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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

parents in law advice

234 replies

cookies92 · 02/03/2016 07:39

I have been with my partner for 4 years and we have a 1.5 year old together.

To put a long story short his parents are heavily involved in our relationship and have been since day 1, although now it's causing major problems. When I fell pregnant we stil lived at home, they suggested they buy a house and we would pay them 'rent'. At first I went with the idea but after seeing their behaviour I felt it wasn't something I wasnt comfortable with so we decided to rent and do it ourselves. We rented a small flat and for the first while it was fine, until we had our little boy it became far too cramped. We found the heating didn't work well and was constantly getting damp as it was an old property. We became pretty miserable in there tbh. His parents then resurfaced with an idea that they could buy a house jointly with my partner, I wasn't keen for this because we had agreed when the time came myself and my partner would buy ourselves. After some discussion they assured me that after a year they would come off the mortgage and I would go on it, I felt a bit funny about it but went ahead nonetheless. Now the whole time since we moved out (May 2014) they really started to show their colours. I thought us moving in together would make them back off but it became worse. Even worse once our son was born. His mother would make comments about our house how it wasn't clean enough constantly. She would clean it and I mean clean the shower, toilets etc if we went our and left her with the baby. This caused friction and on numerous occasions we fell out. Things came to a head when we moved into our new property and we had a big falling out, but it was put right quickly and I felt it had done some good. Anyway as time went on she started to slip back into her old ways. It came to a year since the purchase of the house and thats when I found out the hard way I would be nothing to do with the house ever. This angered me so much because they had lied to me, I also felt stupid I had believed them and not looked into anything and had been so naive. Anyway again this ended in a huge argument between me and his parents to the point I threw them out the house. Their involvement in our relationship has become unbearable. They constantly put things into my partners head and as he has always heavily relied on them throughout his life he still seems to do so now even tho he has been moved out near 2 years. They have stopped us getting joint bank accounts, stopped us from speaking to certain people they see as 'nasty' his mother constantly undermines me in my house takes over the cleaning as if she is a cleaner and undermines my parenting. Now I'm not an ungrateful person but this is crossing a line. They constantly make digs at the house, how we live, what we spend our money on. She will open my partners mail and feel the need to deal with it herself. They have told me I will never stop them seeing their son (I never said that!) this has caused a major issue in our relationship, I can't stand to be around his parents. He won't fall out with them (not what I'm asking anyway) and for our sons sake I need to tolerate them being round. I need him to stand up for himself and tell them to back off but he won't do it. It's going to split us up. It has gotten to the point my family are now involved in this too. Any advice? Thanks.

OP posts:
Chocolatteaddict1 · 04/03/2016 10:12

cookie I was pregnant at 16, moved out and raised dd1 for 15 years by myself. I didn't need a fancy house, I just had a flat and got on with it. I wouldn't have stayed in a shit situation just do I could have a nice house.

This situation is never going to change because the one person who is at fault you refuse to acknowledge.

No one forced him to sign over half the house for FREE (WTF?) to his parents

No one forces him to act like a little boy around his parents.

No one forced him to make sure his future wife has less right than tenant.

You keep blaming his parents when in fact all this crap lies on his toes. He choose his parents over you and his son and no matte how many times you try to convince yourself he is stupid ect - he did it.

Signing half the house over to his PIL was cruel. You have given birth to his child and he thinks your worth nothing.

And it's not 'we have a brand new house' - HE hand his pils have a brand new house. You have nothing. You just pay in to the house and they all could kick you out tomoro and you wouldn't be able to do anything. Bare in mind cookie that you have given up the majority of work to have, you are trapped to working a few hours a week because of child care. Your right up shit street tbh. Your wonderful dp gets to work full time, gets to buy a lovely new house for him and his parents while his girlfriends pays all of her little wages in to his house. But he chucks her a few quid when she needs it.

Open your eyes. If he is so bad at recognising what his parents are like then you are just as bad for not recognising what your dp has done.

You won't leave, the house means too much for you.

NettleTea · 04/03/2016 10:14

what conditions did you set for coming back?
Have you spoken to him/shown him this thread?

I know you say he is naive, but now you have the facts, will you present him with them - will he agree to getting copies of the documents so you can see in black and white how he is paying for their investment.

If they had wanted to help then there were ways they could have done it - they could have acted as guarantors, but put the ownership into his hands. But you needed both incomes to assure a mortgage, because the building society would consider that for him to pay on his own would be too much of a financial commitment - so they should be paying a share of the mortgage/insurance, etc equal to the share of the property that they own. You shouldnt be putting any money into the property, and I think you should be quite entitled to ask for the money you have invested (ie fixtures/housebuying fees) back if you are never to be allowed on the deeds.

also do you have any comment on the discrepancy between 'spare money' at the end of each month - if he is unwilling to get a joint account then how does he square that you have £100 left (because you are at home taking on his share of the role of childcare) and he has nearly £500. Covering ongoing outgoings, such as a fair share of bills, food, etc. is reasonable.

You could look at childcare in order to up your income, knowing that as others say, childcare vouchers or tax credits might cover it - but also your partner should be covering professional childcare too - after all it is HIS child. In fact he should contribute MORE if he is the higher wage earner, because childcare benefits both of you, and its just another bill to be paid proportionally as part of the household.

You need a serious talk with him this weekend

figureofspeech · 04/03/2016 10:24

I had an issue that I sought the advice of a solicitor about, it cost me £100 & well worth it. I decided not to go through with the tribunal for various personal reasons but I'm glad that I sought legal advice. Please do take some money out of your savings to seek legal advice. This situation seems to be too complicated for the CAB & they'll probably advise you to see a property solicitor.

cookies92 · 04/03/2016 10:37

Thanks everyone i take on-board everyone's advice.

