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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

My DH pays his parents mortgage while we dont have enough for food

368 replies

thisiswhereidrawtheline · 12/05/2010 16:07

Years before we were married, my DH bought a house, in which his parents and siblings moved in. My DH was the sole payer of the mortgage although his brothers had full time jobs and avergae pay each.

About a year before we married, DH did the house up completely. He did a double extension and spent £60,000 in total on the house. He did this believing that he would live in that house forever, with his wife and his parents. We were in a relationship then although not engaged to be married when he made these choices. He just assumed that I would be OK with this lifestyle when he made such a huge financial committment to this house.

When we married, I moved in there with them, but things did not work out between me and his mother. We had constant ups and down, and finally, we moved out.

It has been a year since the move, yet my DH still pays the mortgage and all the bills are direct debits from his bank account still. His two brothers now help towards the mortgage - although I dont know how regular that is because he is very hush hush about the whole thing. Every time I try to bring up the issue, he gets very defensive and we always end up fighting. We have had many many bitter fights over this in the past year.

We are now at a point where I there is hardly any money for food in our house due to his financial contributions to the other house. It is obvious that with this situation, we have no money whatsoever for going out for a meal, movie or shopping, eveni n the cheapest of stores. So we dont, adn we spend most of our spare time either at his parents house or mine.

I dont work because I have a DD who I look after at home.

I am at breaking point now, as I am so sick and tired of being skint. The worst part of all this is however, not even that.

Its that feeling of worthlessness; because me and my DD must be of less value and worth if he has put all of his extended family before us, and has carried on doing so regardless of the financial crisis that we are in.

OP posts:
Mouseface · 12/05/2010 16:15

Have you pointed all of this out to him?

How his behaviour is making you feel?

thisiswhereidrawtheline · 12/05/2010 16:16

Yes, many many times.

It just doesnt seem to register in his head what I mean.
Or it does, and he chooses to ignore it.

OP posts:
Unsearchable · 12/05/2010 16:17

To be honest, if you have pointed all this out to him and he isn't acting like her cares, he doesn't care. I suggest getting a job and booting him back to live in the house he's paying for.

SloanyPony · 12/05/2010 16:18

Is he Italian by any chance?

Sorry that was unhelpful!

Its a pretty serious issue. This sounds awful but its a pity you couldn't have fashioned it so you as a family stayed in the house not them. Really they should have been the ones to move out!

How did this happen?

runnybottom · 12/05/2010 16:18

He's paying the mortgage on HIS house, that is in HIS name, that he moved out of because you wanted to?

Who should be paying HIS mortgage on HIS house then?

thisisyesterday · 12/05/2010 16:20

oh gosh, i really do feel for you

your husband has invested a lot of time and money in the property, and NOT paying the mortgage means effectively that he loses out big time doesn;t it?
because he either has to sell the house to his parents/brothers, or kick them out and live in it with you and the childremn

i CAN see why he doesn;t just say "yeah, i'll stop paying it"

really diffficult situation i think, but obviously something has to give... i can't think of any clever solutions though

thisiswhereidrawtheline · 12/05/2010 16:20

Runnybottom, the fucking people that are living there, thats who!
He has three brothers living there with three full time jobs.

OP posts:
Thediaryofanobody · 12/05/2010 16:20

OMG I'd be furious when you marry and have children your first priority should be the family you've created together.
Honestly I tell him it's time for him to put you and DD first and if he can't he needs to move back home to mummy.

Does his parents understand the strain this puts on your family?

thisiswhereidrawtheline · 12/05/2010 16:21

sloanypony- I dont know how this happened, it all happened so fast. When we were leaving there, his parents "offered" to move out, and my DH was quick to refuse. And that was that.

OP posts:
runnybottom · 12/05/2010 16:21

He owns the house though. He bought it. Do you know how home ownership and mortgages work at all?

ImSoNotTelling · 12/05/2010 16:22

Whose name is the house in?

