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

[CustardCreamsfortea]

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. 😡

Knocking on the door

I don’t think any of this is likely to meet the threshold of being in the public interest to prosecute. I’ve never heard of someone being prosecuted for parking on a neighbour’s drive, and besides, OP has no evidence that they did park there - she doesn’t have a camera pointed at the drive. Additionally, the house was empty so parking on the drive, while cheeky, is not really a big deal.

Re gas/electricity, how much will they realistically have used since Friday given that the weather’s been glorious and they’ve probably spent most of the time out of the house? OP should absolutely present the neighbour with a bill for the utilities used since Friday plus the cost of a deep clean, and she could maybe take it to small claims court if they refuse to pay (though even that might be more trouble than it’s worth). But I highly doubt the police will be willing to take action over maybe £50’s worth of electricity theft.

I never ceases to be amazed at the lows people stoop to… utterly shocking behaviour

Who’s paying for the utilities they’ve ‘stolen’?

Small claims has a time limit of five or six years from the act you're claiming for. I'd keep the receipts for everything - utilities, cleaning, ring doorbells if you feel they're needed due to their behaviour and loss of trust etc and then decide what you want to do about this once the house is sold. Small claims is cheap and relatively easy and you might find yourself considerably out of pocket, especially with the smoking. As a non-smoker I would walk straight back out a prospective property if I smelled smoke and I'm sure I'm not alone in that. I'd be looking at making sure their hospitality doesn't cost you any sales and as others have said, that sort of cleaning isn't cheap. I can't believe folk are so inconsiderate. I'm really sorry about your mum. Losing a parent is hard enough without CFers like this taking advantage.

You're a better woman than me @CustardCreamsfortea , I'd have waited until they came back to have the pleasure of reading them the riot act. I don't care what their justification was for using your deceased DM's home it's CF of the highest order. No doubt they thought what you didn't know didn't hurt you but what they've done is really, really low, they must know it's not on

Theft of amenities? I assume these people are washing/showering at the property and they’re not sat in the dark so effectively they’re stealing power and water. Although police will be unlikely to chase it you do have some kind of edge here. Disgusting though people can be awful. I’d have waited and called police as soon as they returned

I can’t believe the cheek of some people! How did they think that was ok??

Mind-boggling! CFs doesn't even come near it! I share your anger!!

Is be running but you’ve handled it in the best way.

Fuming

Knocking on the door but in Scottish.

Glad you got the locks changed OP. I'm very sorry for your loss x

Wow I actually think I’ve heard it all now! How bloody cheeky is that? Honestly people are just incredible. I would leave everything outside in bags too then I’d be reading the couple next door the riot act and possibly a cleaning charge. To be fair it’s really NOT the fault of the people actually staying you don’t know what they’ve been told and they may well be mortified if they knew.

Awful people. Be prepared for them to turn this around on you and make out you're the unreasonable one as they are clearly unhinged.

Absolutely awful. It must be so upsetting for you.
I’d be so tempted to bill them for a deep cleaning fee (regards smoking in the house, yuck will put some buyers off) and the cost of getting a locks smith out.

I would not have given their relatives stuff back. I'd have held it to ranson until they had reimbursed me for the cost of a cleaner. They could hardly accuse you of stealing, they willingly left their belongings in the house.

I'd be tempted to ask them for reimbursement for the cost of the new locks too.

Who will be paying for the utilities they've used during their stay?

Bloody outrageous

Wow so rude!

Flipping heck
What shitbags

I agree with the person who suggested keeping things until payment is made, at least to cover the cost of changing the locks.

Oooh yes I completely agree

Bloody hell, I’d be tempted to out the CFs on their local Facebook page with a detailed account of what they’ve done as a warning to other neighbours not to lend them a key!

They absolutely could accuse OP of stealing - she was effectively made an involuntary bailee, which bestows on her a duty of care for the items and a duty to return them. It’s unfortunate, but that’s the law.

The problem with people saying she should have chucked their stuff in the bin is twofold.

Them being there without the OPs permission doesnt give her the right to do that she could get into trouble herself, and they may not actually know that the OP didnt give permission. If Janet and John told them that it was all fine and above board, why would they question that? I would if say my mum told me something like that.

So it may not be the guests fault at all and they dont deserve to be treated badly if they genuinely thought that they were there with permission.