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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To feel absolutely gutted by brothers behaviour and want him to sod off- long post!!

46 replies

Damash12 · 03/01/2013 18:30

I'll try and keep this short as possible but would really like some of your honest opinions before I know what will be a huge argument tomorrow.
Ok, brother is 36 has his own house but has always relied on mum to bail him out cash wise. Mum died in May 2011 and it soon becomes apparent how much she did bail him out. He has no concept of money and believes you put nipping to the pub, lottery, nights out at the top of the weekly essential list before bills. Anyway, after mum passed he got in financial difficulty and was understandably depressed over the loss and decides rather than lose his house to rent it out and go and lodge at a mates house for £80 pw. This was last November and didn't last long as said friend wouldn't put any heating on and then wanted extra money for bills which initially was included. It also turned out that friend started charging him from the date he started putting some if his belongings into his property (so basically £80 a week to house a wardrobe!)It was further from his workplace and quite clearly not that much cheaper han the £1000 outlay he had when at his own home. On Jan 21st last year, he came to my house very depressed and down and we discussed asking mums husband if he could live there while he got on his feet. I had reservastions about this and already pre-empted what SD would say. Brother likes gaming and watching tv all night. SD in late 60's coming to terms with loss of his wife and a tidy kind of person which brother is not!!
Anyway, while he went to ask I spoke to my husband and asked if he could live here temporarily (6 months) Bless him, husband mortified but says if its what I want then fine but he doesn't want opinionated brother treating the place like an hotel. Brother comes back and SD has I predicted said no as didn't want to fall out if they didn't get on but would loan him the £900 he owed out - £500 to friend and £400 to dad. (Can't live at dads as he is in a 1 bed council bungalow). Myself, DH and DS live in a 2 bed terraced with a converted loft so not a massive deal of room for us but when he came back I said I had spoken with DH and he could stay in the loft for £30 pw on the condition he cleared his debts. He comes home with £270 pw or £320 if doing overtime, he also does friends decorating and about once every 3 months gets a painting job that generates about £300. We planned that if he moved in in Feb until Nov he would have cleared his debts and would have around £2000 saved and be ready to start again in his own house. Fast forward to this November and he mentions he will be staying here 6 longer (no discussion). Periodically I have asked him if he has paid SD back, "No I need to clear over draft /tax car/credit card/buy pressies first" Anything but actually make any paymet to SD. Mid december, things come to an head and me and DH are now fed up with untidyness, sarcky comments and general lack of respect and by this time may I add I am now 7months pregnant and we are getting even shorter on space. Anyway, it now materialises he now owes double the amount he did before he moved in!! Now has 2 overdrafts, not paid SD, borrowed again from dad, not paid off crdit cards and now owes garage for work to his car. While all the time regularly going out for meals with gf, 4 pack of stella most nights and lottery on every occasion. I went mad and was told the debt with SD was none of my business and between him and SD. I said he made it my business when he came to live here for £30 a week. Also bear in mind that me and dh are not well off and have had our own money issues to clear as dh was out of work the previous year so we have been clawing back from that. We borrowed from SD also to get dh a reliable car when he got a new job as it involved travelling. SD made it clear he needed the money back by August to clear his mortgage so we made his payments a priority and cannot tell you the last time we had a night out and we certainly had no holidays and birthdays where based on promises of things when back on our feet. We paid him back. Since argument with brother I have now found out he has also started smoking again... apparently due to being stressed about money -talk about contradiction!! anyway, there is noooooooooo way I am having him living here when baby arrives and him breathing fag breath over baby, secondly I told him if he hadn't packed in the fags by new year he could pay us £50pw this was met with a roll of the eyes and a "whatever". He hasn't stopped and even came home with 4 pack of stella last night. Tomorrow is the day I will insist on £50 not £30 -if he can afford to drink and smoke he can afford to pay more to live here - AIBU?? Secondly, I feel so hurt and used that why should we put him up when we are so short on space and now living here for £30pw will not make any dent in his debts now even if I do let him stay til May. AIBU to ask him to end the tenancy and sod off back to his own house???? (he has to give 2months notice, so he'll still be here until mid march. Thirdly, baby will be here by end of Jan, AIBU to stand my ground and say he goes anywhere but here if he continues to be a smoker once the baby arrives - I can't stand the smell and please bear in mind DH was an occasional smoker until I was 6 months pregnant and really put in the effort to quit way in advance of the new baby arriving so like fuck I'm going to let brother think it's ok and if I hear "I don't smoke in the house" I'll scream. Sorry for long rant and thanks to anyone that reads it but I feel sooooo gutted and feel me and DH have been treated like shit!!!! Any advice??

OP posts:
3smellysocks · 03/01/2013 19:31

You have given your brother every opportunity to pay back his bills and he has chosen not to. You can take a horse to water but you can't make him drink. Let your bother get on with it. While you are all sheltering him, he won't take responsibility and man up.

