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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to not want my DP brother and sister in my property

68 replies

GiftedFish · 28/12/2019 12:55

Me and my DP have hardly spoken since Boxing Day evening because i found out he had had his sister in my car on Xmas day.
Let me go into a little background on this.
So, his brother and sister are drug addicts, each using cannabis and crack, his sister also uses heroin. He doesn't have a great deal to do with any of his family, well siblings.. mum deceased and dad not around. He is the only one of 3 of them that has made anything of themselves. Holds down a decent job, sustains himself rather than abusing the benefit system. He is the only one that ever gave their mum anything to be proud of. Never done drugs, barely even drinks alcohol.

I absolutely loathe his sister. Until me and my DP lived together he was living with his sister, although hardly ever there as either with me or working so it was just a case of sleeping there a few nights a month. He ended up living there as he moved back to the area and it was just an easy option and his sister wasn't on the drugs then (she's been on and off for years, 2 kids already in care). She also had her 2 year old there and he was helping out with his nephew. So he put his house stuff in storage. Their mum died and his sister ended up back on drugs and slowly but surely the drug use got heavier and heavier.
She began stealing from him, money, keys to his storage unit, sold his furniture, he was having to sleep with his wallet and phone under his pillow. She'd use his phone to call drug dealers and then he'd have them ringing him threatening him when she owed money. He has life insurance policy and she questioned him on what would happen to his money in the event of his death, 2 weeks after this he found a note in his wallet saying "my name is such and such, i am (name) sister and next of kin, please contact me in the event of an emergency"..
She started having dealers there cutting up on the kitchen worktops because she'd be paid in drugs, then men for sexual favours. If my DP was asleep in bed she would go out at all hours leaving her son and my partner unaware that he was supposed to be looking after the little one. He would pay his rent and that same night all the money would be gone that she'd be asking, begging and crying for more money. He did the weekly shop, ensuring nephew had milk, nappies etc. Taking his nephew out to get him away from the situation as much as possible. (Social services are involved)
He gave his sister a lift once and she dropped crack in his car, down the edge of seat and couldn't retrieve it. My DP walked to the shop with nephew and came back to find his seat had been taken out of his car by a neighbour after his sister had asked them to remove it so she could get the crack. obviously it's better out of the car than in it but the whole thing was insane.
His brother was constantly stopped by police and if they seen him in a car that car was pulled over and he was searched, vehicle was searched. DP had been stopped a few times with him in the car and he was searched at side of road too. It got to the point where my DP told him he isn't giving him a lift anywhere again and to not bother asking.. and he hasn't.
So, sorry bit of a long one..
Xmas day my DP went to go see his nephew, i don't have anything to do with any of them (i've been there before where dealers turned up to use kitchen and after that i said never again) i stayed at home with my family while he went to see his nephew. He turned up there and his nephew wasn't there, just his sister. I'm annoyed about my DP taking his sister back to where his nephew was, at the nephews dad for number of reasons. 1 - his nephew is not allowed to see his dad over fears for his safety, nephews dad has some serious mental health issues, once trying to put a drill through his ear to stop the voices. so that annoyed me that she shows complete disregard for that.
2 - my DP used my car, he did have a car of his own but since living together sold it as he drives a van and he just uses my car when needs be, so what if she'd dropped some of her crack/heroin in my car, a child in my family gets hold of it or we are pulled over, it's found by police.. we wouldn't have a leg to stand on in saying it's not ours.. how many times have they heard that!?
3 - she has stolen from my DP car before so why wouldn't she mine. She stole from their own mother.
Fortunately, he won't tell any of his family where exactly his living now, so that she can't turn up here begging or potentially stealing from us. We both work very hard for what we have and i don't want any of them jeopardising any of that.

I genuinely don't think my DP thought about it like i have, but we haven't spoken properly since Boxing Day evening because he can become defensive about it, although he knows it's the truth he is just so ashamed of his family.

AIBU to not want them in any of my property, including my car!?

OP posts:
OneDay10 · 28/12/2019 14:03

You have to realise that your dp is involved in a very toxic situation but he is also probably deeply enmeshed in a cycle of obligation and guilt.
Obligation - It seems like he has taken on a fatherly role with his nephew from living with his sister and having a hand in raising him - he is never going to walk away from that and if it means having to put up with his sister he will do it.
Guilt - He is the only one thats living a normal life so he does bear some guilt for that. And guilt for how their lives have turned out.
I think he will never, ever walk away from them. That means he will always have a clouded sense of judgement when it comes to them. They have a very toxic dynamic, Its something you will have to accept being with him.

