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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to expect the council to house us even though DH is sshh ..... working!!

332 replies

EverSoSlightlyStressed · 22/03/2010 11:18

Landlord has a court order for possession which runs out tomorrow. Council have basically said we will have to wait for the court bailiffs to physically kick us out and then go to them with our stuff in binbags before they will provide us with anything even emergency housing which is quite a stressful thought . It could be that we have no more than 7 days until we get kicked out depending on how long it takes for the LL to arrange the bailiffs to come. Obviously I have no problem with the LL wanting us out and feel terrible that he has been forced to take us to court but it is the only way the council will help us.

BTW we are not feckless or scroungers! We have 4 DCs - youngest 2mnths old. DH works around 48 hours a week and has a relatively good wage. We are not entitled to tax credits (child benefit only) and have struggled with the massive amount we have to pay in private rent but scraped by without too much hassle. LL decided to sell house last year, we knew we would have problems renting again as we are both had to go bankrupt (1 year ago) since we moved into this house so our credit is shot and no chance of ever having a mortgage again . Current letting agents said they would not be able to rent to us again because of this as we have no one to be guarantor even though they have had no problems with us and nor will any other agent. There are no properties being advertised by individuals that would not need a credit check round here (except for shared house rooms) and anyway all 3 bed properties are like gold dust so we are in deep shit!!

The council keep telling us that as DH works we should find our own property. We keep telling them that we can't for reasons detailed above. It seems that if he was not working and we were on benefits, they would bend over backwards to help but as he is a taxpayer, they will not do anything. Is it me or is this a bit arse about face??

OP posts:
AnyFucker · 22/03/2010 15:10

now tiredmum....have you anything to add about the fanjo/pubes situation ???

the OP here is long gone, we might as well make summat out of this....

LadyBiscuit · 22/03/2010 15:12

Straight pubes are definitely a bonus.

I am supposed to be writing some feedback on someone but I haven't got anything very positive to say so I'm prevaricating as you may have noticed

Tiredmumno1 · 22/03/2010 15:13

Mm well i have short brown ones, but always use pantene to keep them smooth

Morloth · 22/03/2010 15:15

Oh God, not yearly reviews LadyBiscuit?

Conditioner or shampoo Tiredmumno1?

AnyFucker · 22/03/2010 15:15

ohhh, expensive fanjo shampoo !

I find Dove for "coloured and highlighted" hair keeps my ginger minge in tip-top condition

I have to leave for the school run in 5 mins and it is pissing it down

AnyFucker · 22/03/2010 15:16

it gives me thrush though

Morloth · 22/03/2010 15:16

Smug, got SIL in from Oz to do my school run.

LadyBiscuit · 22/03/2010 15:16

Yes, yearly review time Morloth. I'm losing the will to live frankly

Tiredmumno1 · 22/03/2010 15:17

Both it has to be ice shine for the glossy look

Morloth · 22/03/2010 15:17

The school run gives you thrush? Just what sort of area do you live in?

AnyFucker · 22/03/2010 15:18

tch, I am hoping against hope I can rope in 14 yo dd to do a dash from the car

she hasn't made an appearance herself yet though

AnyFucker · 22/03/2010 16:15

ha-haaaaaaa

14 yo dd did the soggy deed

< stays dry and smug >

JackBauer · 22/03/2010 18:13

Morloth, that's a fucker of a commute for her, I hope you pay petrol!

Shampoo not really a good idea, conditioner much better.

AnyFucker · 22/03/2010 18:18

lol @ morloth, I was waiting for that

EverSoSlightlyStressed · 22/03/2010 20:07

OH MY GOD - what a load of self righteous, judgy old harridans you lot are. I have not read all the replies, only got to page 3. Can I reiterate the following (and yes I will shout):

WE ARE PAYING FULL RENT OF £1200 PER MONTH AND WILL BE UNTIL WE ARE EVICTED. WE WILL ALSO HAVE TO PAY THE LANDLORDS COURT FEES SO REALLY AM NOT SURE WHO IS BEING SHAFTED HERE?

COUNCIL HAVE KNOWN ABOUT OUR SITUATION SINCE NOVEMBER. THEY DID NOT TELL ME THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE, THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD HELP WHEN THE SECTION 21 RAN OUT WHICH WAS AT THE END ON JAN SINCE THEN THEY HAVE FOBBED ME OFF. I HAVE BEEN UP AND DOWN TO THEIR OFFICES COUNTLESS TIMES SINCE THEN BUT THEY ARE DOING NOTHING.

