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Original poster

Neighbour has spilled petrol and my whole house stinks

114 replies

Heysiriyouknob · 14/04/2021 06:38

Ok, so my powers of smell are obviously shit and I thought it was a gas leak (in my defence it's the living room that stinks and there is an old gas fire in there we don't use).

Called the "if you smell gas" emergency number they came out within half an hour. He immediately knew it wasn't gas but checked everything. He knocked next door and after much swearing (our next door neighbour is a fucking joy), was told that he had spilled some petrol on his patio.

This was at 11pm. The whole down stairs of my house stinks now.

Am I being stupid about worrying about fire risk from next door? I didn't go to sleep last night worrying there would be a fire next door.

I can't tell you how much my living room stinks. Front windows open all night (another reason for no sleep, we live in a crap area).

A night of no sleep so anxiety is off the scale this morning, always worse on no sleep so I'm not really thinking.

What do I do?

OP posts:
SeaToSki · 15/04/2021 19:47

So glad things are looking up. When you start washing and drying your clothes, take them to a launderette. If the smell gets into the dryer, it will shoot it all round the house. You may need to wash and dry a couple of times to get it all out

Justilou1 · 15/04/2021 23:58

I imagine the LL has a pretty good case to sue the Neighbour for lost revenue & repairs after this one. (Or get their respective insurance companies to duke it out - but who TAF in their right mind has petrol in their house? It serves no purpose for renovation work. I doubt N’s insurance would be happy with him.)

DobbyTheHouseElk · 16/04/2021 06:38

I wonder if this will be a back to bare bones job. New plaster and floorboards. Certainly if it’s sealed into the walls in NDN side it will need something.

OP in the beginning you were told it was a spill outside on the patio so no reason you’d leave that night. I imagine it took a few hours to soak into his walls and subsequently into yours. I think you’ve acted as swiftly as possible.

beginningoftheend · 16/04/2021 06:44

Wow, what a liability that neighbour is! Glad your LL has somewhere else you can stay.

This has been horrible but you've been fortunate the LL is able and willing to help. Good luck with your purchase!

Blueuggboots · 16/04/2021 06:59

Surely the environment agency SHOULD be interested?? If there's that much petrol been split, it could easily get into the water course? It's very harmful.
Glad your LL has been so helpful.

CovidCorvid · 16/04/2021 07:04

I think the fire brigade need to be going back round, you’re not even supposed to store petrol in your house. What if you had believed his patio story and lit a fire in your fire? The house could have gone up like a furnace!

Original poster
Heysiriyouknob · 16/04/2021 10:26

Right. So quick up date from speaking to LL early this morning is that We aren't going back.

Our landlord said it's going to take time to sort out, NDN being difficult, our side of the wall and floorboards been affected, fire surround etc is going to have to come out. It really wouldn't be great to have to live there with the children, half the house and all the main living area would be out of use as it's mostly open plan.

I don't think anyone could give a timeline at the moment as it will depend on Ndn doing something to his side of the wall too.

I have no idea what he's doing re reporting it to anyone, we were just concentrating on getting our remaining small possessions and the toys into the car - all the millions of toys!

He's getting a new tenancy agreement written up for us for this flat, some legal documents about reduced rent on this flat to cover our trouble and the rent he's going to refund us, so it's all above board.

We were honest with him and said we are in the process of buying a house anyway and that we would rather just stay in his flat if we could rather than finding somewhere else and moving twice. So we are happy to stay here, and hopefully our house buying situation won't last much longer. Everything seems to be going smoothly at the moment.

He asked us to write a statement of time line, get the details from the gas company of who came round etc.

I think he's going to have a really hard time getting it all sorted but was grateful that we are not pressuring him to get back in.

FIL being such an arse about it though. Saying we should take legal action against the landlord or sue him as we can't return to our home. FIL and Dh have had a bit of a falling out last night (well quite a lot of one), as it's not LL fault this happened. He's been really bloody helpful actually and done more financially and practically for us than he was probably required to and I can't imagine the headache he's going to have with insurance.

OP posts:
Justilou1 · 16/04/2021 10:43

Wow! Your LL has been absolutely stellar - better than any other I have ever heard of, and your FIL is being an absolute weirdo! WTF does hé think he can achieve? Maybe sue NDN... but tbh, I think LL has better chance.

Original poster
Heysiriyouknob · 16/04/2021 11:29

Just feeling a bit up in the air and out of sorts at the moment though. It's really not a great feeling to be happily living somewhere one day and be out somewhere totally new the next. Add in all the stresses of buying a house too and it's a bit much.

Don't get me wrong it could have been a lot worse if we had a crap landlord and nowhere else to go but it's still not a nice feeling to have.

OP posts:
Justilou1 · 16/04/2021 11:38

Of course! Some choice would be fab... also, a hell of a lot of stress in a short period of time!

DobbyTheHouseElk · 16/04/2021 16:26

What is FIL on about? Bonkers.

Your LL is being fantastic and it’s going to be costing him. I’m sure he’s happy you’ve been upfront about buying your home. Makes it easier for him in a way as he’s not under pressure.

Good Luck, hope NDN is well insured.

