December 2013 - steaming towards 3/4 cooked

[LadyMedea]

Our shiny new thread... Pile in!

oh and storm I usually get up at 4am and have a bowl of cereal because I am so hungry

Yeah I've seen one on new look i like so I'm going tgo. Get that.

Awwh that was lovely of your dad :) send him my way haha
Lol nice.. I don't like milk so it would be dry cereal for me lol
Good luck with the shower lol.
Ive just had a bath. Takes all the energy out of me. was nice to though

Okay guys I am having a bit of a mental break down. I was meant to be going into my last year of uni in a few weeks. Obviously I have deferred for a year, however I signed a contract to live in a house with some friends. Seeing as I now don't live in the place where I went to uni I am not using the room. I have been trying desperately all summer to get someone to replace me but with no luck. It is now two weeks before freshers week so I doubt anyone will take it. I have just had a call from the landlord saying if I don't find someone to take the room by next week the case will be passed on to debt collectors. I don't have the money to pay for the room as we can barely pay for our rent in the flat we are in as it is. I'm sat here crying and I can't find a way to resolve this situation. I have no money. My overdraft is maxed out and I have no way of finding the money for the room.

crying go and speak to your local citizens advice bureau or give them a call in the first instance, take the copy of the contract you signed and see if they can advise you on how to proceed,. They should be able to give you some numbers of people who can help legal aid wise to see if you are obliged to pay seen as your situation could be extenuating circumstances.

PS I'd also contact your university and see if they have a list of people who are waiting or trying to find accomodation and see if they will post the room you were supposed to have on their intranet or accomodation section to help you try and fill the room

I've just come off the phone with the renting agency and I apparently have 3 options.

1. find someone to fill the room. It is 2 weeks before freshers week, so I very much doubt anyone will take it.

1. Pay the £1980 rent that I would have paid if I was using the room

1. Offer the landlord to pay to get out of the contract. Given the amount of rent I don't think he would accept a low offer and I'm not really sure this is a viable option.

I don't have 2 grand lying around and neither does DP, my parents or his parents.

Why does life have to be do fucking difficult.

Crying don't panic sweetie.

I run my own business dealing with landlords and tenant issues so can probably help you out!

Firstly have you explained to the landlord that you are pregnant and this is why you don't want the room? They get a lot of cock and bull stories so are a bit suspicous sometimes when someone can't take the room.

Secondly the tenancy agreement you signed should be on a joint and several liablilty which means that although each of you are renting a seperate room you are all laible for the others debt. So it is very difficult for a landlord to enforce the cost of 1 room against 1 tenant if it goes to court. Also the fact that the room may remain empty is not your problem its the landlords and a court would usually view that as part and parcel of owning and letting out property, especially in the student sector.

I presume that you aren't working at the moment and won't be for a good while once the baby comes along and will probaly return to uni. Whether you are planning on getting work or completing your course is irrelevant it's the fact that you have £0 income at this moment in time and for the forseeable future. It's only worth someone taking someone to court if they have something they can either sieze to sell AND they are confident on winning.

When did the Tenancy agreement stay it would start and when did you advise them you wouldn't need the room? If you have given a reasonable amount of notice before it should start it's the letting agent or landlord's job to fill the room in time for new term starting. Ask the agent what they have done to do this and ask to see copies of adverts etc.

Write to the landlord and the letting agent with an income and expenditure , a list of assets you may have, a copy of the letter or telephone conversation you had giving notice and state that you have taken legal advice on this matter and will not be paying any rent for the property nor will you be 'buying' yourself out of the contract. As a gesture of good will you will maybe pay £50 towards advertising the room again to try and secure a tenant. Or if you paid a deposit offer that as a one off good will payment.

If you want me to scan through any paperwork for you my work email is [email protected] I'm the only one who will see that so don't worry about anyone else opening it. Put it to my attention (Jodie) and I'll have a squint for you. x

Oh thankyou Frouby

I only told the letting agent today that I wasn't coming back because I am pregnant. Nobody had asked me beforehand.

I don't know when I told them but I think It was in june some time. The tenancy says it starts September 1st so I am apparently already liable for rent. The agent told me it was up to me and my housemates to find someone, so i'm not sure they have done anything to advertise it.

I'm not working but i've applied for a temp call centre job and have an interview tomorrow, but I don't know if that counts against me?

I don't know who the landlord is as we have always contacted stoke property shop as they deal with people and not the landlord. I did pay a deposit but I was pretty sure I had lost that anyway due to not taking the room.

I don't have a copy of the contract, i'm not sure if any of my housemates in stoke have it, would be be best to ask them for a copy of it?

I mean they didn't know the reason before today, they knew I wasn't coming back in either may or june.

Oh and I was good and didn't buy a pram lol. Saw some lovely ones though and was tempted but I think DP should be with me if and when I buy one. Have been offered one by my sister (a silver cross travel system) but still haven't confirmed it or seen it yet so ought to have a look at that first.

Wanted a new one but if it saves money it saves money I suppose!