Binglebong · 28/12/2019 14:04

That may be why your DP took her then, just to get the child to relative safety.

I'm sorry, this must be so hard for you both.Flowers

GiftedFish · 28/12/2019 14:05

@partyforone
I've said the same to him before. There was one point when he kept giving into her and lending her money. Once that came to an end she stopped contacting my DP. Even down to when he would do the shopping, i used to say he isn't giving the social worker the chance to see the full extent of whats happening.. he's almost masking it prolonging the inevitable. That soon stopped too.

OP posts:
MotherOfLittlePeople · 28/12/2019 14:07

I'd be contacting social services about him seeing the father if he isn't meant to for safety. I can't believe he is still in her care!! How old is he?

I'd also cut contact with her unless it's anything to do with his nephew

SchoolPanicTime · 28/12/2019 14:08

If I was your DP I couldn't walk away from my nephew. I also couldn't walk away from my sister just because she was a drug addict of course though I would be wary of enabling her or putting the rest of my family in danger. I don't think I could resent him giving his sister a lift. he probably finds it difficult to discuss his family with you since you hate her so much - I get it addicts are incredibly hard to like because their actual personalities aren't very visible. I think if you want to get anyway you'll have to show some compassion for the horrible position your DP is in. He still loves his sister despite the fact she's in the grip of this horrible disease. I'm surprised he isn't doing more for his nephew not less. If I were him I'd want to take DN in if I could.

GiftedFish · 28/12/2019 14:14

@lulualla
My DP did take him at one point when nephew was younger, she was off her head, the house was a mess, there were strange men there, was dreadful. She rang the police and reported my DP nephew as missing. My DP explained what was going on to the police privately and they said that as long as the nephew was not classed as under a care order, he didn't have a leg to stand on. So now we are trying to get this care order in place where my DP would have custody until nephew is 18 years old.
Social services made a huge cock up and let the visits slip for a while that it went back to family court and the status of the child couldn't change. DP sister was happy for him to have custody, if child went under this care order but that was when DP was living there. That's not the case anymore.

OP posts:
chuck7 · 28/12/2019 14:14

I think your OH is in an awful position and it sounds like he is trying to be there for his nephew. Personally I'd be doing what I could to help provide support and stability for the nephew.

Muzzyarker · 28/12/2019 14:15

I understand from your side OP, but I do not think anyone wants to be an addict. Nobody says "I want to be an addict and destroy lives when I grow up" do they? Your DP obviously loves his siblings and wants to help, shows what a nice person he is, so help and support him or don't, but don't give him the them or you ultimatum and try not to judge those with addictions life throws different things at different people is all.

GiftedFish · 28/12/2019 14:18

@motheroflittlepeople, nephew is 6 now.

OP posts:
Cuteypye · 28/12/2019 14:22

Would you be happy to have his dn come to live with you? If so, ensure everything is reported to sw/police etc. If not, still ensure everything is reported, but make sure your dp knows that you are not willing to help, so that a different plan can be put in position!
I know you may not be happy but would take on dn, but if he was treated differently to your own dcs, that would be unfair to dn and only serve to show him that no one puts him first.

LikeaHurricane · 28/12/2019 14:27

giftedfish, apologies if this has already been said, but you mentioned earlier in thread that you wish your DP would make sensible choices? Well, he definitely did that by removing his nephew from his father's house. He will have had to take his sister with him, legally he can't just do that on his own.
And that sounds to me like love.

To be perfectly honest, he sounds like a very loyal, decent man, one to be proud of.
Yes, I know that the whole situation is not ideal ...and that's an understatement, but you've got a good one there from the sounds of it
You can't expect a decent, loyal person to behave any other way. It's all about the kid

OlaEliza · 28/12/2019 14:29

YADNBU op. I wouldn't want a junkie prostitute in my car either.

GiftedFish · 28/12/2019 14:30

@SchoolPanicTime
He had to leave the house as he was being stolen from constantly. He caught two men in his room on two different occasions and one of the occasions, my DP told me he told this guy to get out his room and this person told my DP what he had done to his sister (sexually) that he literally grab hold of him and put him outside. He doesn't have a temper on him at all, he's very laid back but it got the better of him.
His sister has done so much damage that he is somewhat detached from her, some of the stuff is unforgivable. Like pawning their deceased mums necklace that he was left, she stole it from his room. She also encourage his brother onto crack. So their relationship is quite damaged already. We live a 2 minute drive from his sister so we are still very close and he constantly goes round to see his nephew.

OP posts:
GiftedFish · 28/12/2019 14:33

@Muzzyarker
I don't necessarily hate his sister. I hate what she does to him and her son. She's actually very sweet when she's off the drugs but she's been back off on them for about 3 years. You must of missed my comment about having a certain level of empathy for addicts because i do, i just can't stand the damage it has on their loved ones.

