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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Perspective please

86 replies

everynameseemstobetaken · 04/05/2015 15:12

Hello. To start with, please bear with me as my own thoughts are not very clear. I genuinely don't know if I've just lived alone too long, if I'm intolerant or if things aren't right. My partner moved in a few months ago. We each have one child still at home. My 17 year old lives with me, but works about 60 hours a week so is rarely home. His 14 year old is here about 50% of the time. Nice lad. We have very different parenting styles, but both completely accept that and don't directly parent each others children really.
Earnings - I earn a good amount more than him. I also work relief in other jobs if I need additional money. I worked very long hours indeed for about 18 months to pay off house debts. He doesn't have any interest in working any extra hours at all. My mortgage is far less than his rented flat coat and my bills are low in general.
He is lovely, tolerant and peaceful. But...I feel like I have to lead everything. I feel that he looks to me for guidance on every little thing. He has no social life but me, except for a hobby he is passionate about. I showed him a job with much higher earnings that I thought he would be great at - his reply was 'fuck that' as it would sometimes clash with his hobby. We each have £100 per week 'fun' money. I easily live within that, it's plenty! He has maxed out the overdrafts on the accounts in his name that we paid off from my account when we got together (both have our names on my account now so I suppose he paid them off from his own account if that make sense). I really couldnt guess where that money goes as he doesn't drink, smoke or ever buy clothes. We went shopping when we were first living together from the joint/my o riginal account to get him lots of new clothes as he had been on a tight budget for a long time due to high rent, child maintenance, not massive wages etc - don't resent that at all. But I can't fathom how he's spent £100 a week and maxed out his overdrafts of about £900 (in 4 months) which I only know because he has spent another couple of hundred from the joint account and had to tell me he had no money. Some goes on his hobby, but it's not a terribly expensive hobby. One part of me thinks - not my business and the other thinks....eh??!
He does cook. I've put on a lot of weight from being very slim. I loved being cooked for at first. Somehow now I feel quite controlled by it but I have no idea why it makes me feel that way. He also does the food shopping.
He doesn't do anything else round the house unless I instigate it. Then he does a slow slow job...I could clean the whole house in the time it takes him to do the bathroom. He does it well though! DIY is all 'later' and I'm starting to wait till he goes out so I can just get on and do jobs myself. No fussing, takes me 5 minutes and they actually get done. Then I get told 'I was going to do that'.
Lots more, but mainly passive behaviour which is driving me mad. But I lived alone for years and wonder if actually I'm impatient and intolerant. Before I get flamed for suggesting he got a new job, he complains about his wages and makes reference to me being a higher earner. I don't care who earns what as we have one pot for money.
This is very long so I'll post. Please be kind!

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 14/07/2015 00:31

Oh you were being clear to someone with normal sensibilities - but ever seen a cat with a mouse? (I guess I don't need to tell you which you might be.)

I'd secure all financials as a matter of urgency and then tell him straight - with a short timescale. (If it was just him, I'd give him no time at all but I'm conscious that kids are involved in this.)

franklyidontgiveadamscarlet · 14/07/2015 00:51

I hope you have changed your bank accounts back to your name only.
Give him two weeks to vacate your home now.

RubbishMantra · 14/07/2015 01:50

He doesn't want to move out. Why would he want to move away from easy street? You're even subsidising his daughter's further education, when he can't be arsed to do so. So he has time to stalk you (extremely worrying) but not work towards his daughter's education fund?

You have to be very firm and clear with these types of piss-takers.

maras2 · 14/07/2015 03:35

Look into his eyes and say ' get the hell out of my house you cock lodger weirdo twat.Oh and by the way,take your kid with you ' That should do it.Best of luck.

Hidingmyidentity · 14/07/2015 08:15

Tell him to pack up & leave within a timescale. You are going to get nowhere by being nice with this man. I don't want to worry you but his behaviour is going to get worse really quickly now he knows you want to get rid of him.

Thetruthshallmakeyefret · 14/07/2015 08:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cozietoesie · 14/07/2015 08:45

However you achieve it - I don't know if you have a spare room/couch or something - I'd also stop sleeping with him directly. Physical 'intimacy' is often used by people as a last ditch weapon and you don't need any confusion at this point.

hellsbellsmelons · 14/07/2015 08:53

Totally agree with others.
Tell him again you want to live alone and that this relationship is not working for you. Give him 2 weeks to move himself and his stuff out.
It should be that simple although I know it's not.
Bite the bullet and do it.
Rip off that plaster.
Stop being so nice. You don't need him to be your best friend so get him gone.

cozietoesie · 14/07/2015 09:15

'End of the month' has an appropriate ring to it, doesn't it? (It also happens to be two weeks away so seems fitting.)

AskBasil · 14/07/2015 11:55

OMG so now he's started the gas-lighting and stalking.

You know why he's pretending to not believe you on stuff? It's to make you doubt yourself. It's to inculcate the notion in your head that you can't trust your perceptions and your recollections, so if you're wrong about this, maybe you're wrong about splitting up with him too.

Honestly, recognise how toxic this man is. He may come across really nice and harmless and fun and on one level, it's all good and you get on really well with him. But at base, he is deeply, deeply harmful to you, he can't offer anything normal and healthy in the way of a relationship.

