Something odd about this neighbour and empty house?

[Guardsman18]

Hi
I'm not sure if anyone can throw any light on this and I suspect some people might say I need to get a life!
This may get a bit long but I'll do my best to condense as much as I can.

Twenty years ago, my then H and I bought a house. There was an elderly lady next door who had lived there all her life. Her parents died, house is hers as there is no other family.

It became obvious that she had mental health issues. She was like a little girl really at 80+. Her neighbour (other side) was a man in his 50's, also alone and they were friends. Laughing and chatting in the garden etc. He also had some mental health issues - dressing up in women's clothing and running around the street. (I know this sounds made up, but I swear it's not!) They had lived there so long that the other neighbours just let them carry on afaik.

Fast forward a few years. 50 + neighbour goes into a care home, no family, house is empty. A man arrived at her house and started doing diy etc. No carpet downstairs but he's sanding the floorboards upstairs where she didn't sleep. Things like that. She had a fall and badly hurt her leg and came to us saying that she didn't know what to do as it was very painful. Diy man's wife is a nurse and she used to call there to 'help' with him. I tried to get a doctor to call but she wouldn't let him in!

Diy man was still calling on her and had a key to 50+ neighbours house for some reason. We (H and I) were a bit baffled so did a land registry search (I know, not my business!) His son's gf (a solicitor) was now the owner and had bought the house for £38,000 ish. (At this time, it would have been worth £90,000 ish.)

80+ neighbour died and her house is still empty with no ownership on land registry. I looked recently on Land Registry and blow me, the diy man and his wife have bought it for an unknown sum. (I might be wrong about that but they own it.)

Please wise people on here, why would anyone still live in their same house when the one you bought for a song is better, bigger for almost 12-14 years you own one that is now worth £230,000? Why?

I'm sorry if I sound mad but it's just that I met a woman walking the dog who lives in that street now and finds it very odd too. Diy man goes there every few days apparently and she wondered who he was.

Thank you for reading. Sorry if this is not clear but it has really helped me to type it out. I hope someone can come up with some idea of what he might be doing. Please?

Do you mind if I ask what type of reports @EmmaC78?

@Troels that's great to know!

Thanks @Troels. How do I get in touch with them? (I know I sound a bit thick.) Sorry, it's late!

I’m not sure I reallyfollow the original story.
50 year old male neighbour moved to - care home so his place is empty.

DIY man helping out old lady randomly and when she dies he, after sometime, obtains her house somehow having bought the 50 year old neighbours house also previously for a song and without it being on the market?

Neither appeared to be sole via estate agents and both went much cheaper than they were worth.

But he isn’t renting them out nor living in them?

Speak to the police.
Very fishy.

Exactly Legga. Very odd and bloody corrupt!

Sounds to me very much as if the lady had some sort of dementia, and was persuaded to sell her house for way below market value - very likely whatever sum they named would sound like a lot to someone with dementia - such people are often living well in the past, including as regards prices/values. Sadly it's not at all unknown for unscrupulous people to take advantage of someone vulnerable.

As for the man's house, could well be a similar scenario. I don't understand why the sold price is not on the LR - surely it should be? And if there was a dodgy solicitor involved, all the more reason IMO to raise queries. Dodgy solicitors are hardly unknown, either.

No one has said it yet, but is DIY man growing cannabis in the two empty houses?

If there's no sold price, it suggests it was gifted or transferred for no consideration (money) for some other reason.

Not thick at all @ Gardsman18 I only know about neighbours reporting as they talked about it on the show one time. Google about and see what omes up This is one of the companies on the TV show. Hunter Hunter

This is really making my blood boil. My grandmother was a victim of a scam aimed at elders. Luckily it wasn't her flat but £1000+ which is massive in the country she lives in and with her tiny pension.
I think the family of that bastard burglar who was killed by an oap did same scams as this. Disgusting. I think the DN will have to prove old lady was not fully aware of what is she doing so they will probably want you as a witness alongside her doctors.

It's so great to see that someone sees something fishy nad doesn't just let it go x
Keep us posted.

Well, I'm going to contact Action Fraud. Will keep you posted

Are the windows covered? Especially the upstairs ones? Could be growing houses.

Just drove past the houses. The downstairs of both have the original net curtains, nothing upstairs.

And another thing - he thinks he's Lord of the manor! He has a garage which says no parking but the kerb is raised. They have 3/4 cars between them and a works van. Just annoys the hell out of me!

Waited 30 mins or so for Action Fraud but will try again