To ask for the car back?

[xprincessxjanetx]

This is a long story so apologies in advance.

My husband and I bought a 2015 ford galaxy last year. We had 5 children so we bought a 7 seater to accommodate us all. Soon after buying it I became pregnant and we continued to use it until I neared the end of pregnancy when we started to look into an 8 seater.

We had to settle for a car that isn't in the best condition but were happy to spend some money on it to do it up. We didn't want to sell the galaxy as we decided I would drive it once I have passed my test (not anytime soon but in the near future).

My husband's best friend has always had financial struggles and he asked if, instead of us selling the car, he could rent it from us as he is a taxi driver. He agreed to give us £150 per week for it with the condition that he pays for tax, insurance, petrol and general upkeep.

Long story short, he was only able to pay £150 total and my husband let him use it for free as we were going to keep it anyway. As long as the other conditions were still met.

The new car (8 seater) we bought has turned out to be in worse condition than we thought and would require far too much to be spent on it so we agreed today that we would ask for our galaxy back off his friend and scrap the 8 seater and make do with just 7 seats for the time being.

When my husband asked for it back it turned out that his friend didn't have the car. He had in fact had an accident on Christmas day and was hoping to sort it without us finding out. My husband and I were furious that we weren't informed and we told him so. He got very defensive back to my husband and started swearing at him and shouting - because we were asking for it back!!

He has managed to get his insurance to cover the repair and they are going to do a full repair with approved parts and only £500 excess will need to be paid which is a huge relief.

But now my DH's best friend is angry and upset that we have decided to take the car back now when "things were just starting to get better".

I think he's a complete CF for even thinking we would consider letting him keep using it after he crashed it and then lied about it for a week!

I know i'm not, but AIBU?

Who signs over legal rights to a car you’re lending?! Bizarre.

5V, legally, is more about responsibilities than rights. Makes you the registered keeper and so the person responsible for taxing it and whom the police will come to if the car is seen doing something dodgy.

UPDATE

he is now sending my DH links to cars for sale asking him to buy him one! Seriously I'm aghast.

It's not just me is it? This is extreme CF behaviour isn't it?

Advice on how to respond please

You respond by telling him to Fuck Off. You're not imagining it - this is severe CF behaviour.

oh dear - he's a cheeky bugger, isn't he! I've been a soft touch in a similar way in the past, lent a good friend a lot of money as she and her partner "needed" a car. They split up, he took the car and I never saw the money again.
Lesson learned.

What's his reason for why your DH should buy him a car? That's beyond ridiculous!

Love how it's your DH's responsibility to provide him with a free car!

He says he's depressed and "can't cope"

The funniest bit of it is the cars he's linking to aren't suitable as taxis...he wants it as his own car alongside a taxi he will rent!! The cars are round 12-15k!

Without going into too much detail we have helped him and his DW out a lot in the past so he seems to sort of expect to be bailed out or helped everytime something comes up!

I think you need to say No, and make sure your DH means it & doesn't fold.
There's obviously more to the relationship than friends, as I can't imagine any of my friends asking me (or me asking them!) to buy them a car. I wouldn't even ask my sister that, and were very close! Why does he expect so much?

He's not a secret child of your DH by any chance?! No way is he your responsibility, think the charity tap has to be firmly turned off!

Nope, my DH's friend was born here but is from a different culture, they are not related at all. My DH is a few months older.

They met 3 years ago this month. I think he just expects it because he's helped a lot in the past, my DH thought he was doing a good thing and helping someone in need and didn't expect it to be taken for granted in the ways it has.

He needs to stop being used his friend is a user and seeing what he can get that money could go towards your children’s futures don’t let people take advantage of your family
send him a text
Simple sorry mate no can do large family and cost of living I won’t be able to help out financially any more good luck with it all and see you soon. It will show your husband his true colours