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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu -father wants me to commit fraud!!?

186 replies

pumpkinsweetie · 25/08/2012 23:32

As some of you may know, my father is also my landlord. Boiler was serviced 4 days ago and then condemned. We have been without heating and hot water for over a week due to boiler being declared dangerous by gas meter engineer.
Landlord/df came over yesterday, promised to fit an immersion and get me electric radiators until he has the money to complete it (apparently £4000). So fine and dandy thought atleast we were getting somewhere (sigh)..........until today: he has rung me and asked me to pretend i own the house so i can get a grant for the boiler!!

Wtaf: my own df is now expecting ME to commit fraud to save his own neck. Mentioned immersion to him, he said maybe monday, maybe tues.

Even if i went ahead with this crazed idea, it will not work as im not in receipt of any of the benefits needed to get one!

I obviously said to him i will be found out, he said "no you won't they won't look into who owns the house"?!!- knowing full well i recieve an amount of hb, of course they will know my name and address and know im RENTING
Wwyd

OP posts:
RubixCube · 26/08/2012 10:59

Report him.He needs to know he cant treat people in so much disregard.I just cannot believe him. and if he would make his Mrs do what his asking of you.No he bloody wouldnt because he wouldnt want her to get into trouble

RubixCube · 26/08/2012 11:01

Gosh i knew she always wanted us of the scene.It nearly worked didn't it.They are both at fault as she could get him to man up .If this was her sister she would.They are as bad as each other

Original poster
pumpkinsweetie · 26/08/2012 11:02

Blackberryice: in what way is it not a proper tenancy apart from him not fullfilling duties of a decent landlord.
We pay the rent every month

OP posts:
BlackberryIce · 26/08/2012 11:04

How can you get a tenancy with no deposit/advance rent..... Had you paid it then you would now be in a position to argue he could use THAT to be fixing your boiler!

It sounds v dodgy. Your landlord sounds dodgy.

Original poster
pumpkinsweetie · 26/08/2012 11:07

If i report him, where will it leave me legally? Can he throw me out or is there a time limit he has to give me?

Could it be a custodial for them or a fine?
Would be interested to know if anyone knows any of this Tia x

OP posts:
RubixCube · 26/08/2012 11:07

i dont think he can just throw you out.

RubixCube · 26/08/2012 11:16

You have to get tougher.Like you did with MIL as she was a threat to your family what dad has done is worse he could have killed you all.Can you imagine if it was winter.You would have been using it loads.I have no doubt in my mind you would all be dead

BlackberryIce · 26/08/2012 11:18

Who did your tenancy agreement? What does it say?

Original poster
pumpkinsweetie · 26/08/2012 11:38

I will dig it out later and copy it all down

OP posts:
fergoose · 26/08/2012 11:49

if he wants to throw you out he has to legally evict you and give notice (2 months I think) and then from there if you don't leave he has to go to court to get you out so it takes some time.

cornishsue · 26/08/2012 11:56

You asked if your Dad could 'throw you out' if you reported him. Theoretically no, however my understanding is that either party can end the tenancy with two months notice (no reason has to be given). However, he could then not rent the property again until the work was done.

I wish you luck in whatever you decide to do.

I am rather shocked to those of you that stated not having adequate heating/hot water is a matter for social services. When my children were very young we moved into a old large property that we had decided to renovate. We spent at least a year without hot water and several years with no heating other an open fire. I had no idea I could have been reported for that.

Sallyingforth · 26/08/2012 12:49

He's not going to throw you out.
If he does, his rent income stops and he can't get any more until he's replaced the boiler and anything else needed to bring it up to a proper standard.
He may be a greedy bastard but he's not that stupid.
Your best bet is to visit the council on Tuesday. Not phone them, it's too easy to be put off.
If you explain the position to them they have to help, either by finding you somewhere safe or (more likely since that would be difficult at short notice) to force your landlord to update the property. They can't just send you back to those conditions once it's on their records.