So spent £40 on bedding, some babygro's and vests instead lol. Got a pack of 'new baby' size of each, didn't realise they went up to 10lbs. When I bough DD stuff I'm sure the 0=3 months was about that size, probably just clever marketing to make sure we buy an obscene amount of clothes in 2 different sizes before they are 3 months old.

And I got a little outfit too that is very cute.

Really must stop going in that mothercare. Was only looking really!

And speaking of prams and travel systems when I had DD her carseat went in the car either on the base I had or by itself. You don't need a carseat base do you? Will probably end up buying one anyway as they are easier but I can't see me using the car much. And when I do it will probably be at weekends so will have DP to help. So it's just in case I don't get one straight away. Would rather save the money to be honest and get him a decent car seat in the next size up rather than spend a bomb on one that lasts a few months. Most of these car seats say up to 15 months but I think I had a new one for DD once she was about 8 months as she looked squished in the first sized one and I bought a new pram anyway.

It's likely that there will be postgrads who are pitching up and don't have accommodation sorted, crying, so I wouldn't despair of finding someone.

Do you have a student advice an representation centre at your Uni? They might be able to help.

Crying- of course that's what the agency would say! They won't suggest any course of action that would mean any hassle/loss for them. They'll leave it all to you. As per someone's previous post, try and get in touch with CAB and look in detail at the contract you signed. Get the room on a uni list. Can your friends not help with finding someone? (would think they won't want to end up with an oddball so have vested interest in getting a nice replacement!)
Sorry you're so stressed, there may be overseas students coming over soon who are planning on just finding accommodation when they arrive so maybe get ads in their society.

Cross post with everyone! Ignore me, listen to Frouby, she sounds like she knows the deal! If you signed a contract, don't they legally have to give you a copy? If not, get friends to post/fax one (our local library does faxes) or they could scan and email if they've got access. Hope you get it sorted. x

I would get a 0+/1 carseat like the britax 1st class. I ended up having to buy one anyway because DS was squished and had to stay RF. Do bear in mind they're talking about extending the amount of time babies need to RF for, so unless you desperately need an infant carrier style.

Whoah this thread is motoring ahead. I'm at home trying not to let my anxiety go through the roof. Tried to go back to work yesterday and DH had to come and rescue me as I felt so ill and wasn't well enough to drive myself. Assuming this is just the old chestnut of CFS/ME. Off to doctor tomorrow and don't know what to suggest... I'll know she'll go with what I suggest. Just didn't want my last few weeks at work to be like this.

A least a friend is popping over tonight and she always calms me down.

No major hip pain yet here but I'm sure twiglet is practicing for strictly in there. Very weird sensations.

Oh that couple on midwives made me chuckle. Pregnant as a raw food vegan... Oh dear!

Nom what's RF?

Hello everyone. God this thread moves fast!
Can I join in with the sore hip moan. I really want to be one of those blooming everything-in-my stride pregnant women but instead I am a moany one with loads of back/hip/pelvis problems.
I've also found lying on my back for a bit the only way to relieve it for a while.
crying hope you manage to sort out your problem. Frouby's advice sounds like the way to go. I work in the legal sector and can confirm that whilst people often threaten legal action, they will only pursue it if you have assets worth going for.
I am jealous of all the shopping that's going on. We have pretty much everything we need form DS1 and as this is another DS I don't think I can justify buying clothes. I may well look at a winter coat though. New Look is always decent value so will start there.

Hope you get sorted soon crying.
Lady sorry to hear your not feeing too good.
I feel like pants today and my bump is really painful.
All i can smell is iron

Just wana run away from it all at the mo.
DP said to me last night try and be strong I'm really trying. So hard when I have no friends... Not one person from work or even my 'friends' has checked in to see how I am.
Feeling so alone. And fed up.

I'm Deffo investing in a winter coat as it's always so cold and im never warm enough lol

storm where do you live? I'll come and see you and moan about being pregnant with you I know how it feels as I have no friends where I am either.

Haha that's would be nice :) I live in Sussex lol
By the beach which is lovely but boring when you're on your own lol

oooh i'm jealous! I would love to live by the beach. It'll be great to take the baby for walks next year though

Thank you itsliz and MrsShrubs, he's changed position today (bloody breech and back to back) but because of that he's just not stopped moving and wriggling about :) even though his big head is killing my ribs, I'm just so happy he's back to normal :)

Crying that sounds really tough :( no advice but wishing you the best of luck

yeah, my brother is excited to take baby for a stroll along the beach bless him. and i cant wait for lil picnics by the beach ect, will be so good.
just trying to focus on that.

i keep hinting at dp i want a weekend away.... last night.. well 3am when he couldn't sleep he randomly asked me if i wanted to go away... so maybe he/'s gotten the hint (he never wants to go away, he'd rather play golf with his mates all day)

i could never live in-land. I'd feel too trapped, i love living my the sea, though sand gives me a rash haha x

Also, if anyone fancies a look, here's the link to my photobucket with pictures of my 4D scan that we had about 3 weeks ago. Just had to share, even though I'm outing myself :)

Stom have you tried using talc to get wet sand off? It's fab!