Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Lottery winner keeping her council house.

195 replies

NickyNora · 12/08/2018 13:35

A lady i know recently won over a million pounds on the lottery. She has purchased 2 properties & put them in family members names.

She intends to keep her council house.
She didn't buy it as even with the discount, it woukd use up a large proportion of her win.

Is this even legal?

AIBU to think she's being greedy & should terminate her council tenancy & give back the council house?

OP posts:
LipstickHandbagCoffee · 12/08/2018 14:25

I read it as she’d bought property for her two relatives,not that she’s resident there

MaryDollNesbitt · 12/08/2018 14:32

It's legal yeah but most people would buy a nice property

It might be a lovely property. It's also her home. That word carries a significant meaning for a great many people.

We don't know what circumstances this woman endured prior to getting her council house. She could have been shuffled about quite a lot, dealt with loads of unsettling house moves, been through homeless applications to get to where she is, etc. If she's happy, settled and a paying tenant, why should she have to give up her home? It's a council property she doesn't own. At some point, she will give it back, and somebody else will benefit from it. But for the time being, it is still her home.

The problem here isn't that a woman caught a lucky break - nor does wanting to remain living in her council property make this woman morally bankrupt. The real cause of friction here is that our shitey government aren't doing enough to address social housing shortages, making this woman public enemy number one now that she's scooped a lottery win and is daring to remain in her council house. There's a lot of misdirected anger/frustration here.

The two properties she's bought may be for family/children. She might be trying to do some good and help get those closest to her started off in life, knowing the value of having a secure roof over your head. She might be investing her money in property to help with retirement/social care costs years down the road. Maybe she has every intention of moving into one of these properties at a later date. The fact is, we don't actually know.

It's very easy for outsiders to sit and daydream about the palatial mansion complete with piano shaped carp pond they would buy if they ever scooped a lottery win. But guess what? Not everybody actually wants that. The woman is clearly comfortable where she is. She may be surrounded by a close-knit community and lots of friends and family. I wouldn't be giving that up to go sit in a huge big house all by myself, with only the fucking carp to talk to. How depressing!

TheStoic · 12/08/2018 14:34

There's a lot of misdirected anger/frustration here

There has been literally no anger here.

Mammalamb · 12/08/2018 14:36

Why are council houses seen as only for the poor??? I was brought up in a council house. We didn’t see it as a council house. We saw it as our home. My parents decorated it and put in a new kitchen secure that this was their home. Why should this woman give up her home ?

LeftRightCentre · 12/08/2018 14:38

So what.

cheesemongery · 12/08/2018 14:42

I don't even play the lottery, but this scenario has crossed my mind - I spend a lot of time in the 'what if'as I have no life Grin

We have been in our council house for 18 months, it's beginning to feel like home, after 6 months homeless (previously over 10 years in the same private rented property) it was a godsend. I like the area, I like the neighbours, DD settled in school etc...

However what I would like more than anything is a property of my own. So yes, I would I would buy my own house because then I never have to deal with that stress again and I have something to leave my children. I'd probably stay local though as we are settled here.

I'd be disgruntled with said lottery winner, but I don't know how long they have been in their home. My neighbour and her husband have been in theirs over 50 years - I imagine they wouldn't want to move.

I don't think the secure tenancy exists now - it doesn't where I live. I got a 5 year contract and even now I'm on a red flag because I went back to work and got into arrears as I was being charged full rent on 10 hours a week (now working 16 hours and still full rent) it's very stressful. I have a good relationship with my housing office though and she knows I'm working hard to make the best of things.

In short - absolutely give up your house if you aren't prepared to buy it.

Drivemecrazy1974 · 12/08/2018 14:43

Personally, I think that if this lady has lived in her home for a long time, she shouldn't be made to give it up. Perhaps she's attached to the house, maybe she likes her neighbourhood/neighbours and maybe she sees moving as something she doesn't want to do.
I don't see why she should have to move out if that's not what she wants to do. Myself, I'd be out of there like a shot, but that's because we're in a flat in the middle of a city and I'd do almost ANYTHING to be able to live by the coast!

MaintainTheMolehill · 12/08/2018 14:44

Council houses were created to provide "affordable housing for all" then Thatcher brought in right to buy, the stock depleted then old people who had been told it was so important to get on the property ladder have to sell their homes to pay for their care in their old age while auld Maggie rubbed her hands in glee at her cunning plan.

I don't think the woman should move. We lived in a HA house for years and it was our dream home. We inherited from dh's parents and felt we had to use the money to buy somewhere else in order to be rent/mortgage free for the rest of our lives (what dhs parents would have wanted). I bitterly regret it, it's not just bricks and mortar.

