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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

DH wants DM rental income

683 replies

MMMMMBacon · 26/06/2025 17:47

Summarised backstory first -

Married for 21 years and together 23/24 years. I am almost 47 Y/o. I am the higher earner of the two of us though we both earn decently - My only gap in work being a year Mat break 15 years ago. No second child mainly cos he is very tight fisted with money , even mine. I have always compromised and led a simple life - no fancy holidays etc , no fancy eating out or splurges with shopping. My only 'extravagance' from his perspective is I wanted our son to go a fee paying school and he does. Both our mortgage and DS school fees as well council tax, utilities, both phones go from my account that he also has a card to. His salary goes to another account that he saves , as he says, for 'our' retirement - he does afford himself little treats from there. He buys the groceries from there for us. He doesnt like eating out.

My mother has willed her house to me and is now almost 70. Last year she had rot and flooding in one part of the house and her situation was pitiable, staying at a friends house as the roof in one part of the house was horrific. She lives comfortably on a pension and some savings in the bank but didnt have enough to rebuild or even renovate parts of the house and it was ancient/crumbling. She thought about selling it to a small developer who would build it up as 2 units and then sell one and give her one unit. which I would get in future was her plan, it was H who said the developer seems very dodgy blah blah blah , finally long story short - I paid the money for the renovation and repairs which was under 50K (with him okaying it at the time) - now he says my mother should pay him 300 GBP every month for the 50K since he refused to free up any liquidity for me to have the 50k ( we have other assets we could have sold, and I had other plans for financing it myself) but he insisted at the time he pay the 50K from his severance pay he got last year (he got a new job immediately) - I told him I will give him the 300 GBP but he insists my mother pay it out of her monthly pension and savings. presumably my money is all his anyway and not he wants more. AIBU ?

OP posts:
Mummyto7lovelife · 28/06/2025 18:01

Leave he is awful and financially abusing you get a divorce and half of his savings.

TealQueen · 28/06/2025 18:17

It sounds to me like he is hoping to force your hand by being totally unreasonable, changing his mind etc. Maybe wanting you to leave do he can be the victim. His salary going into a savings account, please check if it's in his name only or joint names before he walks off with the lot.

AcrossthePond55 · 28/06/2025 18:53

MMMMMBacon · 28/06/2025 11:12

Hes never actually going to give me back any of the money to go lead my life is he.....

@MMMMMBacon

No, chances are he won't. I'd probably ask for it, but wouldn't count on it. And the financial set up you have is so disadvantageous as to possibly constitute financial abuse. You really need to speak to a solicitor.

I know you are setting up a new account he has no access to, but you also need to tell him you are done paying for everything whilst he sits on his entire salary.
If he doesn't like it, tough shit. You can always transfer your 'share' to the account you have now (that he has access to) and tell him "There's my share, deal with it". I doubt he'll want the house to go to foreclosure or the lights and water to be shut off. You'll just have to 'hang tough' until he realizes that you mean business.

Thalia31 · 28/06/2025 19:05

MMMMMBacon · 26/06/2025 17:47

Summarised backstory first -

Married for 21 years and together 23/24 years. I am almost 47 Y/o. I am the higher earner of the two of us though we both earn decently - My only gap in work being a year Mat break 15 years ago. No second child mainly cos he is very tight fisted with money , even mine. I have always compromised and led a simple life - no fancy holidays etc , no fancy eating out or splurges with shopping. My only 'extravagance' from his perspective is I wanted our son to go a fee paying school and he does. Both our mortgage and DS school fees as well council tax, utilities, both phones go from my account that he also has a card to. His salary goes to another account that he saves , as he says, for 'our' retirement - he does afford himself little treats from there. He buys the groceries from there for us. He doesnt like eating out.

My mother has willed her house to me and is now almost 70. Last year she had rot and flooding in one part of the house and her situation was pitiable, staying at a friends house as the roof in one part of the house was horrific. She lives comfortably on a pension and some savings in the bank but didnt have enough to rebuild or even renovate parts of the house and it was ancient/crumbling. She thought about selling it to a small developer who would build it up as 2 units and then sell one and give her one unit. which I would get in future was her plan, it was H who said the developer seems very dodgy blah blah blah , finally long story short - I paid the money for the renovation and repairs which was under 50K (with him okaying it at the time) - now he says my mother should pay him 300 GBP every month for the 50K since he refused to free up any liquidity for me to have the 50k ( we have other assets we could have sold, and I had other plans for financing it myself) but he insisted at the time he pay the 50K from his severance pay he got last year (he got a new job immediately) - I told him I will give him the 300 GBP but he insists my mother pay it out of her monthly pension and savings. presumably my money is all his anyway and not he wants more. AIBU ?

