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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

My mum lives with me but acts like a guest

456 replies

lookybooky · 30/03/2019 21:35

My father passed away 4 years ago and my mum (early 60's) was so distraught that I invited her to move in with my family. We didn't have a spare room so she gave us £80k to build an extension (she has the 2 rooms that we built). At the time she said it was all she could spare but that was fine as it was enough for the 2 storey extension which includes a bathroom and kitchenette. She also pays £150 p/m towards bills. She doesn't babysit or do any housework or gardening but she was a bit miserable for the first year so I didn't expect any help. But we're in year 4 now and all she does is watch TV and go shopping or meet friends. Again, I could probably deal with that but I've just found out that she gave my brother almost exactly the same amount of money (only £10k less) at the same time as she gave me. AIBU that she's living like a guest in my home while he gets to do whatever he wants with the money (he's invested it into property I believe)? I've pointed out that I feel it's unfair but she said it's her own business and if I'm unhappy, I should return the £80k and she'll get a retirement flat. She won't move in with my bro as she hates his wife!

OP posts:
JustDanceAddict · 31/03/2019 11:03

I think she taking the piss big style.
Either she should stay in her extension for meals etc (buy her own food and pay towards bills) or come in with you and contribute to family life more. I think you need to talk.
The brother got the good deal didn’t he?

lookybooky · 31/03/2019 11:06

Should it/does it matter what DB did with his money? She didn't tell him to buy a flat. He could have put it all on black in Vegas. I'm just resentful that she hid it from me for so long and now, when we argue, asks for the £80K back when the only way I can do that is by selling the house. And of course, DB gets to keep his flat. It's that resentment and frustration at what I perceive as low contribution to household (income and just engaging on a positive level) that's starting to build up. I'd love to be able to forget about DB's money, stop shouting hypocrite in my head when she makes parenting judgements and just be happy to have her with us. I really would as that'd be perfect and how I imagined life would be. But now DH is starting to get frustrated too and I don't want a huge family meltdown.

OP posts:
Malbecfan · 31/03/2019 11:09

OP, I sympathise. With the benefit of hindsight, you should have put boundaries and mutual expectations on paper, but grief etc got in the way.

If you have kept old utility bills, I would look back at those pre-extension and look at energy/water use in terms of units over a year. Then look at post-extension. The only real difference in that is your DM's presence. Then calculate the current cost of those units, which should then be her contribution. Similarly with council tax. If the extension means you have gone up by a band, she should pay the difference. She should be paying a third of the insurance, broadband and TV licence.

Then I would set up some ground rules. Now the DC are older, presumably they are in school/nursery more regular hours. In return for lifts, she will agree to do the emergency childcare. No childcare = no lifts. I would also ask if she would like to eat with you on regular occasions. In my family we have an unwritten rule that the chef/cook doesn't have to wash up. If mum wants to cook the family meal once or twice a week, it saves you a job. If she doesn't, you haven't lost anything as you'd be doing it anyway.

I have a similar situation in that a parent has part of my property for their exclusive use, however, they are not resident here permanently. They looked at the cost of renting a similar size place in this area when deciding how much to contribute. Their utility costs are separately metered but within our bills so we can see how much their part costs. The amount is reviewed annually. We do all the external maintenance but they help with gardening/minor repairs when here and are considerably older than your DM.

I think you need a child-free discussion with your DM and DH about the way forward. It won't be easy but will hopefully lessen the resentment.

newcat12345 · 31/03/2019 11:09

The sounds horribly similar to a situation we were in with my in-laws.

Had a totally separate annexe converted which they contributed to paying for but DH did most of work. Never one word of thanks or appreciation. They paid a peppercorn rent

Perfectly fit and healthy but Did zero maintenance on their place or ever even offer to babysit:take DC to park. (And sorry, yes I am in the camp that thinks GPs who claim to adore their DGC should want to help out now and then). Constantly tried to lay claim on what we could and couldn't do with OUR house and garden and basically became impossible to live with.

All came to a head a few years ago when they just became impossible to live with and it was affecting our marriage. We (DH and I) decided the easiest thing to do was sell up and part ways with IL.
This pretty much kicked off WWIII. Their assumption was that they would see their days out there but utterly refused to see how their increasingly awful behaviour was making this untenable.
Now massive ructions between us IL and BiL (who had also assumed we would always care for them).

So they left with all their investment,plus interest, after living virtually rent-free for 10 years. And we are considered the wrong doers all this Confused

Never again!

Chocolatedeficitdisorder · 31/03/2019 11:16

Even a little cottage these days in a not particularly desirable area is at least £150k.

Not true. There are lots of areas in the UK where £150k would buy you a 3-bed family home in a decent area.

£80k would buy this in my local town in a decent, central area within walking distance of most amenities.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-75421175.html

juneau · 31/03/2019 11:28

Okay, I live in the south of England. You can't buy anything down here for £80k. You'd be lucky to get a garage for that in my town!

Chocolatedeficitdisorder · 31/03/2019 11:30

Luckily, the South of England isn't the entire UK, although many people in the South seem to forget that.

