What is she up to?

[DontVisitCabotCove]

DB, his partner “Jane” & her 2 kids have been staying with me - in my house - after the house they were buying fell through. They had been looking at other properties to buy but have since decided to end their relationship so that’s no longer happening.

Yesterday while my DB and I were out and unbeknownst to me, Jane had an estate agent over to value my house & as he was leaving he told her he’d send her an email with the valuation & they were talking about viewings etc.

Today Jane asked me to give her a letter stating that my brother is living here but wouldn’t tell me why she wanted it & was really unhappy when I said I’d give her a letter saying they were both temporarily staying with me as that’s the actual truth.

What on earth could she be up to? I’m honestly baffled!

Should I tell her that I know about the valuation? Should I tell my DB about all of this?

On one hand I don’t want to get involved in their troubles or make things worse (things are bad enough between them already) but on the other hand I feel I’m being drawn into it as it’s my bloody house she had valued!

I think you’ve done a great job, personally I wouldn’t arouse suspicion with sil until I was firmly back inside my house. Once I was inside I would kick her out with all her stuff and wouldn’t leave the house again until the locks have been changed.

I would worry what she was up to and I would also worry she would try to squat in my house.

I'm sorry that you're having to go through this, OP.

I'm glad your brother is supporting you after his soon to be ex's awful and worrying behaviour here.

This.

Something stinks.

My only thought on this are that the EA (the one who visited previously) and a senior partner ought really be making an appointment to visit you at home with their files, rather than make you go in to them. Even without you bing tied up with hospital already today.

They have been party to a potential fraud, gained access to your home without the home owner’s permission, possibly been duped by a 3rd party - they should be bending over backwards to get to the bottom of this, to reassure you and to review their new client procedures.

100% ALL OF THIS!

holy shit.

It would certainly be investigated as an attempted theft, but the specific charges will vary depending on the facts. It is unclear if it would count as Fraud or Forgery, as that depends on the estate agent confirming specifics of the deception.

Except that she and DB aren’t married and they aren’t his children. So CMA doesn’t come into it. And OP has already clarified that she is the sole owner with no mortgage. The DB stands to inherit but since they aren’t married she has no claim on the house for herself.

I bet you that the Estate Agent will cite Data Protection in favour of Jane to withhold the details of whatever conversations she had with them. Happens all the time - once straightforward conversations being thwarted by fear of a claim of a data violation. The OP would be better off telling each local estate agent that a potential fraud is in play, and not to accept instructions on the sale or other transactions involving her name or her house unless they come direct from her or her solicitor. That way none of them can claim they were not warned if something fraudulent does take place in the future.

If the EA has been to value the house and realised that they are being misled - evidently from the OP’s parents tracking them down and putting them straight - then yes, the EA will require the OP to provide information to prove she is the rightful owner. They will then take instruction from her and cancel whatever Jane has instructed. Hopefully they will then provide back up when OP informs the police of the fraud attempt on her property.

They can’t do that. OP’s parents have already tracked down the estate agent and they have asked the OP to provide proof of ownership of the property. Once they get that they will cancel whatever instruction Jane has given them and if/when the OP reports her for attempted property fraud, the EA will then provide whatever evidence they have to the police.

sounds like you’re having an awful time, OP and this woman sounds crackers! I hope you manage to get to the bottom of what’s going on.

@DontVisitCabotCove
This is an excellent suggestion from @BusyMummy001

They very much can use Data Protection to refuse to let the OP know what was discussed with Jane. This does not prevent them from ceasing to do anything at Jane's behest, having listened to the OP's account, but that doesn't meant they will tell OP about it. And yes, if there is a criminal investigation they will hand things over to the police. But that's a big if. So far Jane hasn't done anything that actually constitutes a crime. And even if they do cooperate with the police, they still don't need to tell the OP anything about the contents of the work they started for Jane, especially since a police investigation can go nowhere.

My first thought was affair with the EA.

Bizarre that they would just rock up to do an evaluation with seemingly no checks!

It's worth contacting them just to find out what she's planning. I'm sure the police would rather prevent fraud from happening than dealing with a court case against the offender.

That's not how child maintenance works. Living with family does not mean higher payments. However this is a moot point because as has been pointed out a gazillion times, THEY ARE NOT HIS CHILDREN 🙈

I think we need a FFS button on here. Some people just don't seem able to read and understand what the OP has said.

I LOVE the idea of a FFS button. It can go right next to Thanks as the effective antonym.

Glad your parents have tracked down the estate agent. I hope they don't get in touch with her before they've spoken to you.

Has she gone from your home now?

I'm usually the first to give people the benefit of the doubt, but this woman is upto no good.

I'm so sorry you have this to deal with from your hospital bed.

If I was the estate agent I would be bending over backwards limiting potential damage to my reputation.

See, my first thought was that Jane is a vulture circling. She's wondering whether it's financially worth trying to work things out with your DB as you have a life-limiting illness. If the house was worth enough and Jane has assumed that the house is set to be split between your siblings then she may be rubbing her hands together. If your DB and Jane were to buy out your other siblings then she could end up with a piece of the inheritance too.

Sounds such a bizarre thing for her to have done, no idea why though!

I've had houses valued many times, they check nothing! They ask if you are sole owner and you show them round, they give you a valuation.

There's no checks or balances! I have never had to prove ownership. Surely that's what the solicitors are for.

I also think they will be very cautious due to data protection. I wouldn't be holding out much hope for a detailed explanation from them.

do you and db still have same surname? hes split up with her? throw her out-and change your locks.

Could she be trying to look homeless for a push up the social housing register or look like she is staying with you and that’s how her and your DB manage to save income for a property? Someone must of has asked for proof off their income and expenditure now they are trying to justify it. Very dodgy
thats the only thing I can think of