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Original poster

CF's have been using my mums house as a hotel!!

620 replies

CustardCreamsfortea · 15/04/2025 18:07

My dm died last year. Her house is currently empty and we're in the process of selling it (on the market but no buyer yet). The house next door is owned by a couple. I knew that DM was friendly with them, but (apart from first names) I don't really know them at all. I'll call them "Jean and John" for this

I went round yesterday to check on the property (we live about 45 mins away) and to do some gardening. When I entered the house I noticed immediately that there was a strong smell of cigarettes. Dm didn't smoke so I thought that was very strange.. 🤔

I went into the kitchen and there's dirty dishes in the sink!? My next thought was that squatters must have moved in. I went back to my car and called Dh and then 101 for advice. The police said they could come out but it would likely be a few hours (at least) before they turned up.

Dh arrived and went into have a look. Nobody appeared to be in the house. No obvious signs of a break in, though there's clothes and stuff everywhere. So we decide, ok fine - let's take this as a warning and get the locks changed before the squatters come back.

I called a locksmith and he's in the process of changing the locks. As he's doing this another neighbour from across the road (let's call her "Anne") comes over to ask what's happening. I explain that I think we've had squatters in the house.

Anne then proceeds to tell me that Jean and John (from next door) have currently got family visiting from abroad at the moment.

But it seems rather than pay for a hotel, The CF's been letting them stay in mothers house!!! 😡😡😡 Anne has seen them coming and going since they arrived on Friday. She didn't have our contact details to check with us, but assumed we'd given permission because they seemingly had a key. We had no idea that they had this key.

When the police eventually turned up we explained all this. They went round to speak to Jean and John but they weren't at home. Said they would try again later in the week. We've bagged up the relatives things and left them on their doorstep (I wanted to burn them but DH talked me out of it). 🙄

Will they police be able to charge them with trespassing or something similar? Or are we just going to have to accept that we were (admittedly) stupid for not changing the locks in the first place and move on? I'm beyond angry with them. 😡

OP posts:
Poppymeldrum · 15/04/2025 19:05

Many moons ago,every year we'd go on holiday for a week

We also had an outdoor tap

The house down the street would use it for their garden,water fights and washing his car etc

My father got wind of this (big gobbed kid let slip) so the last thing he'd do before we set off was to turn the water off

Apparently the neighbour was fuming when he found nothing more than a few drops came out but couldn't say anything to my parents without outing himself

I told this story a few times but this takes the piss

How many times have they done this/used the keys for their own gain?

I will guarantee its not the first time and wouldn't have been the last if you hadn't gone round

Cfs of the highest order,I can't believe anyone would take such advantage

I would have taken their crap home with me and a note to say I'd done it and to phone this number to get it back

Then I'd tell the biggest gossip and let them tell everyone what cf neighbours had done

Hopefully you can get some cash out of them to cover the locks and a deep clean

TidyDancer · 15/04/2025 19:06

This is one of the worst examples of cheeky fuckery I have ever seen! I would not be able to let this go! I would want a confrontation about this and I am the most confrontation shy person ever!

Dymaxion · 15/04/2025 19:06

If the house is empty, your house insurance could be invalid. If you haven't already done this, you can insure an empty house with a specific policy.

Especially given it has been empty for so long, I really hope you have empty house insurance ? I know someone who didn't and it wasn't good when a water pipe burst in the property, similar situation to yourself and they hadn't realised.

As for the neighbours, that really is Cheeky fuckery of the next level, unless they had a prior arrangement with your Mother when she wasn't at home, so when she went on holiday she was happy for their relatives to stay in the house and they stupidly thought that it would be fine ? Or they thought it would be OK if they were keeping an eye on the house for you ? Still bonkers to assume and not ask though !

SqueakyDoor · 15/04/2025 19:07

I got Empty House insurance when my DM died. If I remember correctly, a condition was gas and electric had to be disconnected. Water too. No flushing toilet either.

So, I'd ask utilities for evidence of use then take J&J to town in small claims.

Sorry for your loss and the further upset you're having to go through @CustardCreamsfortea

WhatColourIsThatBalloon · 15/04/2025 19:09

Absolutely outrageous!

ThejoyofNC · 15/04/2025 19:09

That's absolutely outrageous, I'd have to be restrained if I went round to them. The disrespect is unbelievable.

I'd send them and invoice for a professional clean to get the smoke smell out.

Overhaul54 · 15/04/2025 19:09

Well they are CF’s but you said mum was good friends with them. You don’t know their names so I guess you haven’t had much to do with them.

For me it would depend on whether they genuinely thought it wouldn’t worry your mum if she’d been alive ( maybe she liked whoever was staying) or whether they were doing it knowing it was a complete piss take.

I would ask them what they thought they were doing and tell them to pay for a house clean. to clear the state.

Humpsr · 15/04/2025 19:09

Actually contacting the insurance company could be an excellent idea.

