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Neighbours pressurising friend

74 replies

Treaclewell · 05/09/2024 08:46

His mother had capacity to the end and refused to have anything done on her house, which is all he has inherited, with some money, which will be absorbed by works. It's taken him some time with grieving, and the probate procedure, and she left it intestate. At last he has been thinking about things seriously, and just at this moment, calamity.
Across the road is a man with a family and a nasty landlord, who has upped the rent by three times. So he says. He has consulted EAs, investigated the house on the corner, also affected by probate, and is desperate. He has demanded that my friend, outright owner of his place, vacate it by Christmas, because there's pressure at his end. Judging by Homes under the Hammer, it couldn't be made liveable by June, and that's if desperate man over the road has trades in his family. Which I doubt.
My friend as now back in the state he had been in, but blaming his mother for some aspects of the situation, as well as expecting costs of all his money, and he wouldn't have much of a pension left after dealing with things. The neighbour next door is complaining about a tree over his garden and my friend thinks that's going to cost £20000 - which I and a friend who deals with property assure him it won't.
My friend now thinks they're acting together to drive him out from what has been his home for most of his life. His parents wanted him to be support for his mother when his father left with the demand to do that and "You can't always get what you want." as he went off for what he wanted.
I'm being as much of support as I can, but it's draining. Over the road man is fearing being homeless with his family, but is prepared to make my friend homeless instead. Greedy landlord has some other plan in mind, HMO perhaps, there is at least one in the road.
No matter how much we say that he can't be expelled from ownership as if he's a tenant. He is panicking.
Advice is needed. Shelter for Mr over the road. A skip.

OP posts:
Ginnnny · 05/09/2024 10:04

This post is so confusing.

sanityisamyth · 05/09/2024 10:07

Geneticsbunny · 05/09/2024 08:50

I don't understand, has your friend sold the house to the neighbour?

Don't understand either!

BCSurvivor · 05/09/2024 10:10

OP, are you really sure you understand the whole situation with the house?
As your post makes absolutely no sense!

Beautiful3 · 05/09/2024 10:12

He needs to learn to tell them to go away. He could sell the house to a reputable estate agent, to downsize to a flat if he preferred. It would release funds for future repairs. Is he struggling with repairing his house repairs?

WhyamIinahandcartandwherearewegoing · 05/09/2024 10:24

This post makes zero sense….

CrumpetsandJammmm · 05/09/2024 10:32

You haven’t explained why the neighbour has even started talking to your friend about the house?

feathermucker · 05/09/2024 10:35

There is no time frame to consider. Dodgy landlord neighbour has NO claim on the house.

Why is your friend so worried, does he not understand that dodgy neighbour can't take the house?

No one part from your friend has ANY claim on the house. He needs to keep repeating this to dodgy neighbour or get lawyers involved!!

schloss · 05/09/2024 10:45

One sentence answer "the house is not for sale" repeat ad infinitum. Your friend could send a letter too with the same words if he wants to. Recorded delivery so there is a paper trail.

Once done ignore the neighbours.

Lazydomestic · 05/09/2024 10:46

Get solicitor who handled probate to send a letter. Understand you have made enquiries and to confirm property is not for sale nor will be available to rent
If they believe there is a legal barrier then less likely to use bully tactics - also their cards are marked ….
Similar selling mums property- guy on road wanted to pay £100k less with a £20k backhander. Solicitor thanked him for his expression of interest 😂😂😂

BabaYetu · 05/09/2024 10:52

What the hell? Is there some big piece of information missing that makes this all fit together?

Friend’s mother owned house. She died intestate. Friend owns house and needs to do some repairs of some kind. Completely random neighbour has linked this house to his rental increase and is now demanding the house from Friend… I mean, WTF?

If I have understood that, isn’t the correct response, “no, now please naff off”?

JohnofWessex · 05/09/2024 11:23

I wonder if there might be

  1. An adult safeguarding issue, possibly a case for Social Services
  2. Harassment issues so I suggest a letter making it clear that he is NOT to be contacted by the offending parties
  3. There are various 'care and repair' organisations that may be able to help
Rumshotsandrainshowers · 05/09/2024 11:29

Op this makes absolutely no sense at all. Either you don’t have the full story, or you’re somehow also very vulnerable. Do either of you have a support network, adults you can ask?

Rumshotsandrainshowers · 05/09/2024 11:31

Op is your friends house rented from the landlord across the street? That’s the only thing that would make sense here.