Magenta82 · 31/03/2019 11:31

You need to change the way you feel about the £80k, and the way you react to her when she tries to manipulate you with it brings it up.

See it as a gift in the same way the money to your brother was, if she threatens to ask for it back treat her as if she is being ridiculous (because she is). Tell her it sin't going to happen and she knows it.

Drum2018 · 31/03/2019 11:33

Legal situation re money is that its 100% a gift, not a loan

Happy days - she can fucking sing for it so.

Parky04 · 31/03/2019 11:37

If you are feeling resentful now wait until she requies care when she is older!! You will resent her and your DB even more.

juneau · 31/03/2019 11:38

Fine, well then OP I suggest you tell your DM to go and buy a 1-bed flat in Dunfermline with her £80k!

RosaWaiting · 31/03/2019 11:38

I feel for you OP. You tried to do an incredibly kind thing and it's not worked out so well.

I think I see your point, that if she was an active member of the household then it would be different, but as it is, you have all the bad bits of a lodger, with added criticism!

She can't ask for that money back. I would sit down with her and suggest that she might be happier living alone properly.

she is really blackmailing you over that gift money. btw does that £150 a month include her share of food?

Chocolatedeficitdisorder · 31/03/2019 11:48

1-bed flat in Dunfermline

(other non-Southern English options are available).

Ellenborough · 31/03/2019 11:49

Call your brother and say: “now your turn - mum’s moving in with you for 4 years now.”

On the face of it, that sounds like a perfectly reasonable thing to say. Or as a PP suggested, tell your brother your mother needs to live in the flat he's bought with the money she gave him.

Bagpuss5 · 31/03/2019 11:54

Haven't read it all but sell the house and give her the money. DB is blue eyed boy so that is how it is, I don't imagine he is doing all the hospital drop offs.
Sell and move.

Hearhere · 31/03/2019 11:55

Bloody hell @Newcat what an appalling Saga!
they clearly thought that you existed to serve their needs...they thought they were moving into a home that came equipped with servants

Inliverpool1 · 31/03/2019 11:58

Bagpuss5 - fuck that it was ops home before the mother became involved and the £80,000 is a gift. The mother is in Avery precarious position tbh and should be behaving herself

Bagpuss5 · 31/03/2019 11:59

And sell up and move before she gets any older. Early 60s is young. 20 years down the line it will still be you doing the helping but you definitely will NOT be able to ask for help from her then because she is 'old' and 'frail' - if she is milking it now it can only get worse.
There's a good possibility she meets someone else at this age anyway.

Bagpuss5 · 31/03/2019 12:03

@Inliverpool1 We don't know how much money the DM has - possibly a good stash. Gift or not it's better imv the OP gets shot of the responsibility for her DM now whilst she is young enough to carve a new life for herself.
MN is full of threads about favouritism in families. Parents never seem to acknowledge their favouritism. It is how it is. DB is the favourite. Hopefully once DM has moved out guilt will make her give some money to the OP to even the score. But if you never change any of your DGC's nappies - well that's pretty uncaring.

Kaleela · 31/03/2019 12:07

I'd be telling her to move out so you can hire an au pair and only offer her the 10k difference between what your DB got and what you got. You're a better person than I am, offering up your home for her to modify and use as a hotel for a pittance. Kudos.

TurquoiseLagoon · 31/03/2019 12:14

I have only read half so this may have been mentioned - your brother has an apartment he bought with your dm's money. He gets £500 pm rent from the tenants (£500 x12 months x 4 years = £24,000) and can sell it again (probably at a profit) whenever he likes. You got £10,000 extra, but can only realise the investment when you sell your family home. Plus, she's not contributing enough to bills so you're out of pocket every month. (£50 x12 months x 4 years =£2,400)
I'm not surprised you feel hard done by

Hearhere · 31/03/2019 12:15

The mother is on very thin ice here, but she has the power of FOG on her side
OP is making a rod for her own back in my opinion...mummy is only going to get more and more difficult as time goes on, she is not a person who compromises instead she doubles down on her position if she is challenged

Helplessfeeling · 31/03/2019 12:16

The DB has bought a flat for £70k, so perfectly possible for her to have bought a flat for £80k.

Did he buy it outright for £70k or is there a mortgage which gets paid for by the rent? Is he in the same area as OP or somewhere cheaper? Does it have the large kitchen which the OP's Mum gets use of in the current set up, or is it a small kitchen-cum-living room? We don't know if the £80K annexe is at all comparable with the £70k flat. My bet is that the Mum would not have got such a good deal if she had bought on the open market. Plus she gets lifts thrown in for free!

RandomMess · 31/03/2019 12:27

TBH I'd sell up, downsize and give her the money back.

Your DB will have to help her out if that isn't enough money for a 1 bed flat.

Just explain its not working out and you can't afford to live in the property anymore.

seven201 · 31/03/2019 12:33

She sounds quite manipulative. Tell her you are considering options

A) kicking her out and not giving her the gifted money back.
B) putting her rent up a little to cover the heating she uses and asking her to not cook in your kitchen. Stopping giving lifts to supermarket and hospital.
C) all being nice to each other and having an honest calm chat about how everyone can help each other and what is fair bills, lifts, childcare wise.