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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Is it me or Mum?

38 replies

CuppaSarah · 17/06/2013 09:39

To give a bit of backstory, my Mum has a fully paid off house, but she left it to move in with her partner a few years ago. She intended to sort it and rent it out, but years wet by and it sat empty, slowly getting in worse and worse shape. When I fell pregnant me and DP asked if we could rent it from her, since we couldn't normally afford a house round here and it was just costing her money. We did, with the agreement we'd help her sort it and redecorate etc. But with the plan to get most things done before the baby arrived.

Well DD has been here for 4 months and almost nothing has been done. While it's annoying, we just about have enough space between our stuff and mums to live comfortably. One of the big issues is, she refuses to let us touch, let alone sort her things for her. But also refuses to come sort them herself.

This has all come to head this weekend, when I told her we had to get the box room sorted that week, because DD has outgrown her Moses basket and the cot bed won't fit in our bedroom. I told her all that needed doing straight away was moving the bed into the spare room. That we'd move it there for her and we'd find a convenient time to sort the other bits in their together. For some reason this is absolutely unacceptable. To the point she bought a travel cot for our bedroom for her. She had mentioned it before and I said that we don't know if it would fit and we'd have to buy a new mattress and bedding etc. We really can't afford it. But Sunday night she calls me telling me she got one with a used mattress. I thanked her but explained about why we couldn't use a second hand mattress again and she went mental. Shouting about how angry she was with me and how I should just suck it up.

Sorry this is so long, but I need to clear this up. She's BU right? But at the same time am I being at all U too? I need to be clear next time I see her.

OP posts:
ParsingFancy · 17/06/2013 16:14

It's not your job to fix her financial situation, OP.

In fact, if she was on income-related benefits IIUC she almost certainly shouldn't have been receiving them if she owned a house she wasn't living in. It's a pure asset. She could reasonably have been expected to rent or sell the house and live off the proceeds before expecting the state to support her.

Never mind her sentimental feelings about the house. She's not so attached to it she's actually living there, is she? You're having to get to grips with the reality of where and how you live: she needs to too.

MammaTJ · 17/06/2013 17:37

Could you not just put all her stuff in the loft if she won't come round anyway?

RenterNomad · 17/06/2013 18:22

It is perfectly acceptable to expect a discount for a house you don't have complete access to, not to mention one in bad repair! Therefore, set aside guilt and consider what you need: a bigger place for you and your child. Either you get more rooms at your current house (like doing an extension! Grin) or move!

ClaireDeTamble · 17/06/2013 18:31

It's time for an ultimatum OP - either she gets her stuff moved out - totally moved out, not just piled up in the spare room or you move (without an extended notice period).

You need to think about your daughters confort and it will be much better for her to sleep in a room she can call her own than have cot shoved up the corner and the rest of the room full of someone else's stuff.

Madamecastafiore · 17/06/2013 18:35

Finances or no finances, her house, your house, Joe Schmo's house, she is your mum and this is causing you distress and she doesn't seem to or refuses to see that so she is being VV unreasonable.

RenterNomad · 17/06/2013 18:39

Also consider the effects on your DD of dust accumulating on the clutter in her room!

wouldliketobethere · 17/06/2013 18:48

It doesn't sound fair on your DH or your DD. You prob dont mind coz it is your DMs place so feels familiar to you etc but your DH is in a difficult situation and a second hand mattress on a travel cot is not a good solution - temporary at best. Hope he gets that job and you can move out or at least get your DM to see sense. Once you are in a position where you can move then she will know you have choices and might be a bit more reasonable.

formica5 · 17/06/2013 19:07

What about arranging a date and saying you will help and also make her some lunch.

DoJo · 17/06/2013 19:16

I think you might be better of just saying to her 'I think we had different expectations of how this would work and it doesn't seem as though either of us are getting what we want out of the arrangement so we're going to look elsewhere.' If she's that desperate for you to stay then set out a time limit for her moving her stuff and a few basic repairs/maintenance jobs, but tell her that the work must start within 48 hours so that she has to show willing and doesn't just bury her head in the sand again otherwise you will end up in exactly the same position at the end of the time allotted.

Shamoy · 17/06/2013 19:27

I'd put it back in her court, say 'mum, I'd love to stay here in your house, we love living here but there's just not enough space with all the stuff in two of the bedrooms, I can tell its making you upset to think about sorting it out and moving it so would you prefer if we looked for somewhere else instead?' And then its up to her to choose whether she sorts it so you can stay or if she would rather you moved out...
If you'd like to stay (with more space cleared!) and she relies on your rent then it seems like a no brainer really, she just needs a nudge to get it sorted (ie you need to make out you are on the verge of moving out if it stays as it is!)

Damash12 · 17/06/2013 19:29

Yanbu and to make life easier for you and to not feel indebted to anyone I would move even if that means to a completely different area that you can afford to live. I'd value my independence over a flash postcode any day.
Spend your time enjoying your daughter not worry or sorting out someone else's shit.

BionicEmu · 17/06/2013 20:20

Why can't you just move the bed from the box room into the spare room and not tell her? I really can't see what difference it makes whether the bed's in the box room or the spare room.

ceebie · 24/06/2013 13:57

arabesque is spot on. Either she makes the house rent-worthy, and gets rent, or leaves it in a mess and doesn't get rent. Her choice.

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