OMG HELP! Is my Uncle scamming my mum??? What to do! (Tenancy agreement)

[JenniferAnistonfan]

• in 2019 mom signed tenancy agreement with my uncle and his wife to help him rent home. She never lived there

• uncle has been subletting it and told my mum few years later he removed her. my mom later learns he never removed her. Meaning he faked her signature each time they renewed contract

• we learn this uncle has some serious dodgy, fraud and scamming history. Moving countries to hide and avoid paying people back, scamming abroad, articles on google about his scamming etc and his own father confirming he scammed fathers army buddies etc

• my mother asks to be removed, he seemed annoyed in phone and stalls for a year claiming landlord is not replying etc

• today I send him firm message saying I want my mom removed from contract. Ask him to give landlords contact details. Tell him replacement tenants will not be a problem as his adult daughter and mother in law moved in a year ago.

• he replies I’ll speak to him.

• calls me saying “give me your email. Landlords lawyer will be contacting you to remove you”

• something feels off so I say lawyer? Please give me his address, phone number and name, I want to contact his directly.

• uncle starts swearing and raising his voice at me, saying I’m being difficult and annoying and wasting peoples time?

• I am now worried given his history will give fake details or pay someone to pretend to be landlord.

• what should I do? I know there’s land registry but I’m worried it will show landlords old address?

• how do I find who landlord is and his real phone and address?

• also does this lawyer thing seem fake?

• and why is he so reluctant to remove my mom from tenancy agreement??? Could he be using her for some sort of scam?

Sorry OP I’m a bit confused - what contract did your mum sign? Did the landlord think she was a tenant even though she had no intention of living there? Really not a very wise move from your mum.

Also just buy the title deeds of the property if you want the landlords details. They’re about £7 I think.

And get her to check her credit files. Credit Karma is free and a good site.

She was complicit in the scam so I am confused

Is signing tenancy agreement so he and his wife able to rent home in London a scam? She didn’t know he would be subletting

she really thought she was helping him out rent a home in London

I'm guessing she signed as Guarantor?

Guarantor agreements are often not easy to walk away from op - she probably can't simply change her mind and instruct her name is removed.

She can request her name is removed but without either the tenant leaving or a replacement Guarantor then they're unlikely to agree.

She needs to carefully check the terms of what she agreed.

Not guarantor, joint tenant

SHE was (illegally) subletting. She MUST have known that she wasn’t supposed to make out she was living there when she wasn’t?

I’m not sure the legalities around it being a scam but it was very foolish.

Right so they signed a lease together, but she didn’t live there? Did she do this so it seemed like the household income were higher than it was?

She says she didn’t know he would subletting

he said he needs her to pass affordability checks, because he and wife’s salary is low. to be able to rent a home in London. Said he worried he’ll end up homeless.

Said after he rents property he will remove her.

I agree, it was EXTREMELY foolish.

She signed a lease for a property she did no tlive in? something doesnt make sense then

Well if she signed as joint tenant but had no intention of living there then it wasn’t what she signed up to…..

it’s not going to be as simple as just “taking her name off”

Yes to help his pass affordability check to rent

Illegal I would say

Was she ever a tenant at that property?

Yes

No

Then she needs to tread very carefully because she's just as guilty as they are.

I wouldn't be blazing in and contacting the landlord OR pissing your uncle off tbh.

She wants to tell landlord she wants to move out/leave so he removes her from agreement

She's committed fraud then.

@JenniferAnistonfan "what should I do? I know there’s land registry but I’m worried it will show landlords old address?"

That is the first thing to check, regardless of a 'worry' it won't work. Here's where to check https://www.gov.uk/search-property-information-land-registry

If the owner's address is the same as the property, another thing to try is googling the property address. Chances are it'll show the history of letting agents used. So, then contact them instead.

Edited to add: the land registry might also show the mortgage lender, another avenue to pursue, - obviously they won't give you the landlord's details but might send a message on your behalf.

She’s simply planning to say she wants to move out

How can she say she wants to move out if she doesn't live there?

Again - if your uncle was saying that him and his wife couldn’t afford the rent, it was very foolish of her to co-sign a tenancy agreement under a lie that she’d live there. Did it never occur to her that if they didn’t pay the rent, she’d be co-liable?. Frankly, MUCH worse could have happened than just her name staying on the agreement.

Im afraid this is a case of “Play stupid games win stupid prizes”

She effectively took part in a scam so can’t be that surprised that your uncle behaved in a dodgy way too.

If you do contact the landlord I’d be inclined to leave the bit out about her never having lived there

But she doesnt live there so how can she leave?

She’s pretending to live there so she’ll be pretending (to the landlord) to move out