To think this was school admission fraud ?

[Survivor12345]

We put our house on the market in 2015, knowing that a key selling point was its proximity (walking distance) to the most sought-after primary school in our area, and the fact that the secondary school in our town was the #1 choice for our part of the county (Hertfordshire).

Within 48 hours we had four full asking price offers, all from families with school-age children, as expected.

To avoid a chain, we chose the buyers who claimed to be 'living in rented accommodation' in another town whose two children, then aged approx. 7 and 5, attended the primary school near us.

We did wonder how come they had got in there, but didn't question it too much, concluding that it was not our business. They gushed over our house and claimed that they would be moving straight in when we moved out, were delighted to be sure of the secondary school places etc. etc.

They turned out to have lied about being 'in rented accommodation'; in fact, they owned the house they lived in in the other town, but 'Didn't like the schools there, they are too rough'.

Whatever, after discovering that they'd lied we were halfway through the sales process so had little choice but to continue with them, even though they ducked and dived trying to claim nonsense after their survey etc. We gave them one week to complete after their extortion attempts which they complied with, as they clearly didn't want to lose the house.

So we moved out on completion - and they have never moved into the place !

OK I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS NONE OF OUR BUSINESS, NEVERTHELESS, LYING IS LYING IS FRAUD AS I UNDERSTAND IT WHEN IT COMES TO SCHOOL PLACES ?

Since buying our former house, they have continued to live in their house in the other town and send their children to the town's two highly over-subscribed schools, thus, in our view, depriving two children from our town of two places at good schools near their genuine homes.

They have rented our former house out and continue to own it.

What I would like to know is, does this amount to school place application fraud?

We knew they were buying our house for its proximity to these good schools, but believed them when they said that they were going to move into it and live there.

We don't care what they do, but do believe that it's wrong to game the system like this. Our children are grown, and we're not familiar with the requirements for school applications.

AIBU to ask anyone else who has recent knowledge to tell me whether what they have done is just sharp practice, or is it downright unlawful, in which case, how do I report them?

Wait, they bought a house in order to get their children into the catchment area?

Ilovemydog- that's why a lot of people move isn't it?

But they already had kids at the local school before buying your house?

Did their children already attend the school? That’s what it sounds like in your post, in which case your house had nothing to do with it.

It could be fraud or it could be legitimate reasons like adoption or EHCP that put them in higher priority categories

I imagine this might raise an eyebrow if the tenants send their kids there cos of the address but honestly, unless you intend to tell the school you need to let it go

People to crazy things to get in to catchment areas...
I do wonder what would happen if the people they rented to also sent their children to the school. Things like this would get flagged and followed up

I believe it is admissions fraud - you have to live there. Our country requested council tax statements to prove actually live address.

The kids were at primary and trying to get into secondary?

If their children had already got into the sought after primary school before they bought your house they may have been in a priority category for getting into the secondary anyway. For example their children could be adopted, have special needs etc.

Well they sound dishonest but if the kids are already at the school I can't see the school telling them they have to leave so they have cheated the system and won. This goes on all over the country.

Similar things happen near us a lot, we live in the catchment of a very good secondary school. The house next door to us was rented on a fairly rotating basis, often with people with DC in Year 5/6 and our house was bought primarily for the school.

Assume they paid for the house? Then they own it don’t see what the problem is?

If they put your address down to gain admission then I think it is admissions fraud.
There's a poster on here, who I've forgotten the name of but it starts with P and has some numbers, who is very knowledgeable in this area.

It is only fraud if they used the address to get school places without living there, but by the sounds of it they already attended there so not relevant.

They own the house, paid at the price you set. You need to get a life and stop worrying about what others do.

As I understand it they were already in the primary school but may have used the address to get into the secondary?

In which case the first part is irrelevant as they had somehow already got into the primary. The secondary could be fraud though if they used the address but were never permanently resident there. If you were so inclined you could check the admissions policy and report them but it may or may not go anywhere.

Really though, and I mean this kindly, it sounds like you’re over invested in what was ultimately a financial transaction. If you cared a lot about who you sold the house too for emotional reasons then you could have pulled out when you found out they had lied. Ultimately though, you asked for a price and they paid it, which you accepted despite finding out they had lied about renting in another town. I think you should put it behind you and move on. It’s really not all that clear to me though what’s the difference between them renting or owning in the other town. The key question is if they bought your house just to use the address to get into the secondary school. Which you can report if you want but I would really try and move on.

If they are paying the bills and council tax then they would pass any checks that Herts CC are supposed to carry out against admission fraud - we're also in Herts

Thanks to all for your replies.

To clarify, yes, their children were already in the primary school right near our former home, somehow, despite their living (where they still do) in another town.

crikeycrumbsblimey interestingly, the father asked me for a copy of the Council Tax bill when they made the offer. Suspicious ?

I agree that we need to get a life User50000999788887876655 , however fraud is fraud and two deserving children who live in that town are now going to lose places at the school there to two whose parents have lied.

We are not OK with that, even if you are.

Is something missing here op? You said the kids were already at the schools in your area? So what’s your house got to do with it?

Sorry cross posted, op why are you accusing them of fraud when you have no idea why they were accepted into the schools. That’s appalling.

If you dont have kids desperate to get into the school then i really think you need to forget this as it isn't affecting you in the slightest. So what if their kids go to the school when someone else could? Don't her kids deserve a good education? Move on

interestingly, the father asked me for a copy of the Council Tax bill when they made the offer. Suspicious?

Not really, the bill would need their name on as well as the address to be used as proof for the school so having a copy of yours wouldn't make a difference. Unless they scanned it and did something with photoshop to put their name on but that's getting a tad far-fetched.

Yes, Bluntness100, if it was fraud, it was fraud and I would be happy to report them.

Oh and when the time comes we plan on moving specifically to get kids into the right secondary school. We will live in the house, but I don’t really see much difference between buying a house and living in it and buying a house and choosing to remain living elsewhere. You still own within the catchment which gives you a place at the school and it’s no skin off anyone else’s nose if you drive a bit further to get to school!

Op you have no idea if it was fraud, calm yourself down. The kids were accepted into the school long before they bought your house.