Moving on Tues, Housing benefit application accepted, landlady just cancelled tenancy. What do I do, pls?

[firstchoice]

I have been arranging the rental of a flat (previously used for holiday lettings).
I originally informed the landlady I would be on benefits but should be able to arrange a guarantor.
It has dragged on a bit. Landlady abroad all summer.
It then became clear I was going to struggle to get a guarantor.
Landlady not thrilled (understandably) but said to 'press on' anyway.

She sent me a signed witnessed Short Assured Contract for me to sign last week.
I did so and went to Council, gave them copy, and all paperwork for Housing Benefit and HB granted and due to start on Tues (Moving Day). Also did a 'change of circs' re my benefits (separating from H). Kids due to change school on Weds too. Moving Scotland to England. So a lot of upheaval. Separation, over Border, New schools, new home - the lot!

Yesterday, landlady said she didn't feel secure enough without guarantor and wishes to terminate our agreement. I have offered to try to arrange a family member to provide a guarantor letter / credit checks before Tues but she says, no, time was of essence, and it's too late.

What do I do please?
Am devastated.
Also, how do I stop the HB and the Benefits changes????
Will I be in trouble if they start paying me and I've not been able to move in?

Ha ha PausingFlatly - you put it better than me!

Sorry. Today I'm dealing with another doormat, who has significantly harmed me because of his cowardice and refusal to step up to the plate even when it harms the people he claims to care about.

I shouldn't be on this thread.

pausing

I am grateful for your input.
Clearly, I need to hear this.
I am doormatty in other areas of my life too. Very.
I know WHY but I find it hard to change 'pattern' it's so bloody ingrained.
A (kindly) kick up the backside does no harm.

I hope you make progress with the other thing you are dealing with today.

I'll leave that last bit out.

Thank you for . I'm sorry to shout, and I'd best go away and hide.

Lots of luck for sorting out accommodation, and for getting the benefits sorted.

Why are you a) wasting a second of time agonising about what you will write to this bitch? I can guarantee she doesn't give you a second thought b) considering offering her a penny when you have no money?

Why all this angst? You need to find another place to live.

Just block her or no answer at all other than, sling your hook, you cheeky mare.

Why the fucking fuck have you said 'we are both nice people'?

Oh. My. Bastarding. Jesusing. Christ.

Woman, seriously. You have turned from being not allowed in the house, to owing her money.

I'd not send an email at all now.

Just add her email to your junk list and ignore.

Ignore ignore ignore.

I have been on MN for years, and I've never seen somebody so accepting to being shat on.

My flabber is gasted.

Stop drafting messages, consider buying her a nice lunch, or FA.

She fucked you over big time. What she did was illegal and yet all she said was consider the matter closed.

Do you think a good person does that? No, a douchebag does that.

Just, 'You refused to honour a signed and witnessed contract. This matter is closed.'

It's ok.
I didn't send it yet.
Busy getting kids lunch.

pausing - don't be sorry.
Maybe I need shouting at (nicely, which you did!) x.

rainbow - yes, wasting energy when need to concentrate on next steps

monkey really? ok. I need some assertiveness training. It would make sense. I grew up in, and have spent large chunks of my adult life in, relationships which didn't not permit assertiveness. I find it hard to do convincingly, now, in my late 40's. But I can see it would be of benefit.

I read my horoscope today and it said loads of stuff about 'you've got a lot of confidence. allow yourself this week to stride out in style'.
Maybe I need to start here!

Start with not thinking about this cow bag anymore.

Focus on moving.

Don't send her shit.

well I sent a short email stating:

A. 'overnight' was an acclimatisation stay prior to our let, which she cancelled against my wishes and the contract.
B. it was not prepared as holiday accom when we were there
C. a cleaner does not need paying twice.

I have also put in a para re the large amount of time spent on re-arranging everything due to the non-move and detailed how it has affected me financially. I have said that, given she said situation closed, clearly nothing is salvageable for either of us from the situation.

I have not even mentioned money.
We shall see what she says next. Pfff.

Lovely, I'm trying to make a point. I don't mean to be horrid or aggressive, but nicey nicey just isn't going to work.

You don't have to be assertive here.

Just ignore her. She will go away. Concentrate on other things.

