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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

TO BILL THE CLEANER TO CHANGE THE LOCKS?

28 replies

hifi · 28/10/2009 17:29

our new cleaner is not working out.told her so today, she gets paid monthly into her account, will go in on monday.
i gave her 2 weeks notice, she has worked for us for 3, she is going today.
she has said she wont return the keys until she gets the cash and wont wait till monday.
im not sure i can stop it before then as dh sorts it.
wwyd?

OP posts:
notanumber · 28/10/2009 17:33

Why is she not working out?

Sounds like things have got quite antagonistic.

notanumber · 28/10/2009 17:34

But regardless of why, just give her the cash.

Is it really worth the hassle of having the locks changed then flapping over whether to charge her etc etc?

Chalk it up to experience. Move on.

Vallhala · 28/10/2009 17:35

Smile sweetly, grit your teeth and tell her in no uncertain terms that you will contact the Police if they are not returned within an hour.... and mean it.

The keys are yours, loaned to her on the understanding that they were not hers to keep. To retain them is potentially theft, to threaten to do so can be viewed as blackmail. Remind her of this.

Theft in law is taking with the intention of PERMANENTLY depriving the owner but she isn't to know that, iyswim.

JamesAndTheGiantBanana · 28/10/2009 17:36

Let me get this straight... you've told her she will be paid monday, she is saying this isn't good enough? is there a reason she is so desperate for the money?

Why do you think you have to change the locks?

Original poster
hifi · 28/10/2009 17:36

shes really slapdash and rushes everything. i cant spend anymore time with her. gave her a chance as shes never cleaned before. been dealing with cleaners for 16 years and just know she wont work out.

OP posts:
Original poster
hifi · 28/10/2009 17:37

she has our keys, if we give her the cash and cant stop the payment then she gets an extra 270.00.

OP posts:
Intergalactic · 28/10/2009 17:38

I don't understand the problem. If your agreement with her was that you would pay her monthy then she will have to wait until Monday. And presumably she'll then give you the keys - has something additional happened to make you think she won't? She is being a bit of an arse holding on to them until you pay her, but presumably she thinks she won't get paid if she has nothing to hold you to. So once you pay her it should be fine?

I don't think you could bill her to change the locks. It sounds like you're not on good terms, so extremely unlikely that she'd pay, and you'd have to take her to the small claims court (I think) to get what would be a relatively small amount of money.

Of course, if in the meantime she uses the keys to get into your house, call the police. But do you have any reason to think that she'd do that?

Original poster
hifi · 28/10/2009 17:44

i tried to do it diplomatically but she lost it and became very nasty. just didnt fancy leaving the house at risk till mon.
she insisted on cash straight away, i explained she would get it mon.

OP posts:
loobylu3 · 28/10/2009 17:46

Why did you give keys for your house to someone you have only known for 2 or 3 weeks?
Why don't you just ring the bank to find out if the payment can be stopped? If you trust her to return the keys (and not to have copied them), then you can pay her the cash. If it were me, I would seriously consider changing the locks (at my own expense) as it seems that the relationship has got a just a little out of hand!

Vallhala · 28/10/2009 17:47

Given that the OP is concerned about the cleaner retaining the keys until Monday it might be fair for her to bw equally worried that the cleaner would have got herself a copy of those keys by Monday.

Or am I over-dramatising Hifi?

notanumber · 28/10/2009 17:48

Ring your bank and ask if they can stop the payment - is it a standing order?

I'm fairly sure you can do it then and there. The payment isn't due in her account for three (working) days, so that should be ample time to stop it.

Once you've stopped the standing order just give her the cash.

diddl · 28/10/2009 17:50

She has no right to keep the keys.

But I also don´t understand why you had set up to pay her by DD so soon, tbh.

How long has she now had the keys since you gave notice?

If it´s long enough to have had them copied, I think I would change the locks anyway-at my own expense!