How is it all being worked out re ownership if his brothers are now contributing?

i think your DH sounds like he hasn't thought any of this through, and is shit with money, and is maybe feeling compelled for some reason into putting his parents before you and his DD. Which is wrong.

you need to sit him down and make him talk about it and find out exactly what is going on. This situation is insupportable.

YANBU BTW

Lonnie · 12/05/2010 16:22

I would suggest you get a counsellor to deal with the 2 of you talking about this Clearly when you bring it up your dh feels you are attacking him hence he clams up and goes on the defensive.. If you have someone to aid you in how you speak about this then you can likely find a solution right now to be truthful i think you both are BU you in assuming you can tell your dh how he has to behave and him in assuming you dont have a say in your finances

Unsearchable · 12/05/2010 16:22

be very sure that this is actually where the money is going, and that he's not just spending and blaming his 'house' so you don't question him..

And stop going round there so much. Make is clear that providing food for your daughter does not mean taking her to your mums so you can spend your money on someone else's home (because regardless of who is paying the mortgage - it's his parents who live there). It means spending your money on food for your own home.

ruddynorah · 12/05/2010 16:24

so you now live in your house? is that a house you own? did you own it all thetime you were all living at 'his' house? what a very odd situation.

why do his parents rely on him to pay? all bills too?

ImSoNotTelling · 12/05/2010 16:25

Why on earth didn't he accept when mum and dad said they'd move out?

Why are two adult men in fulltime jobs iving with mummy and daddy?

The whole situaiton is bizarre, sorry OP. For me the alarm bells would have rung when I was asked to move in with nmy prospective in-laws.

You need to sort this.

Lulumaam · 12/05/2010 16:25

but it's his house..if he defaults on teh mortgage, he loses out and so will you

this needs a sit down family discussion

he has made a massive investment of £60 000 on top of the mortgage payments

what happens when the mortgage term is finished.. will he sell it?

he bought the house before you were married, i don't think you can ask him to walk away , he will lose £60 000 +

i am not sure what the answer is, but walking away is not it

i am sorry that you feel on teh bottom of the heap

MyFriendGouda · 12/05/2010 16:25

Bloody hell, sorry to be blunt but he needs to grow a backbone, inform him he has 'welcome' printed across his face right now.

N way in hell would I put up with that!!

Xenia · 12/05/2010 16:25

You need some legal advice. Even if it's not in their names the brothers might get rights in it. Also there may be CGT to pay on it if your ex doesn't live in it. All sorts of legal issues arise. But more to the piont why not go back to full time work and buy a wonderful new house out of your own money. Living off male earnings is pernicious.

Thediaryofanobody · 12/05/2010 16:25

Yes runnybottom but generally when you live in a house that someone else owns you still pay rent!

OrmRenewed · 12/05/2010 16:26

But hang on, I wouldn't want to pay a mortgage on a property that isn't mine. I might pay rent but I wouldn't pay the mortgage.

You chose to move out. DH wants to keep a hand in with his property which presumably benefit you all eventually. Could they pay rent perhaps?

thisiswhereidrawtheline · 12/05/2010 16:26

Runnybottom, I know exactly how home ownership works.

The people who are living in the house get to pay the mortgage. Thats how it SHOULD be.

Unsearchable - exactly. I do know that that IS where the money is going though.

OP posts:
Thediaryofanobody · 12/05/2010 16:26

Why didn't the family move out, why did you and DH move out of a house he owns instead of them?

runnybottom · 12/05/2010 16:28

You do if you are their tenant, yes. Doesn't sound like they are tenants though. And the brothers are paying, OP has no idea how much though, or anything much about it.

OP walked into a right mess, and has her own part to play in it. Seems to be all someone elses fault though.

junglist1 · 12/05/2010 16:28

Wow!!! Um, in this situation I'd be planning my future career, studying, looking to get something away from him TBH. If they moved into their own effing house like normal people he could rent it out and get extra income that would come in handy surely. What a twisted, scary situation

runnybottom · 12/05/2010 16:29

No thats not at all how it works! The person who bought the house and owns the house pays the mortgage! No wonder you're in the shit here.

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