AIBU to think this is a really shitty way to behave?

[ballinacup]

An acquaintance was talking very proudly today about how she has evicted her tenants. She's done it completely illegally by sneaking in whilst they were out and changing the locks.

Yes, they were shitty tenants, but I still think making someone homeless without notice is a bit off. However, it gets worse.

She will not give the tenants their possessions. She finds it hilarious that the couple have called her on several occasions in tears, begging for their five month old's clothes/bottles/cot. Acquaintance's sister is expecting so she's given all of their stuff to her.

She stormed into the office fuming today as the tenants are taking legal action against her. Aibu to hope she gets into serious trouble for, essentially, stealing from a baby?

Wow, shocking that people could read random 's story and think that the most significant point is not paying the rent (rather than say, losing a baby, having another extremely ill and losing a job as a result)

Theres two sides to it though isn't there. Obviously I would have utmost sympathy for someone in randoms situation. Of course. But I don't think random really helped herself either. Good communication is key. Several months had passed, and whilst the loss of her baby is still raw for random, (understandably), plus the difficult circumstances of her dh's job, the landlord still needs to know whats happening with the rent.

Random stopped answering the phone to the landlord, when really she could have given the landlord permission to speak to the council. Most landlords wouldn't take issue with that if they know the claim has been made and the money is eventually coming.

One of my tenants was in this position, she got a name and number of someone in the council for me to talk to. She also requested the money to be paid straight to me, which the council confirmed. Which was fine, it took a few months for the money to come through, but I could deal with that because I knew she was genuine.

I don't agree with randoms landlord doing what he did. In fact using the legal process to evict would have been easier than swapping the contract, regardless of the length of tenancy. But he was right in the fact that she wasn't a genuine person. And he was right to be concerned. Random never payed him rent again, but she still kept the hb money which had been paid to her for this purpose. He committed forgery, she stole hundreds of pounds of his money. What he could and should have done is requested the council paid the rent direct to him after two months default. Random and her landlord were as bad as each other imo.

As I have said, I do have sympathy for the loss of randoms baby. I also have sympathy for the landlords predicament. But as time goes on these become two separate and difficult issues.

Brian and lessmiss I am very glad I will never end up renting a property from either of you.

Well, that would be very unlikely. But if you were not prepared to communicate with me properly, then I wouldn't be wanting you as a tenant either. No loss there as far as I'm concerned.

As bad as each other? Did you really just type that?

Well, yes, you know I did, you only have to read it back. He's bad for forging the contract, she's as bad for stealing hundreds of pounds of his cash. But I suppose you think stealing the money is ok, because he's a landlord.

Sorry, I was just struggling with the concept that anyone could be so staggeringly lacking in empathy.

I don't think it's ok to steal from a LL. I think there are legal channels a LL should go down to address the issue of non payment of rent. They should not harass their tenant, enter the house without their permission or evict them illegally.

But I'm not lacking in empathy to her situation. As I have already said, at least twice in my last post.
I am actually able to see both sides of it, unlike you, it seems. And if you read it properly, yes I did say he should have used the legal channels. You're just choosing to read the bits that you want, rather than reading it properly. But feel free to giggle away, although it makes you sound a bit silly imo.

I'm not laughing.

I have no sympathy with the landlord who evicted her tenant illegally but having gone through the experience of evicting someone it didn't feel like it was biased in my favour.
I don't understand the poster who thought it was reasonable not to at least communicate with the landlord and who thought that because her landlord had a home then she was fine not to pay. My home was dependent on my ability to make mortgage payments which depend on my getting my rent on time!
My deepest contempt though is for the council system which makes it necessary to actually evict a tenant (eg actually get the bailiffs in) before they can be declared unintentionally homeless - this seems to be guaranteed to cause maxiumum distress/cost to everyone involved

Well, I wasn't lacking in empathy either. But don't let the truth get in the way of a good story.

Slightly off topic from the OP but re tenancies, I think that if someone is receipt of HB then it should be paid directly to the LL. I know there is the argument that people should be allowed to manage their own money but to be honest, it would be one less thing to think about wouldn't it if it was taken care of for you. I think this would work to repair the bad reputation surrouding HB claimants and would encourage more LLs to rent to claimants and open up opportunities to rent a wider range of properties.