Andwegoroundagain · 05/09/2024 11:32

Yep I'm struggling to understand OP although thank you to those who have attempted to make sense of it.
Your friend sounds quite vulnerable OP, I would suggest getting some support in and reporting neighbour for harassment as a starter for 10

eurochick · 05/09/2024 11:37

Winederlust · 05/09/2024 09:55

So let me get this straight:
• your friend's mother died, leaving him her (owned outright?) house which is in a dilapidated state, and a bit of money, which will all be swallowed by fixing the house.
• your friend has been grieving and not really in a position to deal with the house until recently.
• a - totally unrelated - neighbour and his family rent a house on the street but have a bad landlord who has unreasonably increased the rent.
• this neighbour wants to move (or has been asked to move out) and has decided he'd quite like your friend's house.
• neighbour has therefore issued some kind of ultimatum to your friend that he needs to sell him the house and get out by Christmas?

If that's all correct then the simple response is 'get stuffed'.
If your friend is incapable of that and it's sent him into a tailspin of anxiety then I'd suggest he needs more help (medical) than you or your other 'property friend' can provide.

Are these bullet points correct OP? If so your friend just needs to say 'no' and get on with their day.

halava · 05/09/2024 11:45

Seems to me that your friend might be in the vulnerable category for whatever reason. Such people are usually bullied, maybe that's the case here. Does your friend work, has he got support from anyone apart from you?

I think the man/son needs help and should leave the house issue aside for a bit, get professional etc. help for his issues, and then deal with the house.

Who arranged mother's funeral and all that entails? I think there is much more to this story than can be understood from the drip drip of garbled information contained in the OP's posts, sorry for being so blunt.

Justcallmebebes · 05/09/2024 12:03

Well that's as clear as mud, but if I understand from the PP's explanations, why doesn't your friend just tell his neighbour the house is not for sale? Job done. Why all the angst?

And sorry OP but the more you update, the more incomprehensible the whole thin becomes. What have trees and Russian ivy got to do with it?

angstypant · 05/09/2024 12:10

Is this thread bizarre or do I need more coffee to understand it?

AdviceNeeded2024 · 05/09/2024 12:48

@Treaclewell You write in total riddles your posts make no sense whatsoever. I think most here have no idea what’s actually gone on so if you want advice (don’t even know what you want advice on at the minute!) can you re-write with brief clear facts on what has actually happened?

I cannot work out who ‘A’ or ‘B’ or ‘Mr’ is?

I think you’re saying your friend had inherited mothers house which needs a lot of work and a neighbour who lives over the road, who can no longer afford his rent has asked your friend if he would sell him the house. If this is the case, if he doesn’t want to sell he can just say no?

I think you’re also saying another neighbour who lives next door wants him to sort out a big tree that’s in your friends garden and is infringing on next door neighbours property?

Is that right?

AdviceNeeded2024 · 05/09/2024 12:49

angstypant · 05/09/2024 12:10

Is this thread bizarre or do I need more coffee to understand it?

No! It’s a puzzle piece we all have to solve I think!

sonofrageandlove · 05/09/2024 12:52

What is going on

Treaclewell · 05/09/2024 13:11

Sorry for garbling, but I have had to be careful to avoid outing. We are both pensioners. Sadly, for some reason I can't analyse, the sort of people who like doing that sort of thing, starting with his school chaplain*, have worked carefully to bully him starting with friendship and then taking advantage in various ways. I don't know what it is they see, but I have seen this in progress. He tends, now, to expect the worst. I try to prempt this when I don't see the behaviour likely, but I missed the last one, who's betrayed me as well. None of that is directly relevant here, though the last one offered to help with the house and find a storage place. Before ghosting. Which caused a delay. He is, understandably, depressive in bouts.
Don't advise doctors. The NHS has lost him and he won't pursue them.
*Chaplain not guilty of what you might think but character demolition, including to uni students who liked to bully.
He is currently working on the garden, I think with a gardener friend.

OP posts:
SuperGreens · 05/09/2024 13:14

He'd be better off selling it, as is, on the open market via an estate agent and moving elsewhere. Nothing to be gained in renovation work at the moment. Gets him away from the bullies and nutters that surround him.

Nourishinghandcream · 05/09/2024 13:17

sonofrageandlove · 05/09/2024 12:52

What is going on

It's written in code or the OP is as high as a kite.🤔

halava · 05/09/2024 13:21

OK, I think he is a vulnerable person.

Best thing to do is sell it at auction as it is. Would you help him arrange that with a local estate agent? Easiest solution I think.

Sell it as seen, someone will buy it.

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