MrsTerryPratchett · 12/08/2018 14:45

If she bought it, it wouldn't be a council house any more. This way it still will be.

glintandglide · 12/08/2018 14:46

She bought 2 properties but the council
House would take up a high proportion of the winnings?!

glintandglide · 12/08/2018 14:46

Oh by the way this wouldn’t really bother me as long as she’s paying full rent and not claiming anything. There should be a good old mix of people in any area. She’s only 1 woman

nellyolsenscurl · 12/08/2018 14:47

I lean towards the side of the fence where social housing is affordable housing for those that could otherwise not afford it, so yes to me it doesn't really sit well knowing that she purchased two houses (and she seems to be purposely covering her tracks by putting them in other names)

I hope if she is renting them out that they are a 'fair' price rather than market value.

cheesemongery · 12/08/2018 14:49

In short - absolutely give up your house if you aren't prepared to buy it.

Quoting myself and thinking of my neighbours - their children that they brought up in the house are now in their 30's/40's the granchildren are round every weekend.

I would have thought they would want to buy this house and not a random because of the family history.

I like a lay in on a Saturday morning, but am greeted with the shouts of Nan... Nan! Nan!!! NAN!!!! It's lovely. Poor Nan Grin

ASpringerEspanya · 12/08/2018 14:49

If I won the lottery I would keep my council house. I'd buy if if I won big bucks.

It's where my kids were born and I love it. No amount of money would make me want to leave it behind.

nellyolsenscurl · 12/08/2018 14:51

glint I agree there should be a fair mix of people, not sure that a multimillionaire is what I was thinking though!

Puzzledandpissedoff · 12/08/2018 14:53

Council housing wasn't intended for those with no other options. IT was meant for anyone who needed it

This is perfectly true - or as you say it was - but given the confusion often seen in today's society between need and want, I'd suggest it's not always that easy

And if we stick with the "need" concept, doesn't that create an argument for periodic means testing?

Puzzledandpissedoff · 12/08/2018 14:59

I hope if she is renting (the two purchased properties) out that they are a 'fair' price rather than market value

An interesting point ...

screenscream · 12/08/2018 14:59

What is it that you are thinking of doing, OP?
Where do you think this person should be living?

Hmm
Birdsgottafly · 12/08/2018 15:02

Has she bought houses for her children, who are also in need of Social Housing? If so, rather than buy her own, she has saved two SA Houses being needed and with no housing costs, the person can take a lower paid job, if needed etc.

The Tory Government have once again bought in a policy, Bedroom Tax, which has removed Social Housing.

If we are in such a crisis why are we directing the blame at the doors of those who have no influence over Government policy, as the Government don't care.

Whose to say that if she did move out, it wouldn't be sold to a private LL, as a lot of housing stock has been in the last two years.

The people in that community are the ones making it somewhere decent to live. Why should they be forced out? There aren't many SA estates were you would stay, if you had that sort of money and it's only thanks to the residents.

Bimgy85 · 12/08/2018 15:02

Why should she give up her home just because she won a million ££££

That's hardly going to last her very long.

NickyNora · 12/08/2018 15:15

One of tbe houses she bought for a family member to live in. The other house will be their family home & is in her dp name. It is being rented at the moment.

She has always lived in LA housing & was moved to her current house as she had 4 more dc after being housed in a 2 bedroom house after her 1st dc was born.

Ultimately shes doing nothing wrong but making the best of her situation.

OP posts:
sashh · 12/08/2018 15:24

Someone doesn't want to leave their home after a lottery win?What is the world coming to?I mean she will be paying full rent and council tax, how awful of her.

OP If I won the lottery I wouldn't be able to buy my HA property because they don't sell the properties for disabled people and I don't think I'd want to move, not initially anyway.

The other thing to consider is she might not know HOW to own a home eg when the boiler needs servicing, how to do repairs, what to do if the toilet is blocked.

Tomboytown · 12/08/2018 15:25

No, if you win a million pounds you should be forced to move out of your perfectly acceptable home, where you have lived for years, where your friends and family are. You should be forced to go immediately and buy a house that will probably need some sort of work to make it your own. Be forced to go through the really horrible stressful time known as house buying. And don't forget conveyancy fees and solicitors and of course stamp duty.

Or you could be sensible, cautious, weigh up your options and stay in your house for the time being.

AlphaBravo · 12/08/2018 15:28

@SchadenfreudePersonified did we miss the part where council estates were generally over run with well maintained, manicured properties and model occupants? Hmm

Originalsaltedpeanuts · 12/08/2018 15:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Swipe left for the next trending thread