Sorry, what you pay for everything and he pays groceries? I'm not entirely sure what to say apart from go to a Solicitor Immediately and please get a therapist because this behaviour on abnormal.

Imdoodleladie · 28/06/2025 21:16

100% Agree. What a pig!! Having control of YOUR money whilst he SAVES his!!! Got to the bank, put a block on his card & get yourself a new one then leave him & move in with yr mum.

Imdoodleladie · 28/06/2025 21:19

Excellent advice!!👌

AppUser · 29/06/2025 07:45

This sounds like financial abuse, please take back control of your own finances. Do you have a card to the account into where his salary is paid?
You're not a child and shouldn't have to be accountable to him for your spending. Your mum has willed you her house so you will eventually get your £50k back, and more. I hope you won't cave in and ask your poor mum to pay £300 a month from her pension.

MMMMMBacon · 29/06/2025 08:10

Thanks all who posted. I know I have to stand up to the accounts and finances issues.

Went with DS into the city yesterday....usual round of the book shops he likes...was into Dostoevsky last summer and is exploring Kafka this year....got him stuff to read for the summer , whatever he wanted

he goes to a Christian school, and reads the bible, announced himself Christian two summers ago ....went with him to a Church Choir event, we enjoyed it ....

And I prayed for strength .....I am way guilty of keeping quiet to keep the peace -it is not healthy at all....

After that splurged on eating out a nice place ! In all, we had a great day yesterday. He will be meeting his friends most of the summer to hang out I am sure but it was nice that Day 1 was a mum son day out !

I have stayed firm on the stand of not taking money from pensioners. I have stayed in the guestroom. We haven't talked since Thursday. I will be taking control of my salary going forward from next week in a new and separate Bank account

Apparently, H asked DS on friday, was I wrong to say Gran should pay something every month for the renovations - and son said he replied Yes you were and H was quiet.

If he is accepting of my financial independence back and completely changing the control dynamics and seeing how the current set up is just not acceptable (I know he would protest if it was one of his two dear sisters, who's H was doing this to them) - and immediately come to counselling - he needs both individual and marriage counselling - then I think I will stay in the marriage at least for now, at least for son's sake - but at the very least it is NC and separated in the same house, till he puts in 6 -12 months of demonstrating changes.

Thank you all, I will never be as strong as some of the women on here, but trying for my own version of what is possible.

OP posts:
MMMMMBacon · 29/06/2025 08:12

Plus DS and I will be going to my mum's for two weeks later this summer :-) !!

OP posts:
myplace · 29/06/2025 08:25

It’s ok to find a compromise that meets your needs, you don’t need to go full boat burning mode.

What you want is to be free of his control,
and to have your money that you saved in a joint access bank account or 50/50 in your own bank accounts.

If you can achieve that living in the same house, that’s fine.

The house business just makes it harder to stand up to him, so it depends how strong you feel.

The best way to shore up your boundaries to be out and about doing things, visiting people, telling your very closest most reliable friends what’s been happening. Perhaps attend a women’s group.
Maybe go to church with your son, to cement a free, separate identity from your husband.

Kate8889 · 29/06/2025 08:51

Why is your son getting pulled in to chiming in on your disagreements? Really not a great thing for either of you to ask if him

OhamIreally · 29/06/2025 09:04

I think if he wants to stay married and is determined to prove that he will change he needs to transfer half of the savings to you. If he won’t, then you have your answer.

Make sure all the direct debits don’t just move over to your new account. Set it up so that he has to contribute half if they’re to be paid going forward.

SpryCat · 29/06/2025 09:11

On Monday, you will be opening a new bank account and your wages will go in there, go see a divorce solicitor for a free consultation, it will open your eyes, that everything you both have in bank and house would be split 50/50. Hunt for paperwork and make copies of your H’s bank statements, mortgage ( if mortgage just in his name, you still are entitled to half!) etc and hide them, you could post them to your mum’s for safe keeping. Tell her you are posting documents to her and to store them away.
Your H backs down when anyone else disapproves or tell him he’s wrong, it’s only you he abuses @MMMMMBacon.
Your H tried to get your son on board about expecting your elderly mum to pay him monthly, for the repairs and once son didn’t agree, he stayed quiet.
He will not stay quiet once you get stronger and stand up to you, he will be telling son, you were attracted to another man etc to turn him against you but it will backfire, your son will ask you your version of events. There is nothing you have ever done that would turn your son against you!
Secrecy is what is standing in your way, and enabling your H to hide his true self, to financially and emotionally abuse you. When you go on holiday to your mum’s with your son, tell them the truth. That H is financially abusing you, that you’ve kept quiet all these years because you didn’t want to lose your son. Once that’s in the open, your H won’t have any power over you and you won’t feel so scared.

