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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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WEIRD Naighbours! Meth? Something else?

98 replies

FortunesFave · 09/03/2021 20:18

I posted the other day about the Air B&B and their bins...well that's sorted now. I'm now posting about the neighbours on the other side.

We've met them for a hello only once in the three weeks we've been here. They consist of a very elderly man and also a woman and her son.

The elderly man I will call Bob. This is Australia by the way. Now Bob is about 75 and not in great physical shape but he's very friendly and seemed nice.

His housemates - because that's what they are, struck me as odd.

She's in her late 60s or early 70s and we can call her Mary and her son Joe is about 50. Bob told me he'd once owned the house they all live in but about 30 years ago he sold it and the buyer continued to rent it to Bob.

Bob also said "The landlord doesn't like Mary and Joe living here with me. He tries to get them out...but they've helped me. They had nowhere to live...before they came I was in a mess. They've tidied the house and garden and sorted all the junk. It's a lot better than when I was alone."

But over the weeks I've heard the odd shouting argument and there was one time the cops came. All they were doing was talking to Bob though.

Anyway...three morning ago it was early and still a bit dark, I looked out off my balcony and into their front garden and saw Mary crawling around the garden in her dressing gown picking at the grass.

Their lawn is very scrubby..just the odd patch of grass and she was it seemed, picking single blades of grass over and over again, very concentrated.

I thought "Must be some gardening thing" but was Confused

Then DH told me he'd seen her doing the same thing another evening.

Then last night, I went to bed early, about 9.30pm and their garden is sort of below our bedroom and I could hear the son talking but couldn't make out what he was saying...and noises. And DH came in and said "They're digging out there in the dark!" and they were! I could hear the spade.

We only heard the son and the Mother's voice. Now DH is convinced they've killed Joe and were burying him....I'm convinced they're meth addicts though and are doing weird things because I've heard meth addicts do repetative, pointless tasks when they're off their heads.

This area is odd. It's very beautiful but not long ago it was a bit rougher than it is now...it's being gentrified so there are AIr B&Bs on the one hand and then really scruffy little shack type houses too.

Should I call in a welfare check on Joe? Or not worry because the police are already aware of them? He seemed ok when I spoke to him last...

OP posts:
UniversalAunt · 11/03/2021 04:30

‘I say yes, talk to the police. I'd be bloody concerned as well. Ignore the jokers here, nowt better to do. In the UK this would be termed cuckooing if those two have moved in on a vulnerable person to use their home for dealing or other exploitation. I don't know if you have similar laws, but a welfare check sounds like the best thing to do. Good luck.’

This.
Cuckooing was my first thought.

Rollmopsrule · 11/03/2021 04:42

Absolutely call the police to do a welfare check. Sounds so dodgy! Hope Bob is OK Sad

FortunesFave · 11/03/2021 04:44

@UniversalAunt

‘I say yes, talk to the police. I'd be bloody concerned as well. Ignore the jokers here, nowt better to do. In the UK this would be termed cuckooing if those two have moved in on a vulnerable person to use their home for dealing or other exploitation. I don't know if you have similar laws, but a welfare check sounds like the best thing to do. Good luck.’

This.
Cuckooing was my first thought.

Pretty sure they're not dealing. Nobody calls there. But it could be that they're not treating him well. I have a friend who works in social care so I'm asking her who to speak to...I'm not from Oz and every state differs so I want to know if there's a sort of elderly person's care org as part of the council who can come and check.
OP posts:
bigredkangaroo · 11/03/2021 04:48

I'd probably call the general police just for a chat and mention about being worried about potential elder abuse.

You sound like you live in a very similar area to me. Mix of beautiful places and shacks and meth is a real issue here too.

You can also report suspected Elderabuse to 1800 353 374 (the National Elder Abuse hotline)

FortunesFave · 11/03/2021 05:32

@bigredkangaroo

I'd probably call the general police just for a chat and mention about being worried about potential elder abuse.

You sound like you live in a very similar area to me. Mix of beautiful places and shacks and meth is a real issue here too.

You can also report suspected Elderabuse to 1800 353 374 (the National Elder Abuse hotline)

Oh thanks for that. I'll call them.
OP posts:
famousforwrongreason · 11/03/2021 05:42

I had a horrible issue with the family member of a neighbour who terrorised us and drove the elderly owners from their home. He was a heavy drug user. He eventually left after wrecking the house and the owner came back. There was an elderly guy living alone across the road and the violent drug user 'befriended' him and took over his home. The term in the UK is 'cuckooing'. He brought all his nasty friends with him and it was easy to see the deterioration of the elderly man opposite, as well as nearby elderly neighbours who were terrified. Eventually the guy went to prison for a violent crime and the elderly man is now in a home and his own home is sold.
It was absolutely horrendous living near this guy, really frightening and for a few years it seemed like he was above the law so I can see how this story is believable. Haven't rtft but hope the old guy is OK. I'd call the police and ask them to do the welfare check.

expat101 · 11/03/2021 05:53

Meth neighbour here. Stay away physically from them, they seem to gain extra physical powers when on the shite. Get the police involved, we became involved when Meth neighbour's mates came onto ours and stole things. From that, the local Sargeant started asking questions and our neighbour was selling herself for it.

