To want my ex-neighbour to just disappear?

[NotQuiteCockney]

He lived next door for yonks, and got evicted under a cloud (some sort of complicated housing benefit/ex-girlfriend/mortgage weird thing). His ex-gf now has the house.

He emails me asking, has she come by to say hello, to say sorry the house is still boarded up (which makes no sense ... I mean, it's his fault he got evicted in such a mess, but he thinks she's just evil, iyswim).

I feel sorry for him, that he's lost his house. But he was always a bit of a PITA, and ... whatever. I don't want to tell him what his ex-gf's up to, because I know it will just come back to her. (Not that I want to be friends with her, but we have to get along.) Gah ...

In this situation I would take flight! Ignore the e-mails and do/say nothing.

If he ever catches up with you in person then you can say that you've 'had e-mail issues/changed your e-mail address/had PC issues/been really busy/forgot to reply etc etc'

But wouldn't get involved if I were you and he'll get the hint eventually when you're not offering him the information he's looking for.

I know someone who knows someone...

I'm inclined to not get in touch, but I feel badly for him.

He wants a picture of the house, which I can do for him, but I don't want to answer questions, I don't want to be in the middle of his mess ...

Hmm - I would question why he wants the picture of the house. I think there is a chance that providing that will land you in the middle. Best to avoid totally if you don't want to end up getting sucked in to neediness IMO.

I guess, but it was his house for 10+ years. Maybe 20.

Providing information about whether the new owner has been by to say hello or whatever seems more dodgy, because the info has definately come from me. A picture doesn't have to have, maybe?

The new owner is completely mad, too, which doesn't help.

At one point she was contemplating having babies with this neighbour (I'm pretty sure he was opposed) so she asked me, you know, what having kids was like.

I vaguely talked about huge changes etc etc, and she said oh, she's always home, it won't make any difference to her life. [hollow laugh]

Yeah, the picture of house (why if he's been evicted? It's not as if he's selling it?) sounds dodgily like a way in to keep tabs on ex-gf.

I would be really tempted to do as hereagain suggests - ignore emails & claim to have changed addy if you ever run into him & he pursues it.

squonk, what possessed you to google 'Sniper Cat'?

like it!

Unfortunately I answered an email, whoops.

I don't know, I feel really sorry for him, but I do want him to just Go Away.

I already did my good deed, he got kicked out in a hurry, left some stuff here, it was meant to be in our house for a couple of days, but finally it was months. We kept it, handed it over to the right person ...

Ignore, ignore, run away, run away. Do not get drawn into this nutter's problems. He's either planning a vendetta against his ex and is recruting for his team or he wants to get into your knickers, neither of which (well I hope) are things you would like.

No, I don't want either of those things.

I don't think he fancies me. I hope not, ugh.

Yes, probably vendetta, recruiting. I don't want to be on either side, I don't want to be in the game.

Ugh.

I feel sorry for him. I shouldn't get involved, but I feel sorry for him. He was sometimes a bit helpful as a neighbour.

She, luckily, isn't going to live next door, but will rent the place out (which I think I already told him? Not sure.).

Run like the wind, Bullseye, run like the wind