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Original poster

What's happened to this neighbour?

42 replies

GoingBackTo505 · 26/09/2019 12:12

What would you do, if anything?

My mum has a neighbour who has always been friendly and chatty. She also worked in a shop in town and if me or mum saw her in there she'd always have a chat, make a fuss of my baby and was always really nice.

Mum had obviously seen and spoken to her more than I had as she lived/lives a few doors down from her. They're both avid gardeners and she'd asked if she could have a look at mums garden, and then next time I'd seen her in the shop she worked in she'd been so lovely about my mum and her garden.

Anyway I'm just trying to set the scene that whilst we knew her to chat to, we never knew her in depth, other than she lived alone, she'd told mum how pleased she was to have been able to buy her own house and how much she loved living there.

Mum mentioned a few weeks ago that she hasn't seen her all summer and asked me if I'd seen her in the shop. I realised I hadn't for quite a while. I suggested knocking on her door just to see if she was ok.

This week I was in the shop and asked the lady I was paying if mums neighbour was at work today (let's call her Jane). She looked really awkward and just said "Jane doesn't work here anymore" and said nothing else for the whole transaction.

We've now noticed her house is up for rent on Rightmove ready immediately and fully furnished with all her things in the pictures.

Does anyone have any thoughts on what could've happened to her? It's made us really sad as she always looked quite lonely, she never seemed to have many visitors and she was just such a kind lady. We'd hate to think something bad might have happened to her and we hadn't realised.

I doubt we'll ever find out. But we'd like to somehow let her know she's missed.

OP posts:
StrongTea · 26/09/2019 12:15

Bunch of flowers with a note?

eurochick · 26/09/2019 12:16

Prison?

MissDew · 26/09/2019 12:18

You are going to have many wild theories and some realistic ones.

However, she may have got behind with her rent and been evicted ?

Did she leave her job under a cloud ? Basically, did she get sacked ?

Maybe she left town to start a new relationship.

Original poster
GoingBackTo505 · 26/09/2019 12:24

She definitely owned her house, as she'd told mum how pleased she was that she'd been able to buy her own house, but that she didn't do much as most of her money went on the house as it was only her there.
I know we didn't know her well but I'd be absolutely gobsmacked if she'd gone to prison! You never know what goes on behind closed doors but I'd put money on it that she wasn't in prison.

I wonder if she'd lost her job for some reason and had to move in with family, hence the house being rented out now for some income?

OP posts:
Bobbiepin · 26/09/2019 12:28

Have you googled her name?

AvocadosBeforeMortgages · 26/09/2019 12:31

My bet is she's died unexpectedly, or had an accident that's left her needing residential care.

How old is she?

Original poster
GoingBackTo505 · 26/09/2019 12:35

That was what we said, more in an oh god, hope it isn't something awful like that way.
She was mid to late 30's I'd say, 40 at the most.

OP posts:
Original poster
GoingBackTo505 · 26/09/2019 12:36

Haven't googled her as we didn't even know her last name.

OP posts:
StrongTea · 26/09/2019 12:46

Really quite young then, hope you find out and that she is okay.

Ali1cedowntherabbithole · 26/09/2019 12:52

I hope it’s a happy ending.

I reckon Neighbour has shagged the boss and moved in with him, pissing off the rest of the staff.

EmilyStar · 26/09/2019 12:53

There’s any number of things that could have happened, not all of them bad.

Really the only plausible way to try and find out would be to invent a reason to knock on her door and ask.

ajandjjmum · 26/09/2019 12:56

Ask in the shop - say you were bemused by the response when you asked after her, and does she still work there?

Soola · 26/09/2019 13:00

Dead.

The assistant didn’t want to break the bad news so opted to say she doesn’t work there anymore.

cattaxi · 26/09/2019 13:09

I’m sure they would’ve told you if she was dead. The shop person’s reaction sounds like maybe she left under a cloud, was sacked, or maybe she’s ill and doesn’t want people to know.
For whatever reason, there is a strong possibility that not working may be linked to having to rent out her house.
Maybe put a card through the door asking if she’s ok and letting her know you are thinking of her.

prawnonthebarbie · 26/09/2019 13:28

Could you not just knock?

ThisIsM · 26/09/2019 13:31

Very strange. Can you call the letting agent and ask why the house has become available? That's often asked when houses are for sale so presume you can ask!

MyOtherProfile · 26/09/2019 13:36

I would ask again at the shop. Or the neighbour on the other side.

ParkheadParadise · 26/09/2019 13:43

This reminds me of someone who worked in the care home my mum was in.
She was lovely, always went out her way to help you.
My sister commented that she hadn't seen her about, all the staff said that she didn't work there anymore.
2weeks later we received a letter to say that she had stole ALL the residents money from their personal bank accounts.

MissDew · 26/09/2019 13:55

2weeks later we received a letter to say that she had stole ALL the residents money from their personal bank accounts.

Yup. I'm not casting aspersions on a stranger but you just never know what she might have done/been accused of.

It could be a relative that's been instructed that the house be put up for rent if she is not able to make her own decisions i.e. reduced capacity, dead etc

Google her name and home address. Pay a subscription to 192 to reveal who lives at the property. Then if you get her full name, Google that.

Keep checking the death notices in the local paper, just in case.

Once you get a full name, phone the local hospitals to see if she's been admitted so that you can visit her if you want to.

DobbyTheHouseElk · 26/09/2019 13:59

Ask again at the shop.,

Windydaysuponus · 26/09/2019 14:04

She has obviously ran off with the shop assistant's dh....

Spotsandstars · 26/09/2019 14:21

If she had died the shop assistant would've said that, not she doesn't work here anymore.

Ferretyone · 26/09/2019 14:23

If you are really going to do this then the first port of call is to get a copy of the property "deed" from the Land Registry. It's a public doocument and you can do it on line £12 I think. That will give you either her name or the name of landlord. Then go from there.

Ferretyone · 26/09/2019 14:25

If you are really going to do this then the first port of call is to get a copy of the property "deed" from the Land Registry. It's a public document and you can do it on line £12 I think. It will have details of mortgages too. That will give you either her name or the name of landlord. Then go from there. One problem is that [if she had died/married for example] those documents - though public - are slow to appear

@GoingBackTo505

olderthanilookapparently · 26/09/2019 14:29

Make an appointment to look around the house and ask why its up for rent / who the landlord is? (I appreciate this is a bit sneaky)

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