Starling7 · 29/06/2025 09:43

Kate8889 · 29/06/2025 08:51

Why is your son getting pulled in to chiming in on your disagreements? Really not a great thing for either of you to ask if him

He's a 16 year old being asked his opinion on an important family matter. Is actually say that's a good thing.

Starling7 · 29/06/2025 09:46

MMMMMBacon · 29/06/2025 08:10

Thanks all who posted. I know I have to stand up to the accounts and finances issues.

Went with DS into the city yesterday....usual round of the book shops he likes...was into Dostoevsky last summer and is exploring Kafka this year....got him stuff to read for the summer , whatever he wanted

he goes to a Christian school, and reads the bible, announced himself Christian two summers ago ....went with him to a Church Choir event, we enjoyed it ....

And I prayed for strength .....I am way guilty of keeping quiet to keep the peace -it is not healthy at all....

After that splurged on eating out a nice place ! In all, we had a great day yesterday. He will be meeting his friends most of the summer to hang out I am sure but it was nice that Day 1 was a mum son day out !

I have stayed firm on the stand of not taking money from pensioners. I have stayed in the guestroom. We haven't talked since Thursday. I will be taking control of my salary going forward from next week in a new and separate Bank account

Apparently, H asked DS on friday, was I wrong to say Gran should pay something every month for the renovations - and son said he replied Yes you were and H was quiet.

If he is accepting of my financial independence back and completely changing the control dynamics and seeing how the current set up is just not acceptable (I know he would protest if it was one of his two dear sisters, who's H was doing this to them) - and immediately come to counselling - he needs both individual and marriage counselling - then I think I will stay in the marriage at least for now, at least for son's sake - but at the very least it is NC and separated in the same house, till he puts in 6 -12 months of demonstrating changes.

Thank you all, I will never be as strong as some of the women on here, but trying for my own version of what is possible.

Bless you. All these steps are fantastic. Please continue to make provisions for yourself to leave, even if you never do.it, please please have an escape plan. Your husband will absolutely have plans for the eventuality of divorce. Please be prepared so that you are not his victim once again. Xx

Imbusytodaysorry · 29/06/2025 12:10

OhamIreally · 29/06/2025 09:04

I think if he wants to stay married and is determined to prove that he will change he needs to transfer half of the savings to you. If he won’t, then you have your answer.

Make sure all the direct debits don’t just move over to your new account. Set it up so that he has to contribute half if they’re to be paid going forward.

Agree.

DeathNote11 · 29/06/2025 12:53

Apologies if this has already been mentioned, but if you do split up, money spent on a forensic accountant is usually a good investment when divorcing this type of man. Ask your solicitor.

Busybeemumm · 29/06/2025 13:18

OP , still see a solicitor and contact Women's Aid/ Refuge for advice. It's great that you are taking steps to take back some control and separate finances but men like this don't give up easily. Great if he gets counselling but the reality is that he is who he is.

For your son's sake he needs you to be alive and healthy. Your DH could become violent when he realises that you have set up your own bank account so stay vigilant.

MMMMMBacon · 29/06/2025 14:04

DH took DS and went to an event that I know his/our friends had invited us to go to weeks ago - I didnt go to this last year either so not fussed about missing this one. I had my day with DS yesterday, so guess this is equitable. DS still not taking his phone/ giving the other parent an update in the evening - yesterday I was trying to promote good behaviours on keeping the other parent updated on the schedule and because son didnt bring his phone yesterday, I messaged on the group ' Dad still in XX city, but all good - we will be taking the XX bus back - Signed DS name'. Because we were gone from 11am to 8.30 pm and I am trying to see that I want to be kept up to date in this way too.

I have taken the liberty of pulling up all the bank statements from his account that his salary goes into , and mine as well - as we had paper statements posted home till about a year ago - I have also done some digging in the filing cabinets where I know 'we' keep pension paperwork that comes in annually etc. I have been poring over this for a few hours now, luckily we were neither born rich nor make a lot now - and a ton of money does go on the mortgage and private school - given that we probably dont need the 6 bedroom we bought in the suburbs - and we would not have gone private school if we had had two kids / known about the fees VAT increase back in 2022 . Another post to follow in a few mins on what I have been able to piece together myself now as this one is too long already.

OP posts:
justasking111 · 29/06/2025 14:09

Paperwork you have my sympathy.

MMMMMBacon · 29/06/2025 14:37

Up and till 2016. only one single Bank account active with both salaries going on here - briefly mine went to the old Bank where I worked as they opened an employee account , but when I moved jobs that one was closed and we were both using the same account that we opened together in 2008 after getting married in 2004 - no savings before 2004 I was mid twenties , he was early 30s - maybe he spent well on dates before meeting me I guess. 😂I have always said I made his tightness much worse by being too easy.

