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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

something strange is going on isn't it?

201 replies

MrNobodytheNeighbour · 27/05/2017 21:58

New neighbours moved in a few months ago. A couple and I think 3 children. Lots of stuff was moved in toys etc etc.
Then they went and didn't see anyone for a few days ...never actually saw the mother and children again just saw a man return a few days after
Some parcels arrived which I took in-maybe 4 in the space of a week, picked up by various people all very polite and nice. I assumed relatives.

Then....nothing. Literally nothing. Never see anyone. Never hear anyone. Terraced houses so you always hear front doors closing....nothing.
Had someone knock twice asking if I knew were next door in.
The weird thing is we NEVER see the children, apart from that first moving in day-they never are around at school time morning or aft and were school age. Perhaps they are home schooled I thought?
Never ever in the garden.

Once I stepped outside and the other side of the fence I heard somebody rush back in so there is somebody there. It's just eerily quiet.
We've had by mistake a fair bit of post too and there seem to be a few adults living there if the post is anything to go by. I just put it through the door the first couple of times then with the last three I've knocked but no answer so then posted it.

AIBU to think it's strange?

OP posts:
Queenofthedrivensnow · 27/05/2017 22:58

Do you know your local beat officer. I would tell them you haven't seen the kids for 10 months that's a bit odd

Beelzebop · 27/05/2017 23:00

May be right about smells and visits. I'd want to know, I'm a nosy bugger 😀!

SparklyUnicornPoo · 27/05/2017 23:01

Something to do with school catchments? My grandma lived at the top of a school drive to an outstanding school and often got people move their stuff in to look good for the home visit, make sure the neighbours had seen the kids in case anyone asked, then sub-let it.

or could the kids be at boarding school?

Foster carers could make sense, just no children there at the moment, or the children you saw only come to them for respite, and could explain the number of adults post, my friend used her foster mums address when we were living in a hostel coz post was always going missing, a lot of people did the same.

Post could well be someone letting adults use their address, I used to volunteer with homeless people and it's not uncommon for several of them to be using the same persons address for post.

Beelzebop · 27/05/2017 23:01

Just thinking, pattern of parcel delivery, at the start, indicates a set up of some kind.
Also, there are incredibly efficient extraction systems.

Original poster
MrNobodytheNeighbour · 27/05/2017 23:01

Don't usually see the police round here that often but I expect there is a local officer.
The court letter was from quite far away so relocation is possible and maybe they are just anxious ? I really don't think there's anyone in the house though apart from whoever was in the garden at first and occasionally has the bathroom light on

OP posts:
LauderSyme · 27/05/2017 23:02

The black bags comment is a reference to a recent thread where the OP's neighbour constantly hung out black bags on their washing line and they were wondering why!

I agree with previous posters who have suggested calling the Council. Yes, something is weird; it's a family home but does not appear to be being used as one.

Original poster
MrNobodytheNeighbour · 27/05/2017 23:03

I doubt school catchment, although I could be wrong...there's a school literally across the road just metres really but it's a RC school and they obviously weren't RC so probably wouldn't have been interested. The next nearest state school is the worst thought of in the borough so I feel school isn't the issue

OP posts:
hagsrus0 · 27/05/2017 23:03

Is the garden being tended?

GiraffesCantPlayHopScotch · 27/05/2017 23:05

All letters being dwp is unusual. No junk mail/catalogues/bills. Some kind of momey scam thing? I have been watching some trashy channel 5 documentaries where this happened so my judgement is clouded.