Sorry but the house doesn't mean that much to me, please do not make out I am a shallow person. I am the one saying I'd rather rent somewhere than live here. A house doesn't mean anything to me I was merely saying can you not see the attraction it had for my partner?! Please do not make out I am stupid, I am just trying to do what's best and what is right for one is not right for the other. I appreciate your life was different to mine.

OP posts:
cookies92 · 04/03/2016 10:43

But yes at the same time I am feared that I would end up in shit hole to be honest. My friend is currently in a block of flats with drug dealers/takers as neighbours. Her 6 year old can't go out to play because of this. The police are constantly there. I do not want my child growing up in that environment, sorry if I am wrong. As far as I'm aware you have to take what the council gives you am I not right? I do have a friend who has a lovely house in a nice area by the council but by her own admission she is lucky as her previous property was much the same as my other friends.

OP posts:
SonjasSister · 04/03/2016 10:47

Cookies, you are definitely not stupid! Keep on working out what is going to be best for you and your dc, as pps have said, you protecting your financial security and accommodation arrangements so you are secure and in control is not excluding your partner, he can join you if he wishes.

I don't think he's necessarily stupid, though he is clearly not as mature and insightful as you are.

If he does finally decide to face the way his parents 'own' him, it will be very painful and difficult for him. It is hardly surprising he wishes it would all go away and he could stay where he feels 'comfortable'. But that doesn't make it right.

cookies92 · 04/03/2016 10:50

Thank you sonja!

That was a much appreciated comment :)

OP posts:
SonjasSister · 04/03/2016 10:51

NettleTeas post is spot on.

SonjasSister · 04/03/2016 10:51
Smile
wannaBe · 04/03/2016 10:51

OP, but let's say for the sake of argument that your DP is really as naive as you say he is. If that really is the case then he is also vulnerable to being exploited by his parents. He's bought a house which they own half of yet you say he knows very little about what he was signing for. Have you actually seen the paperwork which names him on the mortgage? Is he an equal owner? Or is it possible he only owns a small percentage in order to justify his name on the mortgage?

Added to that, if he were to die you do know the house would go to his parents and you would have no rights to stay there?

The reason you don't have a joint bank account is because he doesn't want you to have one. This has nothing to do with his parents. They can be as overbearing as you like, but he is an adult and is in charge of his own decisions.

If he is that weak what is he going to do when the parents demand that he leaves you?

cookies92 · 04/03/2016 10:57

The only paperwork I have seen is the land register and 10 year warranty or whatever it was (similar to title deeds). His name and there's was on it. I have seen nothing else that important. So I do not know the ins and outs.

That may be true but I know we had an appointment to set one up until his parents got involved, he didn't mind uo until then.

OP posts:
Spandexpants007 · 04/03/2016 11:00

Tell him you want your 3k deposit back even if he has to remortgage.

cookies92 · 04/03/2016 11:03

His father said he would personally give me it back if we split up 'if it made me happy'

OP posts:
NameChange30 · 04/03/2016 11:09

£3k deposit?! I must have missed that one. Why on earth did you just give them £3k?! You could have saved that money as financial security for you and your child.

PLEASE stop being a mug. Your name on the deeds, and theirs off it, or your £3k back.

Chocolatteaddict1 · 04/03/2016 11:11

Jesus I missed the bit were you had out £3k in.

cookie wake up love

Chocolatteaddict1 · 04/03/2016 11:12

Hiding thread as this can't be real

cookies92 · 04/03/2016 11:17

Oh my God, I said earlier that money was the money for the legal fees etc! And I told you why I gave them it, because they told me the house would be me and my partners and I didn't want them having anything over us moneywise so I paid that.

Do you think for one second if they said you will never have anything to do with this house I'd hand over that?! Seriously, read what I'm saying and quit making out I'm that stupid. Yes I'm naive but cmon have you never made a mistake in your damn life?! Jesus

OP posts:
cookies92 · 04/03/2016 11:19

Why would I want someone to pay 3 grand on something I own,as that's what I was told at the time! Maybe you wouldn't mind but I certainly didn't want that just as I don't accept the lavish gifts e.g cars they try through at us!

OP posts:
NameChange30 · 04/03/2016 11:19

It is stupid naive to assume you're going to be on the house deeds if you don't actually attend the solicitor appointments or sign any paperwork, yes.

There, I said it.

cookies92 · 04/03/2016 11:20

Your both acting like I actually KNEW this was the case. I thought what I was doing at the time was the right thing. Sorry we can't all be as smart as you!

OP posts:
NameChange30 · 04/03/2016 11:21

If you and your partner were buying a house together, his parents should have had nothing to do with it. You book and attend the solicitors appointments, you pay the solicitor directly.

cookies92 · 04/03/2016 11:21

Ok,I'm stupid. Obviously. Otherwise I wouldn't be in this mess. But I don't need to be backed into a corner and 'laughed' at.

OP posts:
LittleLegs25 · 04/03/2016 11:23

cookies you are NOT stupid, you were just too trusting which is your PIL's problem and not yours. You have learned from this and that's the main thing!!

cookies92 · 04/03/2016 11:24

Thank you little legs yes that is one of my biggest problems I am far too trusting. I've always been like that. And yes I have learned a harsh lesson in reality.

OP posts:
NameChange30 · 04/03/2016 11:27

No one's laughing at you. We're just trying to shock you into standing up for yourself. We've been gentle, supportive and encouraging, but it's clear you're still making excuses for him, so we're trying to be more firm in the hope that it will help you to see the light.

I don't want you to beat yourself up for your mistakes, but I do want you to learn from them.