Anyway - 2008 to 2015 - money saved in both our names more or less equally, liquidated for down payment partly on apartment in 2015. Apartment mortgage in both our names.

2021 - Mortgage paid off on the two bed apartment in the city, everything that was in his salary account accumulated for years - he paid off the mortgage and we owned the apartment (((( But the interest rate I think on just putting the money into Deposits /ISAs (tax benefits) appear to have been more than the mortgage, so I definitely think we should have been talking more about options , and also getting financial advice not just paying off mortgage early. I don't think my opinion was asked whether I would rather have a few nicer holidays, and luxuries - rather than just the joy of owning our apartment early.

2022 - Everything accumulated in both salary accounts + plenty of the deposits used for deposit on the new 6 bedroom. He has used his money to pay almost 18K additionally on additional Tax Scotland charges for a second house - though the plan was to sell the apartment within the 18 months to get the tax refund, the sale ultimately went through later than 18 months and thus the 18K lost to us , no tax refund - we could have had all the eating out and holidays for years that we wanted on that 18 k - if I didn't laugh I would cry, and this is half my fault for letting him make most of the decisions if not, some without consulting and listening.

2024 - His severance pay came in, almost all of which he has transferred now to my mother for the renovations of her house. He has done a big prepayment on the mortgage of this house as well - everything that came from the sale of apartment early 2024 plus whatever he had in his account at the time (plus took whatever came in my account early 2024 my bonus etc, and prepaid mortgage on this house paying a penalty charge of pre-paying to the bank). So this big house is in both our names and the mortgage did go down by half (to a much less scary amount last year compared to 2023)

2025 - based on the statements up to last year, and few bits of info of this year, I think he has up to 30K almost maybe hoarded in his salary account now just lying there - but I can see transfers of 2k made to my account every 3-4 months.

So yes, half of this is mine - I estimate around 15K at the least - but 25K of the 50K he gave my mum is his - so if we say my forensics missed what he did with at least 10K of the money (and some of the interest on the deposits before those were closed for down payment on the house) - then we are even ? My 50K savings is with my mum and his lies earning nothing in his salary bank account neither save nor earning - until he makes another prepayment on the mortgage in this house ?

I know this is me not being on top of things as much as anything , but surely this is far more complicated and webbed than just the option of separate accounts and a joint account like other normal couples do ? Plus it means we both have an equal say on spending versus savings - and also which type of savings.

We now have no savings actually that is the bottom line - if we took the 50K we gave my mum back and the 35 around he has now in his salary account, and did what he has been doing and just paying back all the mortgage - we would be mortgage free at 50. apart from that , we just have our workplace pensions that our employers are legally mandated to put in place - I have all the statements, his are easier to see as he only ever changed jobs the once - I have changed more often. I am still looking into those.

So basically, it is simple I guess - we own this house that we live in quite soon , and I dont know what he was planning to do after the mortgage is early paid off, which could be a few years away. The point is the control - because if we had separate accounts - we would both be contributing to the prepayment of mortgage and renovations on our parents' house/s. Rather than him feeing its his money because it was his severance pay.

Hope the few people still patiently reading my thread, managed to read the above. I know some ppl might say/think - so he wasnt being that unfair then, but I am still in MAJOR ick, over the bulging rage eyes when he insisted my 70 year old mother pay him rent last week. I begged that I needed to get back to work and I had an important deliverable, before I completely snapped, started crying and stopped talking to him and moved out of what I now call his bedroom.

OP posts:
MMMMMBacon · 29/06/2025 14:43

Dumb and dumber. Me and him.

OP posts:
MMMMMBacon · 29/06/2025 14:46

Re - what he has done with the money
I think he has basically tried to do the same thing as Siblings/Cousins seen to do in England and buy a second property , and rent one out - and could not pull this off because of the 40pc tax on rental income in Scotland and the mortgage rate on the second property not being locked in for 5 years.

I would have no way of knowing 100s here and there over the years, and if any went on sugarbabiesdotcom looking for the 20 year old - but most ppl can't keep track of every 100s (not saying I have any clue how much a sugarbaby or only fans charges) - disgusting to think of a 50+ man with a 20+ woman

OP posts:
WiddlinDiddlin · 29/06/2025 14:48

I think if theres any chance of you going forward still in this relationship, you need HIM to agree that you take control of the finances, you have oversight over everything, and any decisions about finances are made jointly.

If he is not willing to do that, get out.

Outofthemoonlight · 29/06/2025 14:52

I hope you’ve taken copies or screenshots, @MMMMMBacon