AIBU to think this intimidating house buying letter should be reported to police?

[Blopi]

Friend’s elderly neighbours came back from holiday to find a letter delivered by person. It has made them upset and frightened.

It was addressed to them personally Mr and Mrs (surname)
They said that their home is too big for the couple and would be suitable for a 5 bedroom HMO. Willing to pay £Xk for it (properties have been selling for 10-15% more) and will visit them on Thursday at 11am to discuss things. Signed by Mr (common surname). No phone number or email address.

Her neighbours have zero intention of moving home as they have lived there for 58 years. They are upset on how they are targeted and wondering how did they get their names?

In the past I had these letters which have been sent to others down the estate. Though not intimidating like this letter, nor personalised.

Unfortunately my friend is working on Thursday. She would have loved to have seen if the person turned up and told

Should my friend phone the police on the non emergency line about this? As maybe something else dodgy going on

NO. There's a big difference between a note saying "If you're interested in selling, I'm interested in buying" and a note telling you that your house is too big for you (bloody cheek!) and the writer is coming round at a stated time to offer you less than the going rate. I can see why these elderly people are frightened.

OP, I hope you or the police can ensure there's someone with them when this CF comes to call.

How old are this elderly couple?

I really don't think the police will be interested. No crime has been committed. This potential purchaser is obviously trawling land registry and the electoral register and making speculative enquiries to try to cut out the middle man and get good deals from elderly or vulnerable owners before their houses hit the market the usual way.

They can let the bloke turn up and either answer the door, or not. Their call. If they don't feel comfortable with just ignoring him or telling him to sling his hook themselves, then they should ask a relative or neighbour to be there to offer support and deal with it for them.

Whoever sent the letter is committing a GDPR breach by using the elderly couple’s data in a way that they haven’t agreed to. They could report the, to the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office). I think they should tell the police too and say they feel intimidated.

I would personally just go over at 11am on the day someone is meant to come and make sure they are alright. If also report it to 101. They won't do anything, but it could quite easily be a scam, and it's good for there to be a paper trial in case lots of people are being targeted. These fuckers always go for the elderly and people who have things like dementia. It doesn't do any harm to try and safeguard your neighbours a bit.

What is intimidating about that letter?

Telling them that their house is too big for them and that the sender of the house will be coming round to their house at a particular time - not a request, but telling them that they're coming

How is it paid by the taxpayer? My tax definitely doesn't go to subsidizing landlords. In fact, landlords pay tax on rent. We may not like HMOs, but surely they are helpful for the tax budget.

Genuinely happy to be corrected if I'm wrong here.

This reminds me of similar scams in the USA. Scammers pose as "foreclosure specialists" to approach people behind on their mortgage payments, offering a way to save their homes. They trick owners into signing complex paperwork disguised as financial assistance, when in reality, the owner is signing their property over to a shell company for a fraction of its value. Another scam is real estate agents aggressively target older or financially vulnerable Black homeowners with cash offers. By using high-pressure tactics and manipulation, these agents convince owners the property is worth less, buy it for a lowball price, and quickly resell it for a massive profit.

So am I. I'm not very muscular, but I am a gobshite.

Tell them to say they’re not selling because their adult grandsons are moving as soon as they get back from the cage fighting championships.

I lived in an HMO - otherwise known as a house share - until I was about 26. I don't really understand why they've become so frowned upon now? Living in a house share was the way you managed to leave home before you coupled up (no-one I knew could afford to rent on their own)

You're not wrong, but some people think it's only people on benefits who live in house shares 🙄

Calling the police doesn’t necessarily involve them, it can alert them to a pattern or simply be logged so if they show up and she calls the police they can see she reported it. If it’s just a note with a telephone number maybe just bin it, stating your coming round to discuss is intrusive and potentially aggressive. Or maybe they have said that in the hope they will intentionally go out at that time leaving the house empty to be burgled

Oh, that sounds so familiar.

Apparently our house needed 'everything done', the roof was 'finished' and the builder who lived a few doors away was doing us a favour by offering £35k.

I recall saying that I'd have to speak to my (non-existent) son...

The one time I got really rattled, I got our roofer to inspect the roof and eaves for me. He told me that the bloke who was pressuring me was speaking nonsense - the roof was in good condition for a house of that age though one tile did need replacing.

God bless him, the roofer replaced the tile and then told me to phone him if I had any more hassle - said he and his son would come over.