Would this be considered harrassment?

[idontbelieveinkarma]

Long story but will try to keep it short.

My sister left her husband a few months ago after a long and difficult relationship. Had been together 15 years and married for 3. No children. She had met someone else who acted as a catalyst for her to leave. Her ex-H knew there had been someone else involved but my sister found it easier to tell him that it was over with the new man and that she just wanted to be on her own. Her ex is Bi-polar and it was easier to keep the continuing relationship from him.

After leaving her husband she left the home they shared (co-owned) and moved into rented acommodation (on her own) temporarily with the intention of seeking a divorce and selling the house, splitting the equity equally.

Part way through her tenancy my sister and the landlady agreed that she could move out and get her bond back as the facilities at the accommodation were not what were promised. My sister signed a new tenancy agreement at a new house and then her old landlady refused to give the bond back. it had not been placed in the government bond schem because the woman was advertising her accommodation as B&B. (it's very complicated and there's loads of detail I could add but trying to keep it basic)

Anyway - my sister decided to try to get her bond back through the small claims court and has been waiting to hear if her claim is successful.

Today my sister discovered that her ex-landlady has retaliated by sending a letter to my sister's soon to be Ex husband's solicitor, revealing that my sister is still in a relationship with the new man!!!!! I am gobsmacked.

The landlady doesn't know my sister's ex personally and we don't know how she would have known the name of his solicitor.

Though this will probably not make a difference to their divorce settlement (My sister was always going to give him half despite being the sole breadwinner and having paid the mortgage herself since they bought the house) it has sent her ex into a fit of jealous rage and he has made threats (verbally) towards the new man. Up to now they have been able to communicate quite amicably.

My sister's first thought was to retaliate by reporting her (landlady) to health and safety and housing people because she had previously discovered that the landlady was renting out accommodation unsuitable for the purpose she was advertising and is contravening various health and safety laws etc. However I have suggested that tit for tat is not the best way to go about it and her best option would be to contact the police as in my opinion this woman is now harrassing her by revealing this information to the solicitor.

If she goes to the police will they take this seriously? I have managed to put her off the idea of contacting the H&S and housing people as she agrees it could just continue to escalate if she were to, but she really does want to make it clear to this woman that she has behaved badly.

What can/will the police do?

[Tortington]

im not a legal bod. but looking at what you have written it looks as though the landlady has acted spitefully. However she has said something which is true - so not libel and i wouldn't say harassment.

i would say that the ex behaviour could be considered so by her new man and he could get legal action regarding this.

[idontbelieveinkarma]

OK - thank you.

We are just amazed that she would do this and seems she has done it not out of a sense of public duty but to get back at my sister.

Would there be no point at all in going to the police then?

[Tortington]

id feel daft going to the police - rather than any crime - its like telling 'mum' that someone called me names...it seems childlike.

[Tortington]

but the 'names' being called - are true - so no redress - even though its non of the landladies business.

if she wants redress - i would contact health and safety etc - the LL clearly has much more to lose potentially and would fine ( if it were me) that she has pissed off the wrong person,.

[idontbelieveinkarma]

Thing is, if she does contact the housing people this woman is likely to lose all her tenants and therefore most of her income. I am worried that this could lead to more retaliation and even worse problems for my sister.

I guess the best thing she can do is ignore it, plow on with the divorce and just move forward.