Original poster
pumpkinsweetie · 26/08/2012 13:37

Exactly cornish, i don't really need that to worry about. If ss take kids away just because of this, what a sad world we live in, when there is real neglect going on they don't want to know!

OP posts:
Sallyingforth · 26/08/2012 13:44

There is no possibility that SS would take the kids away in this situation. It's a housing issue, pure and simple.

In the unlikely event that SS become involved, they would see that the kids' best interest is in being with their mother in safe accommodation.

SS would advise Housing that it's their responsibility to do something about it.

BlackberryIce · 26/08/2012 14:19

How is it 'housings' responsibility to do something about it? This is private rented.

RubixCube · 26/08/2012 14:32

The council will do something about but you have to go down there not phone them

Jamillalliamilli · 26/08/2012 14:40

I can tell you from direct experience that what SS do, is ask mum how she is mitigating the effects of no boiler, and if she has responded by getting a burco or similar, oil heaters, and blankets, and is aware of how it may impact on the children's welfare, then as long there is no danger of hypothermia and they are clean and loved, they will simply say that mum is doing a decent job in tough circumstances.

What assistance they will or won't give depends entirely on where you live. They will usually offer advice on how to pressure the landlord and will often help with that.

I love the idea that you can automatically get rehoused for having poor conditions and a crap landlord, it goes hand in hand with the free goat!

Good luck Pumpkin, I hope you can sort things out one way or another.

Sallyingforth · 26/08/2012 14:46

Blackberry.
If a mother and child are homeless, the council has a responsibility to find them accommodation. At short notice that may of course be not very nice - b&b etc.

In the OP's case, she has a roof over her head but it lacks a basic requirement - heating in winter and running hot water all year round. That means she is in need of accommodation with those basic facilities and could theoretically declare herself homeless. At this point the council are required to act, and the easiest, cheapest action for them is to require the landlord to upgrade the accommodation.

This isn't a unique situation. I'd be very, very surprised indeed if every council in the land isn't very familiar with such cases and have a procedure for dealing with them.

BlackberryIce · 26/08/2012 14:48

Yes, have been homeless and rehoused myself, I know how it works. I also know it's not quite as easy as that!

Original poster
pumpkinsweetie · 26/08/2012 14:49

I don't think it will be as simple as the council re-homing us. People in my area can be on the list for 3years or more because there is a real bad shortage.
If i could afford the extra hundred pound to go private i would once i have saved but i think its a stretch too far with our financed

OP posts:
Queen0fFlamingEverything · 26/08/2012 15:25

BlackberryIce - what you say about the deposit is Just Plain Wrong. If the OP had paid a deposit, it would have to be held in a secure and protected deposit scheme - it is not a petty cash fund for the landlord to use if he doesn't want to stump up for essential maintainance of the property. Also, a tenancy is perfectly legal and valid without a deposit.

When I was with ExP we rented a house from his mother and got HB for it. Perfectly legal. But we had the same issues with her not doing stuff, she would have done it for 'real' tenants but didn't bother for us Hmm

lovebunny · 26/08/2012 15:37

contact council/housing associations and tell them you are living in a house with a child and no heating or hot water. it's a relative's house and they're being awkward. you want to move out but...

they might be able to find you somewhere.

you do need to get out from under your dad's thumb. he's leading you into difficult situations.

deste · 26/08/2012 15:39

You don't need to be on benefits to get the new boiler grant.

Original poster
pumpkinsweetie · 26/08/2012 15:43

How do i get it deste? Because i have looked online and there doesn't seem to be any help for working householdsSad

OP posts:
BlackberryIce · 26/08/2012 16:29

queen do you really think someone as unscrupulous as THIS landlord would use a deposit scheme?? I KNOW what he should do, legally,hence saying op could argue that he could use a deposit if one had been paid! Cos it isn't likely he would bother with protection scheme.