OP posts:
GiftedFish · 28/12/2019 14:35

@Cuteypye
I'm 100% happy to take his nephew on, have been from the start. He is already treated as equally as i treat my kids. I love having him around and the relationship between him and my kids is lovely.

OP posts:
darthbreakz · 28/12/2019 14:38

I agree with @Lulualla - can you offer - firmly - to have this poor kid come and live with you? He needs stability and his mum needs to figure her life out. I reckon that every day he's in this chaotic situation is another days damage that's being done.

You can't make an addict change and you can't save them. They have to save themselves.

Start arrangements to foster your nephew asap.

Muzzyarker · 28/12/2019 14:39

Sorry OP, my bad.

GiftedFish · 28/12/2019 14:40

@LikeaHurricane
Sorry, i don't know if i've typed it poorly but he went to his sisters house and the nephew wasn't there. He was left with his dad.
So he drove his sister to the dads house.

OP posts:
NomNomNomNom · 28/12/2019 14:41

Surely you wouldn't want DH to just leave DN at his father's house? I totally get the frustration you feel towards his sister but you must feel a certain amount of empathy for DH's position even if you don't sympathise with his sister? His parents are both dead and he must feel a certain level of responsibility for her.

GiftedFish · 28/12/2019 14:47

@darthbreakz
It's already in place for my DP's nephew to be put into DP's care, but he has to be put under this care order, which with be enforced until nephew is 18. But this care order is kind of just lurking there at the minute. Social services have to do whatever they have to do by law, they were supposed to visit x amount of times but they didn't and they failed so when it went back to family court it was agreed the child would stay in the care of DP sister. These checks were meant to be coming to an end in May but my DP contacted social services to tell them he wasn't living there any longer so they've extended the visits and he constantly goes round and take his nephew out or brings him here. He breaks his heart when he has to drop him back because he fears the worst. So he is doing everything he can to keep child safe and puching for him to live with us.

OP posts:
GiftedFish · 28/12/2019 14:56

@NomNomNomNom
No of course i wouldn't want DN left there. He drove his sister there, went in, seen the nephew, then tried getting them all to leave together but the father wasn't having any of it and his sister was just like "it is his son" but social services have said he is not to see the little boy with or without anyone there. Just no contact, so very irresponsible of his sister but the father gives her money which she spends on drugs so she allows it.
The mum is dead, the dad just isn't around. Only sees them on xmas. He is in denial about all of it.
This has gone on for 3 years so far, so i'm at the end of my tether with it. My DP is aswel but we've got to be there for his nephew and try and get him out of this situation. He doesn't have much to do with his sister at all other than when it concerns his never. She already had two kids in care, 1 of which was born addicted to heroin and now has problems with her bowels and eyes.

OP posts:
IamFriedSpam · 28/12/2019 15:01

@GiftedFish

I get you're exhausted with the whole situation but what else was DH meant to do? It's hardly ideal but it makes sense to go with his sister and try and get her to take her son back. She's not mother of the year but the dad's clearly even worse.

turnaroundbrighteyes · 28/12/2019 15:10

You are being utterly unreasonable. Your DP is the only responsible adult in his nephew's life. On Christmas day he received information to say that he was with someone who has mh issues and may not have been capable of caring for DN. He did absolutely 100% the right thing and went over there to check his DN's safety taking the person who has parental responsibility and legal custody so the child could easily be retrieved if necessary. If he was someone in my life I'd be proud of him for doing the right thing.

Dont want him to use your car or trust his judgement, get separate ones!

Yanbu to have convinced him to stop enabling her.
YABU about this
YABothBU if you haven't told social services every last detail of what goes in her home

Honeybee85 · 28/12/2019 15:16

YANBU I wouldn’t want his sister anywhere near my stuff either.

I would have a very serious conversation with him about keeping his sister far, far away from both of you. I do understand it’s hard for him and my heart breaks for the poor little boy, it’s good he cares about his nephew.

GiftedFish · 28/12/2019 15:29

@turnaroundbrighteyes
He didn't know his nephew wasn't at home. DP had gone to his home to see him and his sister had left him at his dads. Then after trying to convince sister to leave with nephew she was saying no and that they were having dinner there.
I have children of my own who are in and out of my car constantly, i don't want them having any contact with drugs at all. My concern was that she had left something in the car, as she has done before meaning it could come into contact with my kids. I'm not really sure that's unreasonable of me.
Everything is reported to SS and the school.

OP posts:
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