Intergalactic · 28/10/2009 17:52

I don't think I agree with those who are concerned - IMO there is a big difference between someone going a bit loopy because they have been sacked and holding onto your keys until she gets paid (perhaps she has had bad experiences in the past and isn't very trusting) and someone using those keys to break into your house. Apart from anything else, surely she must realise that if she did break in, you would know that it was her straight away.

Do you have a deadlock/chain that you could use, and go out the back door?

Having said that, I understand why you feel uncomfortable. But I don't think she wants to use the keys to get into your house, just to make sure she gets paid.

Original poster
hifi · 28/10/2009 18:51

i havent given her the alarm number so we are covered that way. will wait till monday then ask for keys.need to change locks as we havent change them in ten years.
her husband does a lot of work for dh so hopefully she will be reasonable!

OP posts:
notanumber · 28/10/2009 18:56

Fair enough.

I have to say though, if it were me, I'd want it sorted sooner rather than later.

Surely its easier to make a quick call to your bank and cancel the standing order then just give her some cash.

She gives the keys back, you never have to see or think about each other again.

You're both just going to be stewing about it until Momday otherwise, winding yourselves up and so forth.

But if you're happy with waiting 'til Monday then changing the locks that's great. Obviously it's your choice!

Original poster
hifi · 28/10/2009 19:01

im not stewing , she is. ive got LOTS better things to worry about.
will have to start lookikng for another cleaner now. so miss the last one

OP posts:
porcamiseria · 29/10/2009 09:37

CHANGE THE LOCKS! what guarantee do you have that she does not have a copy made? Honestly my friend was home once sick and saw her very ex cleaner come in! I never give my cleaners keys

gorionine · 29/10/2009 09:44

porcamiseria (love the name! it reminds me of one of my dad's friends who said that at least once in each sentence!) I have no idea how things work when you have a cleaner but if you do not give them the keys does it mean you have to stay at home while the cleaner is there or do you leave the key somewhere (neighbours?) for her to collect and give back once the job is done?

IMoveTheStarsForNoOne · 29/10/2009 09:47

Ring your bank, stop the payment and use the money to pay for the change of locks

On a serious note - GRR for you, how infuriating!

DemonBradleySlaysPippi · 29/10/2009 09:50

If you are already thinking of changing the locks I'd do that and wait till Monday.

gingernutlover · 29/10/2009 09:59

agree with demon, if you are set on changing the locks anyway "because we havent for 10 years" then do it now, and I don't see why she should pay for it to be honest as you've made it clear you arent just doing it becasue she has a set of keys.

That was you dont actually have to ever speak to her or see her again, cos it doesnt matter a jot whether she gives the keys back or not (although obviously she should)

So YABU to think of billing her for the change of locks

curiositykilled · 29/10/2009 10:01

Cancel the DD and pay her in cash. Ask her to come round to exchange keys for cash, problem solved.

porcamiseria · 29/10/2009 10:03

my very suspicious DH would never give cleaner keys , so he would let them in, go out and then they let themselves out. I though he was very mistrusting, then my last cleaner went AWOL and I realised I was quite releived she did not have my keys!

I am in a bad mood but I say screw the cleaner and change locks TODAY!!!!

aoifesmama · 29/10/2009 10:05

Hifi - just asked my husband who has a one man cleaning business. He said that you must demand the keys back immediately, whether it is that you pay her cash or threaten with the police. He has a number of people's keys (which he signs for) and is convinced that if she does not give the keys back you should call your local station to explain the situation, just as pre-emptive measures for your own sanity.

As someone who used to be a payroll manager, if money is going in on Monday via standing order or DD it will leave you account at the end of today to transfer in time - call your bank now!

(Also, as a by the by, if she has only worked three times £270 is a lot of money!! Unless I am misunderstanding )

ilovemydogandmrobama · 29/10/2009 10:11

Agree with curiosity and aoifesmama -- you need to ask for the keys back. She simply doesn't have the right to keep your keys.

If it was another employment situation, employees would have to hand in keys, even if they are paid later.

But wouldn't charge her to replace the keys as she can't actually get in, can she?