CervixHaver · 16/04/2021 18:41

@Heysiriyouknob

Just feeling a bit up in the air and out of sorts at the moment though. It's really not a great feeling to be happily living somewhere one day and be out somewhere totally new the next. Add in all the stresses of buying a house too and it's a bit much.

Don't get me wrong it could have been a lot worse if we had a crap landlord and nowhere else to go but it's still not a nice feeling to have.

Glad your safe and have a semi permanent roof over your heads.

Your FIL doesn't have your LL's contact details does he?? He sounds interfering and I'd be concerned he'd be tempted to contact LL and lay it on thick.... Hopefully I'm way off Gin

Original poster
Heysiriyouknob · 16/04/2021 18:52

FIL is an absolute dick. He's very controlling. And yes, he said he was going to go to the house today to see if LL was there. That's what Dh and him argued about.

So much stress today. In laws have given us a befitting deposit towards the house we are buying. FIL is now using this as leverage not to give it it us (it's still in their account until we complete, you don't think if it was my dad I would trust him implicitly to do that, so does Dh with his parents).

Dh and I have argued horribly just now because I knew there would be a problem in the end.

You know when you just want a day to be over?

OP posts:
Original poster
Heysiriyouknob · 16/04/2021 18:57

He did go to the house. No one was there. He's taking it as the LL is taking the piss.

A) why would he just sit there all day? He's got loads to sort out.

B) how on earth is he taking the piss? He's refunded us a whole MONTHS rent as good will. The flat were in now is 200 a month more than the house - it's in a city centre. He will only charge us what we were paying before while we are here.

He is paying for all our stuff to be dry cleaned, his builders moved all out stuff into storage. I can't see what more he could have done.

OP posts:
Original poster
Heysiriyouknob · 16/04/2021 18:59

Beffiting was a typo I think I meant generous.

I've had some wine, not going to lie.

OP posts:
BlankTimes · 16/04/2021 19:21

Sounds as though FIL will contact LL direct and interfere.

I'd suggest that to keep your fabulous LL onside, you and your DH contact your LL yourselves urgently and explain you are very happy with how he's treating you and to absolutely ignore FIL as FIL is not representing you or your views.

Bargebill19 · 16/04/2021 19:24

You do not have to answer this, but has your fil been sniffing petrol fumes????

beginningoftheend · 16/04/2021 19:46

oh no, your FIL sounds dreadful. Where is your MIL in all this?

I would tell your DH you don't want to have to deal with your FIL and try to tell the LL that if by any chance your FIL comes round to please ignore and you are very grateful.

I'm not surprised you are exhausted by it all. It is an awful lot to take in.

RandomMess · 16/04/2021 20:05

Please warn the LL and give him FIL phone numbers so he can block them!!

Thanks
Original poster
Heysiriyouknob · 16/04/2021 20:09

Dh has told the landlord to ignore his dad if he sees him. He didn't want us to say anything as he said it all sounded so bonkers that's part of what we argued about earlier.

FIL has form. He wanted to go knocking on the door of the house we are buying to see if they had found somewhere to move to yet when they were taking a while. Thank God he didn't, can you imagine?

MIL is just as bad. She thinks he's taking the piss by putting us in a flat that is too small miles away from Dd school and that he should have paid for a hotel.

This flat is far preferable to a hotel - I'd hate not to have a kitchen or a washing machine for a start. With three kids that would be a nightmare, all in a hotel room for however knows how long not being able to cook.

We can survive in a two bed flat for a couple of months for Christ's sake. Teen ds has a room, the baby co sleeps anyway and dd thinks sleeping on a pull out bed in our room is fabulous fun. Plus we were a mile and a bit from dds school anyway so we drive her, it's no big deal.

I'm having no part in the inlaws situation. They are Dh parents to deal with. I've now got the added stress of if they decide not to give us the deposit money, we have to pull out of the house.

OP posts:
Original poster
Heysiriyouknob · 16/04/2021 20:11

I'm sure it won't come to that though. They are quite odd people sometimes. They can be overly generous but it often comes with a catch.

I'm off to bed with the little ones. It's been a long old day.

OP posts:
RandomMess · 16/04/2021 20:12

I would be telling the in laws the funds need to be in DH account to evidence you can exchange.

Hugs it's turned into a nightmare Thanks

Original poster
Heysiriyouknob · 16/04/2021 20:19

Only a nightmare because of in-laws, sadly. We have a secure place to stay it could have been a lot worse.

They'll just have to get over it. We in a very fortunate position considering.

It's just been a lot to deal with over the past few days.

OP posts:
CervixHaver · 16/04/2021 20:49

@Heysiriyouknob Do NOT accept the deposit from in laws!!!! They will believe that THEY own the house. Will walk straight in, tell you how to decorate, how to have the garden, wi be sat there on sofa when you arrive home, will decide utility companies etc etc - Hopefully I'm wrong but this all sounds extremely likely from how you describe them and how I've read on MN that in laws like them usually behave when providing/loaning deposit.
One thing is for certain though, they'll ALWAYS use it as leverage against you both

mumwon · 16/04/2021 20:52

op presumably IL have signed form to say they are giving you deposit (isnt that required? I am sure that I read that somewhere -probably on another thread on here!) breach of contract (reaching!)?