Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think this is cheeky? (Property related)

226 replies

opinionatedfreak · 17/01/2021 22:18

We are due to complete on the sale of a family home tomorrow.

The person died so the house is empty.

I’ve just gone round to read the meters and discovered a pile of garden furniture in the back garden.

I’m assuming it belongs to the buyers.

AIBU to think it is cheeky to do this without asking?

YANBU = they are cheeky
YABU = what’s the problem the house will be theirs tomorrow.

OP posts:
Theunamedcat · 17/01/2021 23:10

What if its not there's? What if someone has seen an empty house and an opportunity to fly tip

Hugoslavia · 17/01/2021 23:11

It was just so awful her strutting around the place with her children, elderly parents and a friend to show them round and treating us as though we were trepassing on her property just because we had exchanged that morning. She never afforded us the courtesy to move our possessions out first before she barged in. It wasn't as though we were dragging our heels either.

waterproofed · 17/01/2021 23:11

Sorry for your loss, OP.

Do you resent your buyers? Your strength of feeling is a little unusual this close to completion with regards to the house you don’t live in. The legal position with regards to ownership isn’t actually all that straightforward between exchange and completion.

Yes, you still own the legal title to the property. However, after exchange and before completion, the buyer has an equitable interest in the same property. The house is no longer yours to do with whatever you like - for example, you couldn’t sell it to someone else without legal implications.

boobswife · 17/01/2021 23:12

people buying from us had stuff delivered to the house before completion, including a virgin media box .

Staffy1 · 17/01/2021 23:12

It's very cheeky and entitled. Just surprised how many people on here think it's ok.

Haffdonga · 17/01/2021 23:14

Cheeky yes, but in the grand scheme what harm does it really do? I'd just 'let it go' and move on. It's not worth your energy to get upset about it.

I'm sorry for your loss.

HannaYeah · 17/01/2021 23:16

@Staffy1

It's very cheeky and entitled. Just surprised how many people on here think it's ok.
I wonder about that also.

I always thought people were a bit ridiculous being irritated about others parking in front of their house. Until I owned a home of my own, then suddenly it all made sense.

Original poster
opinionatedfreak · 17/01/2021 23:18

@waterproofed I think from reading the thread there are others who would feel strongly if someone assumed it was OK to leave things in what was still their garden.

OP posts:
Dopo · 17/01/2021 23:19

I'm sorry for your loss.

I think it's just a British way to get worked up about these things.
If you would have agreed if they'd asked then I'd just let it go.
It boxes well.that they're not going to pull out at the last minute at least if their furniture is there.

You don't know 100% if it's their stuff. Find out first before getting so angry. It won't do you any good.

Fuckitsstillraining · 17/01/2021 23:21

Its not just cheeky its trespassing and if they fell and got injured could sue you. I'd be very tempted to remove the furniture and either say you dumped it thinking it had been fly tipped or just say nothing, let them look for it and claim it must have been stolen. I hate people who think they can do whatever they like. Its not their house yet so they should wait until it is.

BloggersBlog · 17/01/2021 23:21

@pinbinpin did they think it was some random person parking there? Or did they know it was her?

Purplethrow · 17/01/2021 23:22

It’s sometimes emotional letting go of a house, especially as it’s someone who has passed away. I think I’d feel as if the buyers hadn’t given me time (albeit unknowingly) to have a last walk round having a bit of a reminisce before they’ve ‘claimed’ it as theirs .
I know I felt very emotional when I left my last house.

Original poster
opinionatedfreak · 17/01/2021 23:25

@Purplethrow definitely an element of that.

People generally don’t fly tip garden furniture (under protective covers) neatly onto the patio!!

But, yes, we have asked our solicitor to confirm it is the buyers furniture because if it isn’t we are liable for the removal costs.

OP posts:
HazyJuly · 17/01/2021 23:27

Years ago one of my friends copied the key from the estate agents (you often visited empty houses alone back then)

Before completion they fitted a new kitchen, bathroom, rewired and painted the whole place. They had a building business and their argument was that they were adding value and so if anything went wrong the seller would be better off.

PanamaPattie · 17/01/2021 23:27

Sit in the chairs. Drink the fizz. FaceTime them as you set fire to the chairs.

Graffitiqueen · 17/01/2021 23:28

YABU

Cocogreen · 17/01/2021 23:32

Not very smart of them.
What if the furniture is stolen and their insurance cover doesn’t start until after settlement?

DeRigueurMortis · 17/01/2021 23:38

@Hugoslavia

People can be so cheeky. Our buyer ordered furniture which arrived before we moved out and she had a trampoline delivered the night before. She also started moving in with her friends and family at 10am in the morning, whilst we were still packing up and moving out. Then, she demanded that we guard her furniture lest our removal men accidentally take it. Even more annoying was the fact that she only lived down the street and rented, so didn't need to be out of her property for another month. It was horrendous. I never had the opportunity to walk around the house and see the empty rooms to give it a final farewell.

This doesn't make sense.

If you'd not completed by 10am there was no obligation for you at all to allow the buyer access to the house and start moving furniture in.

If you did, then the repercussions are yours to own.

If you had completed by 10am then technically you were trespassing in her home and she had every right to move her furniture in there and you should have been long gone.

WinstonmissesXmas · 17/01/2021 23:39

I’d remove it for the simple fact that you’re meant to leave it empty, as seen. What happens if they come after you for disposal costs?

AFP10 · 17/01/2021 23:39

@waterproofed completely agree with you. Between exchange and completion the "buyer" has to have insurance in place and has a stake in the property, just as you do. It's not their "fucking house" as you put it but it's no longer your sole asset either. I suspect tensions are running high as you have the end of an era upon you and this was made all the more apparent today. I'm sorry for your loss. In the scheme of life and death a bit of garden furniture is no biggy. Look after yourself.

pinbinpin · 17/01/2021 23:41

@pinbinpin did they think it was some random person parking there? Or did they know it was her?

Though it was randoms I think as close to train station - but also knew it was an elderly person who had died and that daughter lived in same town and was clearing the house etc

Iknowwhatudidlastsummer · 17/01/2021 23:43

I think it's just a British way to get worked up about these things.

I am not British. I would still get very annoyed.

BuntysTwinkle · 17/01/2021 23:46

You know it's theirs. You don't need a confirmation. Except you do because you want them to know you know...

If you complete tomorrow it's just a formality. They probably just want to get ahead on moving stuff over because they're excited.

But yes, go and take your champagne back, you'll be grumpy about that too if you don't.

BuntysTwinkle · 17/01/2021 23:48

I’d remove it for the simple fact that you’re meant to leave it empty, as seen. What happens if they come after you for disposal costs?

They're more likely to come after her for getting rid of their garden furniture.

Pumpkintopf · 17/01/2021 23:50

This would really piss me off. I'd get in touch via their solicitor to ask if it's theirs as if not someone has flytipped and you've been trying to get quotes to dispose of it so you can leave the property empty for them.

Swipe left for the next trending thread