To spend money when I don’t have any idea where it’s come from?

[NobodyLivesHere]

On checking my bank account this morning there is £600 in there that I can’t account for. The only info is an account number I don’t recognise.
I desperately need a plumber to come out and unblock some outside pipes and it’s been causing me a lot of stress as I can’t afford it. I’m off sick from work after a life altering accident and I’m a single parent to 3 including a disabled child, my savings have been eaten by this and there’s no telling when or even if I’ll be able to return to work.

I know I should report this money to my bank. But part of me wants to use £150 of it to do the work needed. And then if I have to pay it back set up a payment plan.

is this awful? It’s awful isn’t it? And yet it’s just….there.

I thought these days that the account number and name HAD to match up or payments wouldn't go through? I know I had a payment rejected when I tried to pay someone and hadn't put 'Co' on the end of the name (although I'd got all the rest right). So are you absolutely sure that you don't know anyone who might have paid you for something, OP, or given you some money?

Did he say that verbally OP or is it wrote in an email or text? I’d suggest you get some advice from Shelter or CAB.

They can however, if the recipient disputes returning the money, freeze an amount equal to the incorrect payment in the recipient's bank account until their investigation is over. If the recipient still won't return the money the payer can apply for a court order to force the bank to release the recipient details in order to recover the amount in court.

I was going to say this.

It's happened to me and they can't take it out without permission.

This is TERRIBLE advice.

If you spend money that is not yours then you will have to pay it back.

If it's a mistake, it will eventually be flagged up, the bank will reverse the payment, and the OP will end up £600 in debt.

When the person who transferred it in error realises their mistake the bank will take it back and keep it in a holding account while they investigate.

I had £400 randomly appear in my account. I did go to the bank to see where it came from and they said they couldn't tell but that it was a business account.

I made out I was expecting some money but not that much and kept it. Came in very handy whilst I was at University- think I bought myself a bed and some other bits of furniture.

In pretty sure thats not correct, they can ask you to give it back but there are situations where legally you can keep it

There have been high profile legal cases over this

@NobodyLivesHere it sounds like you are in a really difficult situation right now.

I can be an arse so I would be tempted to sit tight and not fix the pipes until you are re-housed into a more suitable property. Once I had my deposit back, I’d report the landlord to environmental health and anyone else you can for his bullying, threatening behaviour.

I’m in the hospital. Kids are at home with my sister. The back yard is flooded.

Its possible! I really don’t have any idea. I’ve rang the bank who can’t really tell me anything. They’re going to investigate. So we’ll see what they turn up.

This is true. Normally you put in the name of person or business as well as account details and it tells you if it doesn’t match up so this may not be a mistake.

Could someone who knows about your troubles have wanted to give you some money anonymously OP? Or a refund from something perhaps?

Absolutely do not spend it until you’ve checked with the bank though as you will need to pay it back.

Also absolutely DO NOT spend your own money fixing something the landlord has responsibility for, and the landlord is definitely responsible for pipes!

Do you have evidence of the threats to evict you if you go to the council - texts, emails? Do you have written evidence you have informed landlord of issue?

You need to contact environmental health on Tuesday who can serve an enforcement notice. Sewage is obviously a major health risk!

Landlord will not get possession of the property if you can prove a retaliatory eviction and you will have evidence of this as council will be involved. Council should be able to advise if this happens.

Do you have a friend/relative who can change the locks on the property - relatively simple to change the barrel and new ones are only £10-15 usually. If landlord tries to get in - which he can’t do without your agreement anyway - you can say you were concerned he might come in and try to illegally evict you. He would be caught out if he tries to say you breached the tenancy by the very fact he tried to get in so I wouldn’t worry about that.

Are you on the council housing list? Even if the landlord does try to evict, this may help you get a bit higher up anyway as threat of homelessness so may turn out to be a blessing in disguise?

This is awful advice. I'm pretty sure it's not legal to spend money you know was put there in error. the bank will ask for it back, and op could get into trouble if she spent it. also, she has no idea where that money came from .. what if it belongs to someone who needs it even more...what if that was your last 600 quid?

Although actually OP, if the garden is flooded now with sewage?, contact the landlord (or letting agent) immediately as this is an emergency.

If he does not respond within 24 hours, inform that you have no other option than to get emergency plumber out and will expect immediate reimbursement as he was aware of ongoing issue, otherwise you will take it from the rent.

If he tries to evict, again it will be a retaliatory eviction, and he can’t evict for ‘rent arrears’ as you’d have to be 8 weeks behind which you won’t be.

Just keep all evidence.

That's very unlucky with a bank transfer... you'd have to be really unlucky to have someone with exactly the same name at the same bank as you with an account number that's a digit out.

Do absolutely nothing, it's not your problem, put it to one side, to pay back, but absolutely do not spend any time on the phone, it's not your fuck up.

But they can take you to court to get the money back. Just ring the bank.

If you have drain issues your LL should get it sorted out for you.

For faster payments from person accounts confirmation of payee applies but not if if you send a slower payment from a business account and I think the OP has confirmed it was a business payment

If it’s a shared run, it’s the water company’s problem. That’s what they told me when I had a blockage (Anglian Water).

Stop trying to justify keeping the money. Had you not received it, what would your course of action be?

What kind of landlord have you got? It's outrageous the way s/he is treating both you and their property. That's the key to your dilemma and surely it's illegal to threaten you with eviction if you report what sounds like a public health issue.

Start there. Do NOT pay for the plumber. Do not touch t money either until you get clarification from the bank. Best of luck.

Imagine OP, you call someone out to deal with the drains, you pay the invoice by bank transfer, but make a mistake. The person you sent to it to has spent it, you will have to take legal action to get it back. Suddenly you've got £600 missing and a trades person demanding payment and threatening to take you to court for it.
If you spend that money then you're an absolute dick. It isn't yours.

I’d get on to environmental health.This is not right.

Can your sister report it to EH? You can legitimately claim that it wasn't you as you were in hospital.