What if they had done damage, caused a fire.
Take it very very seriously.

Stigsmother · 15/04/2025 19:10

Op you have played this perfectly, satisfying as it would be to dump/burn/throw their belongings away, you have the satisfaction of knowing you did the right thing. The view is much better from the moral high ground 😁, having said this, I hope you make them accountable, one way or another 😈

Tooty78 · 15/04/2025 19:11

I'm smiling at the thought of the ndn cf scrabbling around sorting out sleeping and cooking arrangements now they haven't got that extra house.😊

Mudkipper · 15/04/2025 19:13

lizzyBennet08 · 15/04/2025 18:36

This is probably the cheekiest thing I have ever heard. I’d make sure you tell them that their neighbours are all aware of what they did . Let them face the judgement on daily basis.

You need to look in Classics for the Mexican House Thief thread then!

Theunamedcat · 15/04/2025 19:13

Who is paying for the gas and electricity

timetotwist · 15/04/2025 19:14

I expect the CFers will say your DM gave them permission or some such nonsense before she passed away (condolences) and they thought she'd told you. How else can they save face?
They should pay for a deep clean to remove the smoke smell and whatever utilities have been used at the least. I know you're trying to sell but I don't think this is the sort of neighbour dispute that would put people off buying. It would give them the heads up not to trust them though!

youcannaecallherfanny · 15/04/2025 19:15

That’s bloody awful. And so upsetting for you. Such an invasion of your late mums house. Just awful.

Needtosoundoffandbreathe · 15/04/2025 19:15

They will claim they were helping you out by keeping the place occupied or something such shite. Good that you involved the police.

mainecooncatonahottinroof · 15/04/2025 19:16

I'd be checking out whether they took advantage of your mother while she was alive, @CustardCreamsfortea. If they are capable of this, they have the brass neck for anything.

Sorry for your loss and that you are now having to deal with this on top x

Elsvieta · 15/04/2025 19:17

Hysterectomynext · 15/04/2025 18:16

No way would I have given any of the stuff back. It would have been dumped far away and locks changed. Disgraceful behaviour and the smoking is just next level disrespect. Let everyone know never to let them enter their homes never mind have a key.

Haha, yes. And then if they have the nerve to make enquiries, play dumb. "What do you mean? How could your friends' belongings have got into our house?", etc.

JSMill · 15/04/2025 19:17

Of all the CF stories I have seen on MN, this has to be the worst.

ReesesCupcake · 15/04/2025 19:18

Outrageously CFs!!

Did they think the gas and electricity they were consuming would go unnoticed too?! Why should you/your mother’s estate pay for that?

May09Bump · 15/04/2025 19:18

Be careful making complaints about the neighbours as you will have to declare them on the sales documentation, and could put buyers off.

Absolutely shocking - they are just scum really.

Elsvieta · 15/04/2025 19:19

Stigsmother · 15/04/2025 19:10

Op you have played this perfectly, satisfying as it would be to dump/burn/throw their belongings away, you have the satisfaction of knowing you did the right thing. The view is much better from the moral high ground 😁, having said this, I hope you make them accountable, one way or another 😈

Perhaps OP could have held the belongings until John and Jean or their guests paid for a deep clean and the smoke smell was gone... They should have paid for the lock change too.

FoxedByACat · 15/04/2025 19:22

NeringaCS · 15/04/2025 18:12

The legal definition of ‘breaking and entering’ is gaining access to a property without authorisation in order to commit a crime (e.g. burglary). If they’d gained access to the property with keys and then robbed it, it would still be breaking and entering.

But they didn’t commit a crime once inside the property, so it’s not B&E.

Show quote history

If they’ve used gas and electricity wouldn’t that technically be theft? Though I doubt the police would care I guess.

Projectme · 15/04/2025 19:22

prelovedusername · 15/04/2025 18:40

Read all meters today OP. If there are smart meters the utilities company will be able to tell you precisely how much energy has been used over a given period. Bill the neighbours for this at the very least. Ring doorbells or similar would have been your evidence that it wasn’t you using it, so worth installing.

Good idea!

What is it with some people? Absolute cheeky fuckers. It's absolutely appalling! I'd personally wait till they come back and tell them they are the lowest of the low in taking advantage of a grieving family and tell them a bill for utilities and a deep clean will be posted in due course

GeorgianaM · 15/04/2025 19:23

TryingToRecover · 15/04/2025 18:15

I’d have thrown those stuff over the fence, sans bags.

That's what I would have done, along with a stinking note telling them the locks have been changed and the police informed and what a pair of bastards they are.

FoxedByACat · 15/04/2025 19:24

Yeah I’d be presenting them with a bill for the energy use, the cost of the locks and also a professional deep clean in view of the smoking. And I’d tell them if they pay up you won’t push for charges for theft of electricity.

locally I know someone who was prosecuted for theft of electricity so it is a thing, though in that case they spliced into a neighbour’s electricity supply.