She went into rehab, escaped. She has lost her kids to the public care system, pregnant again. Totally angry at all.

just get started with the police. They are likely already in the know and need someone local to help out.

FortunesFave · 11/03/2021 05:58

@expat101

Meth neighbour here. Stay away physically from them, they seem to gain extra physical powers when on the shite. Get the police involved, we became involved when Meth neighbour's mates came onto ours and stole things. From that, the local Sargeant started asking questions and our neighbour was selling herself for it.

She went into rehab, escaped. She has lost her kids to the public care system, pregnant again. Totally angry at all.

just get started with the police. They are likely already in the know and need someone local to help out.

They're not physically fit enough to be scary. She's shorter than me by a head and he's very overweight...the son that is....he limps heavily and she's very skinny and mid sixties at a guess.
OP posts:
KevinBaconsMoustache · 11/03/2021 06:12

Cuckolding is a real problem in the drug underworld. Vulnerable people have true dot, helpful individuals move in, take over the place and deal/ make the drug. Sounds like the LL can see an issue. Can you report to Social Services or an official body to get checked out? No harm, no foul if all ok, protection of an elder if not.

TheQueef · 11/03/2021 10:14

I think cuckolding is a different thing 'tache
Cuckooing.

FortunesFave · 11/03/2021 10:17

@TheQueef

I think cuckolding is a different thing 'tache Cuckooing.
Lol yes. Cuckolding is a fetish.
OP posts:
problembottom · 11/03/2021 13:10

If it looks and sounds dodgy it probably is. Reminds me of something that happened in our old road, to our nice neighbour who lived opposite. Bloke next to him starting seeing a woman who moved in and nice neighbour kept finding this woman crawling around in his garden! Nice neighbour is a doctor who was hardly ever there so she saw an opportunity and found a loose fence panel to lift up. Nice neighbour had words with her and turns out she was stashing her drugs (didn't want her partner to know she was still on smack).

KevinBaconsMoustache · 11/03/2021 17:28

@FortunesFave oops yesBlush

ShennaIsAPrawnCracker · 12/03/2021 19:42

Have you seen him yet? Got a bit over invested sorry and am worried!

whatisheupto · 13/03/2021 01:35

Any news @FortunesFaves ?? I'm worried about Bob!

FortunesFave · 13/03/2021 03:07

I've seen Bob this morning and had a very good chat with him. He told me that the son is a drug addict and his Mother is trying to help him quit. He said they argue a fair bit.

He told me that his own son has applied to the Housing authority for Bob to get a place for the elderly. He assured me he's fine...he said that Joe and his Mum are rough diamonds but have been genuinely good to him and his son visits weekly.

I haven't seen his son but will carry on keeping an eye out.

OP posts:
Mypathtriedtokillme · 13/03/2021 04:13

Australia and New Zealand both have huge problems with meth (ice/P depending on where you live)
It’s easier to manufacture domestically than other drugs and is a larger issue rurally than in the main city’s

FortunesFave · 13/03/2021 05:52

@Mypathtriedtokillme

Australia and New Zealand both have huge problems with meth (ice/P depending on where you live) It’s easier to manufacture domestically than other drugs and is a larger issue rurally than in the main city’s
Yes. That's all true. We're not rural but we're not exactly metropolitan either. We're coastal but not in a very busy area. It's touristy but only for the past 20 years...before then it was a very small village and was much less settled.

There are a lot of new houses going up here but on the outskirts. The general population (originals) is low income.

People are sort of just catching on to the businesses which can now flourish here.

We're rural enough that kangaroos can be seen around and so on. Proper rural Oz is vastly different to this area but there's still a big meth problem here.

OP posts:
Mypathtriedtokillme · 13/03/2021 06:07

Huffing/Chroming would be another issue.

Anywhere outside of the major cities there isn’t enough/any support and very few youth/teen clubs.

MaMaD1990 · 13/03/2021 06:46

Glad Bob is OK. You sound like a lovely neighbour, I hope I have someone like you living next door to me when I'm old!

FortunesFave · 13/03/2021 09:00

@MaMaD1990

Glad Bob is OK. You sound like a lovely neighbour, I hope I have someone like you living next door to me when I'm old!
Aw. I hope so too! I think in general, this area is full of nice people - I think Bob has enjoyed having these two living with him because they've really sorted out his garden and his house...he had a bit of a hoarding issue. They definitely are a bit rough but not really bad...I can't explain the weird garden behaviour though
OP posts:
famousforwrongreason · 16/03/2021 03:40

That's a great update op. Well done for being such a lovely neighbour.
Also love the cuckolding comment Grin

FleurPower123 · 16/03/2021 03:58

Meth neighbour here. Stay away physically from them, they seem to gain extra physical powers when on the shite.

I believe this to be true actually. Many drugs just make people feel invincible or less aware of pain (dangerous in itself), but I remember watching a documentary which explained that some stimulants (I think it was meth or crack) actually decrease reaction times and can temporarily increase strength, which is feasible as our brain is responsible for limiting our 'theoretical strength' and can be conditioned to allow greater strength at a given muscle mass (e.g. Olympic weightlifters often being able to access 50% of theoretical strength as opposed to average humans accessing about 20-25%).

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