WE HAD TO GO BANKRUPT BECAUSE DH WAS MADE REDUNDANT 3 YEARS AGO, WE HAD TO LET OUR HOUSE BE REPOSSESSED AS WE COULD NOT PAY THE MORTGAGE. THE HOUSE HAD BEEN SOLD WITH A £30K SHORTFALL. WE CANNOT PAY THAT OFF, THE DECISION TO GO BANKRUPT WAS TO PRESERVE OUR HEALTH & SANITY!!.

TELL ME WHY ARE WE LESS DESERVING THAN PEOPLE ON BENEFITS? WE SHOULD LIVE IN OUR CAR JUST BECAUSE DH IS WORKING?? WTF!

WE HAVE NO OPTION BUT THE COUNCIL BECAUSE LETTING AGENTS AROUND HERE ARE JUST AS JUDGY AS YOU LOT!

OP posts:
Trafficcone · 22/03/2010 20:12

onadietcokebreak how many fecking times does the OP need to repeat it?? She IS entitled to the statuatory ammount of tax credits but she doens't RECEIVE them as they OVERPAID her and are taking it back from her ongoing entitlement!

FFS READ THE POSTS PEOPLE.

omnishambles · 22/03/2010 20:17

Alright there's no need to shout both of you or one of you if you're the same person...

LadyBiscuit · 22/03/2010 20:22

Well perhaps if you had explained all that in your OP rather than talking about benefit scroungers and then buggering off, you might have got a more welcoming reception.

Have you tried asking your DH's employers to act as guarantors? Surely it is in their best interests for him to be living somewhere stable

expatinscotland · 22/03/2010 20:22

'TELL ME WHY ARE WE LESS DESERVING THAN PEOPLE ON BENEFITS? WE SHOULD LIVE IN OUR CAR JUST BECAUSE DH IS WORKING?? WTF! '

People on benefits don't have a car to move into when they become homeless.

That's why they go into hostels.

Do you think they just snap their fingers and the council magics up a nice house in a good area with good neighbours?

Did you not read your own thread? Because numerous people told you they lived in B&Bs or hostels for months or longer waiting for social accommodation.

You're as entitled as anyone else, but you'll need to wait like anyone else.

Especially if you don't want to wind up in a dump of a flat like this with murderers and drug peddlers all around you.

Or did you think council housing is a luxurious, free alternative to private renting or home ownership?

expatinscotland · 22/03/2010 20:24

'She IS entitled to the statuatory ammount of tax credits but she doens't RECEIVE them as they OVERPAID her and are taking it back from her ongoing entitlement!

FFS READ THE POSTS PEOPLE. '

And the statutory amount she's entitled to is so low that people, long ago, quite easily deduced which income bracket they are in.

And it's not the minimum wage one.

AnyFucker · 22/03/2010 20:30

OP, no need to get so angry

you were given good advice at the beginning of this thread...and intermittently throughout since then...are you ignoring those posters ??

a couple of other posters took umbrage with your rather entitled attitude

you responded with aggression, then fucked off

what did you expect, exactly ?

Quattrocento · 22/03/2010 20:32

ROFL at "we are not financially feckless" from a family earning a good living wage, yet ending up being made bankrupt and the landlord having to get bailiffs in to repossess his own property.

The thing is, that financial fecklessness can have devastating consequences, as you are finding out.

My suggestions are to find a good housing association. Failing that, scavenge all the rental ads, take down numbers and ring them all. Landlords may waive the credit check if you are prepared to pay the rent up front - but this might mean you finding 6 months rent and a deposit on top.

ShadeofViolet · 22/03/2010 20:38

Of course you are shafting the landlord OP

expatinscotland · 22/03/2010 20:42

Here's another piece of advice that you might wish to consider: get onto your council's website and try to find out what they consider sleeping space.

You may not be assessed as entitled to a 3-bedroom accommodation at all, even with 4 children, if your council considers the living room as sleeping space.

Believe me, finding this out can save you from a very nasty shock (that's assuming you get neighbours who behave worse than dogs).

Life is about trade-offs.

If you do wind up in council housing, I can say, for us at least, it's terrific motivation to reach out and get help about money management and learn to penny pinch in the extreme.

JollyPirate · 22/03/2010 20:46

Erm...how is the OP shafting the LL? She is being evicted because the LL is selling. The council have told her she must wait until evicited before they will house her which is pretty crap imo but seems standard advice.

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