Absolutely fuming - why are some people so bloody selfish - moving house hell :-(

[DeludedDay]

Some mumsnetters may well recognise this but I need to vent now as furious.
Yesterday we brought a new house, all completed at 11am - all contracts agreed that all parties would vacate property by 1pm. At 1pm armed with keys to our new house we went in to be greeted by the place still full of junk, three dogs running rounds, cats shut in the bedrooms, stuff everywhere... we were not impressed but proceeded to be kind when they eventually turned up over an hour a later, offered to help move out etc. We had to unload our stuff as van was due back so we put all of this in one room whilst we waited for them to shift.
During this time they were repeatedly rude to us about our 'right' to be in they're house, their dogs were terrified and pooing and peeing over the house and on our furniture, they decided it was ok to smoke in the property whilst they finished packing and became increasingly aggressive towards us as we asked what was happening with the seemingly increasing pile of junk building up.
They eventually left about 7pm in the evening. They left any furniture they didn't want, against our wishes and agreement, there is junk and crap everywhere, and there was an overflowing skip in the front garden full of more junk. There is at least another skip laid left around the place.
We were told skip man would take skip today - and indeed a very nice man turned up to take away skip... unfortunately he had turned up yesterday, had been turned away by them which he thought was strange and told to come back today... unsurprisingly he hasn't been paid! As the skip is so over flowing we will have to have a second load, and likely a third to deal with the rest of the rubbish - so I am now facing about a £450 bill for their crap.
I am so upset - this is supposed to be our lovely new family home, and it feels tainted and grubby now and framed in conflict! We know we have to do some work to it anyway and have cleaners, carpets and painters coming this week but just so flaming furious as these people - how can anyone think these behaviours are ok?

Did your contract of sale include a clause requiring vacant possession?

If so, get onto your solicitors and tell them that it's been breached, they can take action to get it removed or at least get you compensation/reimbursement for the costs of removing the abandoned items.

Definitely not ok, talk to your conveyancing solicitor and see if there is a clause in your contract - highly likely to be one- and try to bill them for the costs of removing it.

Sorry it has split what should be an exciting time. It will pass though and become a memory.

Send the bill for the skip to the solicitors.

Photo the mess and send them to the solicitors.

Tell them you expect to be reimbursed for the costs of removing their rubbish.

Speak to your solicitor. This will be in the contract that it is left empty.

You can easily sue them online. Doesn't mean those fuckers will pay though.

for your new home. They're total fuckers.

Some people are utter pigs. Nothing will change their disgusting ways. They left an entire move right up until the day of the move with no care about anything. Make sure you change locks too, so they don't come back for any of their stuff from 'their' home.

Yes MrsBert it did plus the clause that all rubbish etc is removed from property. Solicitors closed today but are aware of situation and we are just taking lots of photos.

I would also immediately change all locks, as I am presuming if they hadn't left they have a set of keys. Get a locksmith out to you now.

And yes, go to your solicitor.

www.homesandproperty.co.uk/property-news/legal-qa/legal-qa-our-movingin-experience-was-rubbish-33048.html

Even if the cost of removal is not worth going to court, if it was me, I would at least threaten it: if only to have the satisfaction of knowing that they will be annoyed / stressed by getting the claim letter!

You don't need to pay for a locksmith. Just buy new barrels and fit them yourself. They are a few pounds each.

After my DD moved some five years ago to a house that had live wires hanging from ceiling!!!

No way would I agree to anything until I had one party at next house waiting to check before the process could go through.

This happened to someone I know. The ultimate insult was that the daughter of the vendor purposely removed her chewing gum and stuck it on the front door frame of the house as the family were finally leaving, right in front of my friend.

I have no idea why people behave like this, op. You would think their solicitor would be clear about the legal implications.

m so upset - this is supposed to be our lovely new family home, and it feels tainted and grubby now and framed in conflict

Its infuriating and upsetting, but the above is an over reaction. Get over it and enjoy your new home

I doubt these people have forwarded their mail though ...

YANBU

This happened to me OP and I totally understand your upset. It's a horrid way to move into a new home.

Unfortunately it's not easy to claim the additional costs and time you've incurred. The solicitors can't do much other than forward your correspondence to their client - they won't have authority to send you their client's money and there is unlikely to be any - the only money the solicitor holds for their client post-completion is SDLT and Land Registry. Any funds due back to their client will have already been remitted.

The only thing I can suggest is, do you know where they have moved to? If so, can you get a few friends/family together to take their crap round and dump on their drive/front garden?

We had a similar experience - our house was left in a disgustingly filthy state, covered in dog wee, stinking and with the garage full of rubbish. If took a week to clean the place enough to move in, we had to pull floors up and all sorts. I was scrubbing the place down for hours - all while pregnant too. It took ages to feel like our home - but it does now, a few months later.

Get after them on Monday via the solicitors! I don't know how people can act like it - it's disgusting.

Awful.
Did you not call the Estate Agents and solicitors when they were not out of YOUR house?
I would seek advice about the skips: you didn't order them, the contract for the skip is not with you. The skip company will want the skips back, so I would let them pursue the vendors for payment .

Do you know their new address, dump their rubbish at their new house

Surely if they had ordered a skip, his contract was with them?

Some people are just feral. I'd have been tempted to kick them out there and then, menagerie and all. It was no longer their house.

maddening
"Do you know their new address, dump their rubbish at their new house"

I am fairly sure that that would be illegal. (fly tipping maybe?)

SevenOfNineTrue
"Surely if they had ordered a skip, his contract was with them?"

It would be but he is under no obligation to take the rubbish away.

Am I reading this right?

Two hours from completion to moving in?

No way could I have done that!

Still, they agreed to it.

I would have thought that the skip should be sorted by those who ordered it?

Sounds awful.

Hope you get sorted out.

You poor thing, what vile people! I so understand why the house feels tainted but in part that's due to the emotion and stress you're feeling right now. The feelings will fade and hopefully you'll be very happy.

What awful awful people though!

Completion is completion though. You're supposed to be out by then, not starting to move!