Original poster
MrNobodytheNeighbour · 27/05/2017 23:07

I'd hate to report and cause trouble for someone though for all I know it could be that the children are finishing a school year elsewhere and they haven't told the council - if I call I could cause somebody serious issues , or perhaps the court letter was something serious ?
I find it really strange as the house is, I'm 99.9% sure empty and has been due a while. They spent a good few weeks getting it done up before they moved in so I don't understand itbwas obviously meant to be a home and not a drugs factory or similar ? It's so odd and I'm curious but if I start reporting I'm aware there could be an explanation but I'll have made someone's life potentially more difficult

OP posts:
Original poster
MrNobodytheNeighbour · 27/05/2017 23:09

The garden was done by the council for the first 4 months because the previous resident was disabled and the council service obviously wasn't cancelled so it got done 2 or 3 times. Since then nothing and occasionally the dogs from next door but one are getting into their garden. I did wonde if that was why nobody is ever out there but it would be easy to repair the fence and stop the dogs if it was a problem.

OP posts:
DearMrDilkington · 27/05/2017 23:12

My guess would be the children have either been put in to care or they're living with a relative for whatever reason.

There's no way you wouldn't hear or see 4 primary aged kids in 10 months when they live next door. Especially in the garden in this weather.

Very odd.

SparklyUnicornPoo · 27/05/2017 23:17

The school opposite Grandma's was RC too but it was the only good one in the area so a lot of non-Catholics applied then spent the next 7 years whinging about how churchy it was, which is a whole other thread but yeah, timings look wrong for schools.

Anxiety/noise sensitivity? so being really careful to be quiet?

Or one parent is in either hospital or prison, other parent has taken the kids to a relatives so they can be closer to support, local friends are collecting the mail and just didn't want you to see them and ask questions? presumably being council there's something in the tenancy about if there is no one there for however long without notifying the council they can evict (mine says 21 days) so whoever is collecting the mail didn't want to been seen in case they said the wrong thing

SparklyUnicornPoo · 27/05/2017 23:21

letters all being dwp suggests its being used as a care of address, you need an address to claim benefits, like i said above it's not uncommon for homeless people to use a friends address if there isn't a soup kitchen or similar they can use.

Benedikte2 · 27/05/2017 23:28

The Manchester bomber rented a place away from where he was living to construct the bomb.
The whole set up sounds suspicious, anyway. Families are desperate for housing and a random number of adults are unlikely to qualify. Ring your LA and get them to investigate.

MargotLovedTom1 · 27/05/2017 23:32

How are they 'obviously' not RC? Confused

elgwyn · 27/05/2017 23:50

Frankly we have a desperate shortage of council housing in this country. It sounds like there's a scam going on.

The council should be notified so that a deserving family currently in temporary accommodation or somewhere too small can get a suitable home.

Bunnyfuller · 28/05/2017 00:13

Worth letting someone know. As a pp said, the Manchester bomber raised suspicion in the flat he rented... Why obviously not RC?

Tapandgo · 28/05/2017 00:22

Report concerns to Council and police - then rest easy knowing you have done all you can

gillybeanz · 28/05/2017 00:23

Three houses have been raided in my area.
All in connection with Manchester Bombing.
The man arrested was a normal looking white British man.
You never know who your neighbours are.

WetsTheFinger · 28/05/2017 00:40

Are they local people? Or foreign?

TheExuberant1 · 28/05/2017 00:47

They sound great and you sound nosey!

gallicgirl · 28/05/2017 01:09

If it's a council property just call your housing officer and have friendly chat. Chances are he/she might know a bit about the family and can either disregard your unfounded worries or take necessary action.

You won't really be causing trouble if there's nothing untoward and if there is something untoward then hopefully a few questions can be asked.

For what it's worth, I think it's odd too.

Jupitar · 28/05/2017 01:12

They spent a good few weeks getting it done up before they moved in so I don't understand itbwas obviously meant to be a home and not a drugs factory or similar

I should imagine it takes a fair bit of work to turn a house into a drugs factory, and if they are growing there they wouldn't have loads of people turning up to buy the stuff they'd be selling it from somewhere else, they don't let every Tom, Dick and Harry know where it's being grown

lalalalyra · 28/05/2017 02:01

Was the post you got wrongly delivered or wrongly addressed? Wrongly addressed and all from DWP would be a concern of fraud.

Are you sure it's tenanted and not a scatter house?