This is long and complicated so please bear with me.
I rent a house(left to us by family) out to my best friend of 15 years she moved in with her son after she had bad postnatal depression and her house got into such a state her landlord threw her out. We knew she was going to be messy (read disgusting) and no doubt trash the place. So her being my best friend we agreed to no deposit and minimal rent (that she could afford) but on the agreement that we would not do anything decoratively to the house (in good repair but very old fashioned everything.) About 2 years into it she had trashed the place so we went in and painted the place cream, cleaned etc and upped the rent to cover the cost (still at a rate she can afford) Fast forward to this year and her son (my Godson who I adore ) was diagnosed with cancer as her friend I wanted to help so I offered to clean her house (knowing it was a mess.) No one has been allowed in for over a year no family etc. I know stupid us, but the plan was always to ripped it all out and do it up entirely when she moved out. Also to add that before she moved in a local estate agent said we would have queue for the house as it is a large house, in a good area, with very few private lets and we were happy to accept animals and benefits and we would have no problem selling either.
When we got in the house was far far worst than I could have imagined it was truly awful think Kim and Aggy meet that hoarding programme and you have an idea. They had nothing, no beds, just old mattress on the floor, no clean clothes her room was like a literal squat piled high with rubbish and dirty clothes so you couldn't see the carpet her cat had poohed, weed EVERYWHERE and it hadn't been cleaned up. We thought the ceiling had fallen in the living room because of the debris but it was actually food and dirt. There was a slow leak from the bathroom which had caused damaged into the kitchen. The back door was smashed to pieces. She is a lovely person and no one would have guessed how bad it was. As she is going through hell I thought that I had to rise above and really help as there was no way social service/health professionals would allow her to live there and she really wanted to come 'home.'
So I got my family and friends in and we cleaned the place (50 bin bags and 8 tonne skip full of rubbish)her 'close knit' family refused to help. Anyway I then asked lots more people to help via facebook and decided to re decorate, both their bedrooms in their favourite colours/theme. Bought all new furniture, beds, sofa, re did the kitchen and bathroom. (The insurance wouldn't pay because we refused to evict.) Fixed the door and fences a SOS DIY type event all in a week!
I also have set up a fundraising page, plus events and have raised £5k in a few weeks. I also visited every week in hospital (60 miles away) and took them away for the weekend. (I haven't posted any of this except the fundraising but not in a look at me way on fb) plus set up a bank account and arranged loads of special things (all with lots of help from lovely people.)
That's when it got nasty, her family accused me of trying to use his illness to make a profit on the house despite the fact I paid for everything(thousands) including new bedding, clothes etc. The only thing I got for free was labour (I was upfront with everyone they knew it was our house) and my family and me spent every spare hour there despite having 2 DD and full time jobs. They came home after 5 weeks in hospital to a lovely 'new' home. They cried and hugged and he was over the moon with his new room. Her family came and told me that it was all my responsibility as a landlord anyway so why was I behaving like it was a nice thing to do? Then they asked if the cat could move back in and I said no I was then accused of being a heartless monster taking a pet from an ill child, I offered to take the cat to a family member of mine so he could visit etc. I wish could explain the damage and mess this cat (never goes outside) had made
I know that in the face of a devastating illness this is small fry BUT
AIBU to feel really pissed off and massively upset at their behaviour? Also am I heartless, I really feel it is for the best and my friend doesn't want the cat anyway as she knows how bad she let it get.