Being forced out of family home?

[chexxx]

My friend has been getting divorced for a while but it’s dragging on.

House in both names, 3 kids, 1 is an adult now though. Both living in the house.

My friend has a boyfriend for about 6 months or so but he’s never been to the martial home- he has his own house and my friend will visit him there.

Her husband has a girlfriend too. Recently the girlfriend has been at the marital home every day. My friend thinks she’s moved in but hasn’t been told officially. So my friend, her husband and his new girlfriend plus the 3 children are living in the house. My friend thinks this isn’t healthy for the kids but husband won’t listen, it’s become very hostile.

Now the husband and new girlfriend have started moving my friends personal belongings out of the martial home and into a shed in the garden which isn’t watertight. She comes home from work and puts things back but they keep doing it.

I feel like this is abusive and she is being forced out. She was told to stay until the finances and divorce are settled.

She doesn’t have any family to move to nearby, and she wouldn’t move in with her boyfriend this soon especially with children.

How can I help her?

What the actual fuck??

OP, I think that you are going to have to march your sister to a shit hot lawyer.

Is there anywhere the kids could stay till this is resolved? I can only imagine how this is affecting them. But they’ll know, in the long run, which parent behaved badly and they’ll support their mother. The husband is risking his relationship with his children.

My heart goes out to your friend, OP. You’re being a great friend in doing all you can to help her.

This is really unhelpful. OP needs practical guidance and steps to advise her friend not an assessment of her psyche.

Friend may well have a need for future therapy/counselling but that isnt helpful right now, a) it takes months perhaps years to work through stuff, b) she doesnt have the money

Action needs to be taken now, not in years to come.

No she won't. At best she'll be an excluded occupier.

According to this law firm, it’s true …www.bishopslaw.co.uk/litigation-and-disputes/joint-property-ownership-disputes/

Cut off the WiFi during the day. Get your friend to take the box to work. Put something in his room under her side of the bed that will start to stink in a few days - a few frozen fish fingers or something. Make it unpleasant for her to be there. If she is leaving stuff at the house your friend should chuck it out - shampoo, toothbrush, etc. Why doesn’t he want to move in with this woman?

Tell her to see a solicitor and apply for an occupation order. The house is in joint name so he can’t just do as he likes. Her children are involved in this and it’s a safeguarding issue - she has no idea whether this woman is a risk to them.

This link talks about all parties being joint owners. The girlfriend isn’t.

Did you read it? It's quite clear that she won't be allowed to remain permanently and that only reasonable notice is required for her to vacate. I.e. an excluded occupier. Reasonable notice in the circumstances as given could be as little as immediately.

Toothbrush in the cat litter, a few small prawns in the hem of her coat , under the nightstand. Does anyone know if you can still buy itching powder?

Yes, the joint owners are OP’s friend and her ex. It talks about what to do if a joint owner tries to move someone in without the consent of the other joint owner. Seriously. 🤦‍♀️

Can a person move into my jointly owned home without my permission?
A co-owner who wants their partner to move in, or an ex-spouse still living in the jointly owned family home who wishes to start cohabitating with a new partner can cause deep distress to other owners. And that can quickly turn into a genuine dispute.
Every owner has a right to have guests in their home. However, if the circumstances are to be permanent or at least semi-permanent, it can lead to what is known legally as “an implied licence to occupy” being granted to the third-party. If you want a quick path to an expensive and stressful situation, here is a perfect example.
Don’t let the situation fester. That can risk an “implied licence” and the potential difficulty of removing the person from your home. Instead take prompt legal advice. Talk to us about how you can remedy the situation. Our Solicitors will take the worry off your shoulders and provide clear, practical advice.

Can a person move into my jointly owned home without my permission?
A co-owner who wants their partner to move in, or an ex-spouse still living in the jointly owned family home who wishes to start cohabitating with a new partner can cause deep distress to other owners. And that can quickly turn into a genuine dispute.
Every owner has a right to have guests in their home. However, if the circumstances are to be permanent or at least semi-permanent, it can lead to what is known legally as “an implied licence to occupy” being granted to the third-party. If you want a quick path to an expensive and stressful situation, here is a perfect example.
Don’t let the situation fester. That can risk an “implied licence” and the potential difficulty of removing the person from your home. Instead take prompt legal advice. Talk to us about how you can remedy the situation. Our Solicitors will take the worry off your shoulders and provide clear, practical advice.

I think this is one of the most bizarre set ups I’ve read! What woman would move into her BFs house with the ex wife still living there?? It’s just odd. Your friend needs to find her voice and start standing up for her and the kids.

They are not ex partners though - they’re still married. And OP is still living there.

Do you know if the husband and other women claim any benefits?
. If both their living arrangements have now changed would they have reported these new circumstances?
That might make them change their current living arrangements.

I am frightened for the kids just reading it. Nobody is thinking of the kids. The father is certainly not what with moving in a strange woman and the mother actually is not either if she has not caused hell over this already and contacted her solicitor. What kind of mother rolls over and allows her almost ex to move another woman into the childrens home and sanctuary? There is no way this is legal. Sick to think that someone would stoop so low as to bully out the other parent in this way. The person who has moved in certainly is not genuine - no sane person would put another persons kids through this drama.

Can the kids stay over with grandparents/friends for a couple of nights? Invited everyone you all know over to have a 24/48/72 hour movie marathon. Perhaps just play Gaslight on a loop... Could advertise it online as a screening fundraising for victims of domestic abuse.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaslight_(1944_film)

All the money she's not spending on a solicitor, is money she'll spend on therapy for her kids.

As other posters have said, she needs to file for an emergency occupation order. It’s free to apply, she can represent herself, and get a hearing by the end of the week. You don’t need a solicitor to do it. She needs to make sure she’s documenting that it is the children’s home and the g/f being there is causing them significant distress. He can leave and stay at her house, the reason your friend can’t go and stay with her new partner is because she is the children’s primary parent. She also needs to document how he is not engaging with selling the home and is trying to intimidate her into leaving with nothing, which will leave the children and her homeless. It’s abuse so will be another reason for the order to be granted.

I bet once he’s not allowed to stay there, he’ll soon want the house sold without her needing to go back to court to force that too!

Does she have full knowledge of his financial situation, pension etc? Did she stay at home/work part time to look after the children when they were young? She needs a very good lawyer to get what is due to her, the mere threat of this will motivate the husband to move things on. She needs to get angry.

This is jaw dropping

A woman that cruel and twisted to take part in this is not a safe woman to have around her children

I know she doesn't like confrontation but sometimes doing what is right for your children means you have to stick up for yourself, for them, and fight for what is right.

She needs to make it clear to her that she can not live there, that is her and her children's home. She refuses to move out and throws her belongings out then file with the police the harassment. Also most importantly she needs to get a solicitor onto this ASAP. I may be wrong but don't some mortgages request a partner to sign a document when they move into a house to say they have no interest in the house? This may be an additional angle. PP mentioned womens aid, she should get their advice too. As batshit and unusual as this is, I bet they have come across it before

She is doing 1 thing right though, under no circumstances should she move elsewhere, even temporarily

Yes they do do this about the mortgage. Very good point. Home insurance may also be affected if another adult is living there. He’s such a cheeky A hole