What's happened to this neighbour?

[GoingBackTo505]

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.

Could be anything. I would think if she had passed away that the house would be up for sale rather than rent.
I'd ask around a bit more in the shop, see if any other neighbours know, or like someone else suggested quiz the estate agent.

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

Ferretyone beat me to it regarding land registry search.

However...wrt the photos going up on Rightmove as the house is on the rental market. It can sometimes be a number of weeks between the photos being taken regarding marketing a house for rent (or even sale for that matter) and the house going on the internet.

Fully furnished is open to conjecture too ! It can just mean some 'white goods' in the kitchen to a whole house load of stuff - like hers. The point I'm trying to make is that a prospective tenant might not need all of it. That's when an agreement can be reached wrt what furniture will be removed from the property. Even if a charity shop is instructed to come an collect furniture etc.

She may have told you one thing/what she believed but the truth could be something else entirely.

Maybe she's got form for this type of behaviour...….?

Are you concerned regarding foul play ? (Or just cruising for gossip ?)

If you are genuinely concerned about foul play somehow, you could contact the police with your legitimate concerns.

They might just tell you that as a fully functioning adult she is allowed to live her own life. Or, they could make enquiries and be satisfied that all is in order and that her privacy must be respected.

Knock at the door,you know her.Shes been friendly towards you.Say you havent seen her for a while and does she need any help for anything.

Did she definitely own her house ? Could she have been lying about that and she really rented it ?

Ask your postie, bet they will know.

Maybe she died?
Maybe she moved away / lost her house due to financial issues and didn't tell anybody because of embarrassment?

How many people work in the shop.? I'd try asking someone else

She was found with her fingers in the till, been sacked and she’s so ashamed she’s moving......

I would ask again in the shop.
I work in one and someone asked me what happened to so and so. I was on the till and didn't want to say cause there were children around and I had a queue.

I hope it's nothing awful and you find out op.

However like a couple of pps I'm thinking she's probably been found to have sticky fingers from you being told she no longer works there

When you first posted I assumed she was elderly. I now see she’s considerably younger.

I’m going to say she’s jacked in her job and gone backpacking around the world.

Not totally a bonkers suggestion.

She's moved in with her boyfriend/girlfriend.

She's moved away to work elsewhere.

She's travelling the world.

And she's renting out the house because she doesn't want to sell it.

Why not use 192 or the Land registry to find out her full name. Then try Facebook to see if she is on there?

This is very stalkerish and creepy tbh. If you were that close you'd know. Leave her alone or report to police.

100% with you @mummybares
I was trawling through the thread looking for a voice of reason.

This is all so incredibly gossipy. Those who know her well enough will know what's happened. Her acquaintances don't need to know and if she wasn't a close family member then it's not your business. Please don't follow the ludicrous stalker-level advice on here. Asking about her in her place of work - fine; pretending to be interested in renting out her place - creepy.

I understand the concern for her welfare but that can be overridden by a desire to get the goss/hear the drama.

She's run off with the partner of another shop employee, hence the silent treatment when you asked about her.