I let my friend move in while I was working out but she stopped paying the rent – forced her out by changing the locks and cutting the water but people think I’m wrong
A mother-of-two has revealed the drastic measures she took to rid her home of an ‘unwanted guest’ after her friend refused to pay rent or leave the property.
The British woman shared her plight mumsentannouncing that she was forced to take matters into her own hands after the police refused to intervene in the family feud.
The original label was on its last legs when an agreement between the acrimonious duo met an abrupt end after she returned to the country after six months abroad.
In a detailed discussion on the forum, she explained that her colleague, who is a mother of two children, agreed to pay an undisclosed amount per month, but she stopped paying after only two months.
However, some suggested she acted illegally, with one saying: ‘You’re lucky you didn’t make it to court. Whatever you are justified in feeling you acted illegally.”
A mother-of-two has revealed the drastic measures she took to rid her home of ‘unwanted guest’ after her friend refused to pay rent or leave the property (Stock Photo)
Explaining her predicament, the mother says, “I’ve arranged to rent our house to a ‘friend’.”
I only paid 2 months rent but I let it slide until we got back. When we got home, she refused to leave the house.
There was nothing they could do, the police said, so my husband and I and two young children had to camp at my mother’s “thirty miles away.”
Six weeks after that, after trying every legal avenue, I went to our house after (the boyfriend) left for work.
“I still had my keys, so I went in and turned off the water at the tap.”
Then I canceled address broadband. That night she had the audacity to call me to complain. She said she had a baby and a small child and had no water.
But emotions did not move the mother, who stuck her guns.
‘Cue tears, threats etc.,’ she said, ‘but because I knew she had somewhere to go, I held my ground.
The British woman shared her ordeal on Mumsnet, revealing she had to take matters into her own hands after the police refused to intervene in the family feud.
I went the next day and it was gone, even though the place was run down.
The label has since accused her ex-boyfriend of “abusing” her.
More than 200 comments poured in from several Mumsnet advisors after learning of its predicament.
Many fellow Mumsnetters congratulated the label on a good performance, while some warned that its illegal tactics could land them in hot water.
“What a despicable person. You are so well portrayed of her,” one user wrote.
Another agreed, saying, “She doesn’t sound like much of a friend.”
“Awful,” said another aptly.
Other users were divided on the woman’s behavior, with some saying the tenant had a “legal right” to stay on the premises
One user even went so far as to say, “She’s shy and deserves everything she gets.” I’d like to make sure all of my mutual friends know what I did, too.
However, the advice became very complicated when some advised the OP that it might be against the law.
‘If she ever pays you rent,’ one user explained, ‘she has a legally guaranteed short lease.
You should have protected their deposit (if you also have one), run safety checks for electric and gas, and many other bits. What you did in the eyes of the law was an illegal eviction.
Another added: “Depending on what agreement you had, what you did was probably illegal, turning off the water etc is not acceptable although I can totally understand why you would want to.”
