherwise ? And even if I thought it was suspended why wouldn't I be chasing up the council to find out when it would re-start ?

Sorry BL but none of this adds up-she may be sweet and charming but she isn't truthful.

Badger_Lady

Uh-oh, someone's been home... Via text message:

Why on earth do I have a letter from housing benefit saying I owe you £900? Even though they said they were paying it befre, now it has been stopped. I'd like to know where you got the figure £900.

Reply:

Hia, are you around tonight? I was hoping we could go through it together - I think you've paid 2 months' rent since moving in..? That doesn't include cleaning.