I think that if someone is receipt of HB then it should be paid directly to the LL

Wasn't the problem with that that tenants who were overpaid or claimed fraudulently didn't repay the money themselves but the money was recovered from the landlord?

Agree with Randy's last post.

Also, there appear to be a shocking number of people on this thread who seem to think that personal tragedy should result in free accommodation. Whilst certain situations could mean that rent is delayed/payments missed, surely communication is the key here? And whilst horrendous and everyone can and should empathise, they are two distinct issues.

If you have a a mortgage and something catastrophic occurs, you do your best to make your payments and should that fail, you talk to the bank/lender. Just because you're a tenant with a supposedly rich landlord, you can't just pick and choose who you speak to and when and then just bury your head in the sand.

And, as above, I say this as both a tenant and a landlord. Tenants can't have it both ways as some people seem to want.

I vaguely remember reading something about that etoo. I still think it's a good idea but needs tweaking to make it work.

I know many HB claimants struggle to find decent properties. I think if the system worked with the LLs it would make life soooo much easier for a lot of people.

This stupid woman is going to get her arse sued to kingdom come.

The TTs have every right to regain entry and not allow her access ever again.

I hope they get good cab/shelter/legal advice and stick it back to that vile scumlord.

The TTs have every right to regain entry and not allow her access ever again.

Righty ho. I expect the judge will tell the woman that she can't have access to her house, the one she owns, ever again.

Or maybe not.....

The TTs have every right to regain entry and not allow her access ever again.

Not quite correct. They have every right to be back in the property until such time as the tenancy agreement runs out / the LL serves notice correctly.

They also have the absolute right - and they completely should - request the LL return all their property to them. If not they should be contacting the police.

But in reality this isn't a situation that EITHER party would want to continue surely? I would suspect that the best course of action would be for the tenants to find somewhere else and then take action against the LL.

Sorry, that's what I meant, for the duration of her legal tenancy and/or until she's legally evicted.

Atm the tenants are unlikely to get much help from council as they do have a tenancy in their name, but will have to prove this woman's booted them out illegally.

LL has to allow the tt quiet enjoyment or sommat like that.

Sorry for general crapnness, dodgy takeaway

She will be in a heap of trouble but maybe she just snapped and acted in the heat of the moment.

Given they were not paying the rent, changed the locks to prevent the legal owner having access to their own property I hardly think they can play the victim card either. They are responsible for the child, nobody else. If they dont pay the rent and become homeless then SS should be involved for failure to provide the basics for a child.

Non-paying tenants are the exception but uncaring landlords are the norm.

I would say it is more likely to be equal tbh.

And just because I didn't say I had sympathy for Randoms loss, doesn't mean I don't have sympathy for her, as I would for anyone in that situation, whatever you might like to think. Just like I have sympathy for her LL. Even though they both behaved badly.

Heart - you seem convinced that pretty much every landlord is bad. They're not.

Well you seem to jump to a lot of conclusions without evidence heart. But actually what you would like to think doesn't matter to me that much that much. Say and think what you want, it doesn't make it true.

And on my own extensive (as you like to put it) experience of landlords and tenants, I still disagree with you. You're not the only one who has rented property you know. You are talking utter rubbish imo.

I have a fab LL. Well she is perhaps normal, but a universe and a half away from the godawful LL I had before.

I've worked in inventories, for letting agents all over. I work now in another company connected to real estate.

Tenants are treated as lesser human beings by agents AND ll.

It's a fact, no matter how 'good' a tenant you are.

Paying rent late is inconvenient, but it's still paying rent.

Eviction due to arrears can only start when (iirc) 2m rent is owed/overdue/unpaid.

Swanning in and changing locks depriving your tenant of their only shelter is wrong. On every level.

She will pay dearly for her ignorance.

Please OP, do update us on her comeuppance?

I'm not denying that there are awful tenants btw, I know there are, but the arrogance displayed by LL agents towards decent tenants is still prevalent.

I had to pull my agent up for their attitude recently. I'm an excellent tenant and used to work with the agents, they know me personally, yet a year or so after i've moved on to a noter job, they were trading me with the usual contempt they show other tenants.

I wouldn't have it, and reminded them that my LL didn't need to waste money on management of her property as I had all the maintenance numbers...