Cancel House Purchase due to Neighbours

[Badger87]

So a few months ago we decided we wanted to move from our town centre terraced house out to a detached house in a countryside village.

Ours sold and we had an offer accepted on a house we were really like

However a couple weeks before exchange we have found out the neighbour house is owned and rented by a cult, Plymouth brethren.

The owner of the house we were buying was honest enough to tell us on a second viewing. He admitted it was a weird setup and they do not communicate with him whatsoever.

This has been a major red flag to us as we would now feel uncomfortable with such a situation.

We are now about to pull out the purchase however feel awful to do this just before exchange.

Are we overreacting? Anyone else have any experience of a similar situation?

I’d pull out tbh, and not much spooks me during house purchases.

I know Plymouth brethren, they are nice people, keep themselves to themselves. I wouldn't call them a cult

I have only scanned through the thread but just want to echo what most on here are saying.

We are quite a few PB members in the villages where we live. Around 10-12 years ago when dd was at primary school she became best friends with a little girl who's family are members. In our area they take them out of main stream school around the age of 7/8 and put them in their own schools so dd was bf with this girl for around 3-4 years. She was a lovely well behaved child (as were her siblings) and her mother was one of the nicest people I have ever had the pleasure to meet, I still see her from time to time and she always remembers me and takes the time to talk. I have never met a member who was anything other than polite and caring.

I think you have shot yourself in the foot giving up that house. You can always come and live in my nice rural village and have my ndn's (screaming 3 year old every evening, two dogs who bark every time they go our and a cockerel that never shuts the fuck up).

I know who I would rather live next to given the chance!

I wonder if there would be the same comments made on here if a poster said their neighbours would be followers of Islam? Would the term 'koran bashers' be used?......I doubt it very much

My late husband used to have several JW's in his team at work. Apart from the evangelising, which they were not allowed to do at work, they were normal friendly people. I used to meet them socially, they certainly did attend non JW social events. I have also met and interracted with local PB's through my work in the NHS, again friendly polite people. I am not going to say that their are no bad eggs in either church and there will be varying degrees of beliefs and compliance as there are in any religous group.

They sound like perfect neighbours to me. I’m puzzled as to why you would think otherwise.

Cult?! It's a church! I actually imagine they'd be nice neighbours.

We have a family of Plymouth Brethren living next door to us. We also have other PB families living nearby.
They are perfectly nice people, they don't socialise much beyond their Brethren, but that isn't sinister.
In fact, when someone daubed paint in our wall, they were out there washing it off before we were able to do it.

We bought a house off of a family who were Plymouth Brethren and although they aren’t supposed to use tech, they did, as they had mobile phones and WiFi installed. They’re not supposed to drink either, but in the lift we found a huge number if empty whiskey bottles in the loft, with a subscription fir a whiskey club coming through our letter box for many months after. They will keep themselves to themselves though you can be assured of that. They only socialise within their own religion.
Also, if it’s rented, the chances are they won’t be there forever.

Depends who you ask or what your definition of a cult is.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/plymouth-brethren-man-who-grew-up-in-church-cult-said-he-attempted-suicide-after-leaving/ar-BB1n2X37

This.

a quick google just indicates they are Christian’s not a cult.

and also that don’t want much contact with those outside their church/faith (which is potentially ideal if you don’t want overly involved neighbours IMO)

they are aren’t going to be installing hot tubs or playing vents boys at 3am…

if you really can’t bear it pull out, you know the market and if there are other suitable properties in your search area.

Plymouth brethren are a branch of Christianity
Christianity is not a cult
Would you post here if the house belonged to another world religion, such as Islam or Buddhism?
If you have known since second viewing why pull out now?
Are we hearing the full story?

What makes them a cult rather than a religion? What makes them intrinsically bad neighbours? Most religions have beliefs I (an atheist) think are "way off" and totally ridiculous.

"Live and let live" is a good motto.

https://www.cookman.edu/crl/cult-related-activity.html

RECOGNIZE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTS

Isolating members and penalizing them for leaving

Seeking inappropriate loyalty to their leaders
Dishonoring the family unit

Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability.

No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry.

No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget, expenses such as an independently audited financial statement.

Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies, and persecutions.

There is no legitimate reason to leave, former followers are always wrong in leaving, negative or even evil.

Followers feel they can never be "good enough".

The group/leader is always right.

The group/leader is the exclusive means of knowing "truth" or receiving validation, no other process of discovery is really acceptable or credible.

You'll be ok op, they only sacrifice virgins.

I really wouldn't be bothered by this, it's not like they're going to try to convert you. Some of them lived near where I grew up, you sometimes saw ladies with headscarves and very long hair around in the shopping centre. Nothing scary about them!

If you like the house I wouldn't pull out on this account.

Pull out. Think of the reselling hassle. Ignore all the folks lecturing you. Well meaning no doubt but don't go there. Your gut is telling you something.

So you made an offer, and had it accepted, before your second viewing of the house?

Of course Christianity is a cult, it is an apocalyptic cult that sprung out of Judaism.

I'd rather have neighbours like that!! Don't be silly and don't pull out of the house move just because of that.

For those saying pull out I'd love to know why?
The overwhelming lived experience of those with pb neighbours on this thread are saying they are unproblematic. What's the ongoing concern? As I said they have a hall of worship at the other end of my road I never see or hear them let alone with a single neighbour

Lots of brethren in my area. I don’t foresee you having any problems at all. No different from living next to a property owned by the Church of England.

My great aunt was a PB. Yes, a very strict Christian - my mum described her as a 'religious fanatic.' She was quite controlling of her daughter, wouldn't allow a tv for years, wouldn't allow hairdos or make up, though daughter was allowed a TV and stereo in her room as an adult. The son buggered off somewhere else once he was an adult.

I don't understand the scaremongering on this thread though - all deeply religious people live in a way that looks somewhat peculiar, be they Muslims, Buddhists, strict Catholics or evangelical Christians.

OMG NOT CHRISTIANS 😳😳😳

The owner told you about this on the second viewing, yet you've only found out and now want to pull out? You made the offer before second viewing?