Please don't send her any money. Think of this as step 1 towards a new you.

monkey - you are not being horrid or aggressive.
I am grateful for the input.

I know I have probs being assertive.
In the last 2 years there have been three situations where I have needed to be really assertive and I have not managed it and my family has suffered / not benefitted as a result.

If I get a further demand I will ignore.
I don't have the money to send her now, tbh.

Yes, I am thinking of it as a step towards the new me.

Oh FFS!! It doesn't matter what she says next! Why on earth are you still having a discussion with someone who has fucked you over so spectacularly?

All this A B C crap - don't engage. Her answers and wishes are completely irrelevant. Honestly - she really doesn't care and the only reason she is still asking you for money is that you keep talking to her in a manner that suggests you are thinking of giving her some! So she will be able to continue fucking you over and get you to pay her money for it!

Tell her that after taking legal advice you are now no longer going to be in contact with her. And then......STOP. EMAILING. HER.

X post. Thank goodness!

There is no contract for the one night in the summer. She let you stay there with no payment upfront so fuck her. Don't pay her a fucking penny. She's going to take you to small claims for £216? I don't think so.

You need to stop communicating with her and stop telling her details of your life. She doesn't care about your life, otherwise she wouldn't have fucked you over.

If she replies still asking for cash just reply saying 'consider the matter closed' then block the twat's email.

Oh and please don't give her any money at all not even 10p

Pfff.

I have had a reply.

'I shall speak to my cleaner. Apologies for any mix up there.
Please just pay the £200 for when you stayed'.

then lots more about how she has had to cancel bookings, and how I told her I didn't know what benefits I was getting and agreed with her it 'wasn't very secure'. Pfff. Not what I said at all.

I have replied:

"I think it is quite unfair for you now to attempt to charge me £200 for a short visit to the property on the sole basis of my showing the children where they were going to be living when you eventually stopped the contract anyway, against my wishes.
You said a week ago: 'the matter is closed', and I think that is where it should be left."

I think she is going to pursue this.
I am not.

OP

DO NOT REPLY ANY FURTHER!

you saying "I think that is where it should be left" is an open invitation for her to disagree and insist you pay.

don't reply any more. ignore everything she sends. I would be inclined to send one final message saying "this matter is closed"

Yes. ok dia - I see what you mean.

I remember speaking to her at the time and asking how much it would be for 2/3 nights and she said: £350 and I said: 'oh, sorry, bit embarrassing, but can't do that then as that is big chunk of my deposit money and if I spend it 'visiting' I wont have it for deposit.' She said, oh, there is no one in, have a night and we will sort it out. So that's why I felt I should offer something but this insistence on £200 is quite wrong.

So, she KNEW I didn't have £££ for the quick visit as I told her in advance. I will have to find the email I sent at the time. Grrr.

If I get another reply I will just say: 'this matter is closed' and hope I don't get a letter from her lawyer? [erk!]

No OP! Stop it!

Don't look for emails. Don't do anything. Case closed. Move on!

I'd just ignore her. Let her take you to court. Oh wait.... she can't, she has no contract.....

I'd have written:

'Look lady, I don't know what part of this you don't understand. You reneged on a valid contract you signed. A legal, valid contract.

There is no £200 because now I have NO money. This matter is closed. I have had to become homeless and left my mailing address. Now I have no fixed abode, no thanks to you who reneged on a valid contract. This matter is closed.

Then you block her. Just fucking block you.

You offer her fuck all. She invited you as a guest. Now she's gone and upped it from £52 to £216.

This woman is a cunt. What part of that is so hard to see. Fuck her. Don't offer her shit, delete her from your life and move on to finding somewhere else to live.

I'd send her one asking for the lost money and costs incurred till now including travel to the site and phone calls etc since she cancelled the contract and counter sue - she's in the wrong here

well I'm not homeless.
I'm stuck in a mortgaged house with H now.
better than being homeless, but not where I want to be at all.
THIS is what I need to focus on, not this silly £200 demand.

I am not going to pay.
I didn't ask for a holiday let and I didn't recieve one.
So I am not paying for one.

I will ignore future messages from her.

thank you for all your support

Yeah, just ignore her but I'd have done that in the first place, tbh. I'd have laughed for a minute or two, thought, fuck you, you cheeky twat, blocked and moved on.