Damash12 · 03/01/2013 19:35

Thanks for all your replies, and sorry it was so long. No -one is saying anything I haven't heard from best friend but I just think I wanted strength before tomorrow's showdown.
Answer to questions Yes he gets fed as well! I said at the start of dec I was 7 months pg and baby is due end of Jan and yes our elec bill as gone up. I still can't believe what he's done and how he stood there last year and swore he would get himself sorted out and how grateful he was. The thing that really gets me is when I have a go at him I get told I'm making him depressed and suicidal! Talk about stressing me out. I'm glad I've come to the end of the road and no longer want to know nor care about his financial woes. I told him not to buy us any present at Xmas as he listed everything he needed to pay out but we still gave him a gift and then gf got a nice pandora charm and a coat and then he bought a bottle of JDaniels to take to a new year party.
Thanks again everyone, I feel like showing him this post and saying this is the opinion of people that don't know you because apparently it's just me.

OP posts:
3smellysocks · 03/01/2013 19:37

Give him a dead line - mid Jan? He has to move into another shared house - temporary for a few weeks or more permanent if he can. He can't be there when the baby returns home with you, he just can't. You will need to concentrate on bonding/feeding/sleeping and there is no way you need additional stress/mess/people. He could totally ruin things.

ShipwreckedAndComatose · 03/01/2013 19:38

now you know exactly what BS he kept feeding your mum Sad

you can bet this is a well rehearsed set of lines he's used. He probably even believes some of them too.

bigfuckoffpie · 03/01/2013 19:40

I'm actually wanting to start up a fund for when the OP kicks her brother out. It's to put an ad in the local paper with the headline "Warning: Cocklodger Alert!", with his mugshot, usual hangouts and so on. That way it should be harder for him to find his next victim.

Please get rid OP - you must have had a fair idea that he wasn't going to sort his shit out. Give him a week, tops.

I'd bet any money he ends up leeching off his girlfriend, having given a similar sob story to her as the one he gave to your about the friend he was staying with.

3smellysocks · 03/01/2013 19:40

I think you should show him these posts.

Next christmas/birthday buy him Alvin Hall book - there are loads if you google on how to take control of finances and get out of debt etc. He has to want to sort his situation out though.

MimiSunshine · 03/01/2013 19:48

Talkative is right, step out of your mothers shoes.
You tried to help him as you saw a way he could get back on his feet, he orally abused that, i cant believe you just accepted him telling you he was staying longer.

Stop solution-nising for him, he's 36 FFS fully capable of budgeting, he just chooses to prioritise beer and lotto rather than bills and debt.
Just tell him, he goes by the 12/01 and that's it, his stuff will be out on the street if he doesn't sort it.

My brother took advantage of me with money (no where near these levels) and after fighting with him or a year to get it back, I just accepted he never would so i wrote it off and learnt a lesson.

HavingALittleFaithBaby · 03/01/2013 19:48

He will never change until he hits rock bottom. With family bailing him out, that won't happen. Re him living with you temporarily: There is nothing as permanent as a temporary measure. I agree with everyone else - Give him his matching orders, set a date and boot him out. Make sure you either get the keys or even consider changing the locks.

MimiSunshine · 03/01/2013 19:51

Urm 'totally' not 'orally' Xmas Blush

AnyFuckerForAMincePie · 03/01/2013 19:56

I didn't even get to the end of your post before it came clear you must tell him to go....today

MrsJollyPostman · 03/01/2013 20:07

Tell him to go. He will just have to sell the house and start over to clear off debts. Not your responsibility.

ChasedByBees · 03/01/2013 20:08

I can't believe you haven't kicked him out a long time ago, he is massively taking the piss.

suburbophobe · 03/01/2013 20:17

Bottom line - he's a freeloader and taking the piss.

Get rid. Now.

He is not your responsibility!

FFS woman, you are having a baby! THAT is your responsibility, not a grown man who can look after himself....

Just cos he won't is not your problem!

Rhubarbgarden · 03/01/2013 20:18

He needs to leave now. Not tomorrow, not in a week's time, now.

bluebiscuit · 03/01/2013 20:22

36yo man baby. Kick him out immediately.

maddening · 03/01/2013 20:23

Kick him out now - a months notice is adequate and he can get a bedsit for a couple of months.

peachypips · 03/01/2013 20:26

Am with those who say get him out right now and don't leave it a week. Bite the bullet or he'll weasel his way back in.
If you show him this thread then I'd like to tell him this:

You should be ashamed of yourself scrounging from your pregnant sister. You are extremely immature and need to grow up and be a man. Take some responsibility for your own life and stop abusing everyone around you; I have never heard of anyone as selfish in my life.

KellyMarieTunstall · 03/01/2013 20:34

I bet he laughs and laughs at his mug of a sister and how she keeps him for a pittance all the while believing his story of 'saving' and how any challenge is ever so easily beaten away with vague talk of suicide and depression .Guffaw guffaw

Wipe that smile of his face and make him go and live his own life. You have done more than could be expected in your circumstances and have nothing to beat yourself up about.

Enjoy having your own home back again.Wink

KellyMarieTunstall · 03/01/2013 20:35

off Hmm

SquinkiesRule · 03/01/2013 21:35

Send him to find a place on www.spareroom.co.uk/
www.housepals.co.uk/
You need to let him fail so he can grow up finally.

cees · 03/01/2013 21:42

I agree with Squinkies, he will not get on his own to feet til you stop propping him up.

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