It's alarming to me how like my XP he sounds (before he descended into alcoholism). It was so easy to just ignore or minimise or make excuses for his behaviour and by the time I realised how harmful he was, he had already fucked with my head so successfully that it took me years to regain my faith in my memories and perceptions and abilities. Be on your guard.

magoria · 14/07/2015 12:08

Open a new account and get your wages and bills paid into there asap.

Get the overdraft removed. Split the remaining money fairly into yours and his accounts. Freeze/close the now joint account at £0 balance and tell him to get his wages paid back into his own account.

Tell the bank your relationship is ending and you do not want an account linked any more. Tell him he is out month end and to start looking for else where.

He will carry on until he has as much as possible from you. How can be even think you are there to pay for his DDs uni fees!

magoria · 14/07/2015 12:09

Oh and make sure he cannot link any loans to your joint account.

cozietoesie · 14/07/2015 13:02

You probably need to be aware that once you have The Talk, he'll probably try to stretch the moving-out by invoking 'the children'. It wil be - 'Couldn't we leave it until X starts university/Y has this or that exam/X&Y need another few weeks to be properly settled/I don't want to upset them before Xmas/the anniversary of someone's death when they're feeling raw................. (I could go on with possibilities.)

Don't 'negotiate' at all. At all. He'll just be trying to buy time to manoeuvre you back under control etc.

everynameseemstobetaken · 14/07/2015 13:14

Thank you all for taking the time to reply. I'll read through your replies another few times, and will update soon x

OP posts:
AskBasil · 14/07/2015 14:45

Oh, make sure you put your request to the bank in writing so that if they screw it up, you're not liable for any money he takes from your joint account.

A friend of mine had a nightmare when her ex took £8K from their account and the bank told her she was liable, even though she'd already told them to close the account. She had no proof that she'd told them to and it took months to force them to pay back the money. She won in the end, but it was v. stressful and not sth she needed at that point.

everynameseemstobetaken · 14/07/2015 18:28

Thank you, I'll go to the bank tomorrow. I've just come home from a 26 hour shift this lunchtime (social services so long periods on call at work). Although I do get a sleep period while in work I generally crawl into bed for a couple of hours when I get home. He turned up out of the blue when he was meant to be at work with a box of teabags (?!). Came in the bedroom, said he'd taken a couple of hours owing to him off, got changed and left again. Maybe innocent but feels like I'm being checked up on again. I'm starting to feel really nervous, although he's never even raised his voice or snapped at me in all the time we've been together.

I know it's not the done thing, but I'm considering making things clear by text during the evening (he also works 26 hour shifts in a totally different area - we have no workplace connection). At least that way I can be very honest and can avoid him until sometime tomorrow evening while he thinks things through and comes to terms with it (to some degree). What do you think? I've been in a very abusive relationship about 20 years ago and I think this is dredging up old feelings and fears. Again, I can't trust my own perspective because of this.

OP posts:
petalsandstars · 14/07/2015 19:19

I wouldn't trust him in your house once you have spelled it out to him. And I would also get the financial side dealt with first before telling him. He sounds like the person who would clear out your account leaving you with nothing.

everynameseemstobetaken · 14/07/2015 19:26

I've just checked the online banking. He made a small purchase in the town I work in yesterday while I was in work. It's about 10 odd miles from home and not somewhere he would normally be. Bugger.

OP posts:
everynameseemstobetaken · 14/07/2015 19:27

I can't remove his name from my account without his permission now, can I? Isn't it a full joint account once the second persons name is on it?

OP posts:
butterflygirl15 · 14/07/2015 19:33

yep I agree - sort out the bank account and be very careful once he knows. He sounds dodgy at best. Don't confuse an unsettled feeling about this man with something which happened to you in the past.

cozietoesie · 14/07/2015 19:36

I wouldn't tell him officially until I'd squared the financials away either - and I'd be doing that as a matter of urgency. (And I'd include ccs, PIN numbers, passwords to online accounts etc etc etc - plus a quick credit check.) It's better to deal with things calmly once you know you have a solid foundation. Being sideswiped is not so pleasant and, sadly, it's very easy these days with internet access to accounts of various sorts.

I just don't know about the rules governing that sort of bank account. Maybe another poster does and can advise.

At least it's your house! Smile

Hidingmyidentity · 14/07/2015 19:38

No you can't remove someone's name from a joint account without their permission. You can cancel an overdraft, providing the account is not already overdrawn. You can open a new account just in your name & transfer half the money over.

I know it is a lot of hassle but it is better than letting him take advantage of you financially.

cozietoesie · 14/07/2015 19:40

PS - so it looks as if he's been checking on you physically?

Do you have any nearby friends or relatives who could be with you while he's moving out/immediately after you've told him the news? (I just think you might find it easier if you had some RL support, albeit temporary.)

everynameseemstobetaken · 14/07/2015 19:51

I'm now at the point of being certain he's checking on me physically. He's turning up unexpectedly from work at odd times when he's meant to be on a 26 hour shift, I think about 7am once. He's appeared behind me in the shop, when he knew that's where I was going and pretended he'd seen my car (we had been together ten minutes earlier), and now this purchase near my work. I suspect he thinks I'm seeing someone as it would explain why I've pulled away in his eyes. He's asked me outright, when I've told him this isn't the case he's just said 'it's okay, you can tell me. I just want to know'.
This must all sound very concentrated the way I'm telling it on here, but it's been over weeks with mainly minimal interaction between us. But the checking on me is either ramping up, or has been better hidden till now

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 14/07/2015 19:57

You're probably noticing things more than you did previously as well.

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