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what do i do?

some of you know that we have problems with next door.
I've been thinking for months, and trying to work out things in my head.

They have two cars (we can only afford one and thats with hubby working full time and overtime and me working part time) they have also recently have paid privately for gas to be piped to their house, and full gas central heating put in.
then they were boasting about how they can afford to have an ??18k conservatory built onto the front of their house (18k was the cost of the conservatory alone, not including the application for planning etc that goes with it) and how they had paid for it all up front so they had no loans etc to pay each month.

But this is what gets me - she only works 15-20 hours a week. I know they claim benefits, as they claim he cannot work due to a nervous breakdown he had about 5 years ago (yet he can intimidate and harass his neighbours!) and I was thinking, are they doing something they shouldnt?
It seems weird that they can pay a lump sum of 18k (immediately after a lump sum of 5k) for a conservatory when they are claiming benefits to help them 'live'.....

I was thinking of reporting them. If i did i know i could do it anonymously, but what would actually happen? Does anyone else think its a bit suss...? (even if they'd saved for it it would have taken ages on their 'income' and they have to declare savings each year to renew the claim...)

I dont know what to do....... :\?

Replies

  • It does seem a bit suspicious. They could have savings or have inherited some money etc, but as you say they would surely have to declare that if they are claiming benefits. When they were boasting about the conservatory did they give any indication of where the money was coming from?

    I think I would be tempted to report them. If they are genuinely able to claim benefits and spend that money then they have nothing to fear from an investigation.
  • Sorry Katie I'm a softy too but if I knew someone was milking the system I'd have to report it. You wouldn't let them help themselves from your purse would you or put their shopping through and let you pay?? Thats what they are doing- stealing from us all.
  • I dont think they've inherited it as she - when we were friends - was complaining that all her money was going on the private care for her mother as her mums money had run out... and there's only been her mum pass away recently.
    when they were talking about it they were just smling saying how they wont have any debt because they had paid for it all up front... nothing more really....

    (and as soon as they got planning permission they started treating us like crap and harassing us, coming onto our property and meddling with our drains, and blocking our drive with their cars, and their sons car, and when Ollie was in hospital they came round shouting the odds at us even though it was the first half hour i'd managed to get to come home, and they knew he was in hospital.... they're constantly shouting names at us, allowing their dog into our garden to poop. And all we did was tell them to move the big builders van that thought it could park in the middle of the road blocking our drive all day everyday when Ollie was ill and in and out of the docs/hospital....)

    this isnt something I'm thinking of doing just to 'get at them'. Its something I've been thinking about for a while - i just can't fathom how they can be 'struggling' then be able to afford all this....
    I dont care what they do, or how much crap they give us, they'll either a) be dead before we are (harsh i know but) or b)we'll have moved house soon......

    if they weren't doing anything wrong then it shouldn't matter should it... they'd be looked into and then left alone if they're in the right....
  • Maybe they had a win on the lottery or a scratchcard. A long lost relative could of died and left them the money. They could of applied and got accpeted for a loan. Could be 101 different reasons.

    I personally wouldn't say anything, if they're making your life hard now, then they'll make it ten times worse when they find out you have reported them.

    Are you jealous of your neighbours? Could they be saying all this just to wind you up?

    xx
  • I would definitely report them - as you say if they are claiming legitimately then they have nothing to fear! Benefit frauds drive me MAD :evil: I work hard and have done everyday since qualifying for my career and feel guilty if I take a day of sick and I am paying into a benefit system that I seriously hope I never have to claim out of (for illness or unemployment) but why should people scam that money away from us and people who really need it!!! I know there are plenty of legitimate claimers out there and I have nothing against that but this soudns dodgdy and I would report it!
  • if they break the law they go to prison becuase of their actions not because of whoever reported them! Plus that is only in extreme cases. If you break the law (whatever law it be) then you get what you deserve!
  • I think if I could do in anonamously (sp?), then I would report them. It doesn't matter where the money came from, if they had ??18k in savings then that surely would affect the amount of benefits they should recieve? I'm with Crafticharli, benefit fraud drives me up the wall!!!
    xx
  • They were telling us about the conservatory when we were friends with them... and they were the ones who started blocking us in when we needed to get to hospital with our son, (knowing that he was ill and we needed access at all times, and there was space in front of their house but they had to park blocking our drive and the turning circle) and started hurling abuse at us over the wall and messing around with our property after we asked them to move and not block us in - we live at the end of a road which is only wide enough for one car to travel down alongside all the parked cars, with a small turning circle at the end in front of our house - they started parking covering our drive completely so we couldnt get in or out even though there was a full car space in front of their house for their car... and their son is a police officer and did it on purpose one day when i was home from hospital for half an hour and had to get back to Ollie, and told us he wasnt moving it at all, so we had to report him for it to get him to move his car...

    they're not 'saying all this to wind us up' - they told us about the conservatory beforehand, then they started being abusive towards us (which is a whole other matter that the police, and mediation - on our part so far as they're refusing it - are involved in because it involves a police officer - their son - as well as them)

    as for making our life hard after finding out - you can do it anonymously so people dont know.
    But it cant be any harder for us after than it is for us now! we already have to check the doors and windows, and drains for blockages anyway. We always have to check our garden for poo before we let ollie out as they send their dog into it. If we go out walking we have abuse shouted at us as we walk past their house. We arrived home after walking the dog today and the minute the front door was shut they were throwing a football at our front window...for what reason???? ... bearing in mind this woman is supposed to be a mother herself and yet she has no qualms about scaring my little boy. This sort of thing is now part of our daily life because the police refuse to do something about it..... (hence the moving bit hopefully happening!)

    so to answer your question, jealous, no. trying to wind us up, no. plain abusive and harrassment - yes.

    they could have won the lottery, but being a small community and the sort of people they are everyone would know..
    Everything I have thought of as a possibility for them getting the money just doesnt tie in to them as they were when we were friends with them, or as they are now....

    sorry if that made no sense there, have waffled a bit......
  • From what you have said I would definitely phone up anonymously. If they are doing something wrong, well they certainly deserve to get caught! And if not, they have nothing to worry about. But I hope that if you do, they won't have any suspicions that it was you as they sound like nasty, spiteful people.
  • Hi Hun,
    That's a horrible situation to be in with your neighbours, it makes me even more glad that we don't have any!

    Personally I think I would report them. If they haven't done anything wrong or there is a reasonable explanation they don't have anything to worry about. But then I don't have to live next door to them!

    Hope things get better for you (or that you get to move soon!).
    Stephxx
  • Lea Pea is so right. I've been on benefits before & it aint no high life so the people who are claiming it is ....are cheating the system!!

    They do sound like scroungers, I would personally have said not to bother as like Katie I would feel so guilty if they went to prison but by the sounds of the type of people they are, they are prob better of in there!!!!

    xxxx

  • aaaw honey, that sounds a nightmare!

    My only thing to say would be, even if you do report it anonymously (sp?) be prepared for them to say something to you anyway. If your relationship isn't the best, they might put 2 + 2 together.

    I'm only saying this as we had awful neighbours a year or so ago, they eventually moved out but they were a nightmare to live next door too! Our other neighbour got so fed up with how they were treating their kids (very abusive, verbally and pyshically - is that spelt right!!! - but also left their kids alone, they were 1 and 6yrs) anyway... the other neighbour reported them to social services and the woman knew it was her and confronted her and was very verbally scary etc. etc. The other neighbour was (and still is) an interferring busybody and so the horrid neighbour just guessed it was her.

    Take care!

    Joo xxx
  • I'm pretty certain they'd say something to us anyway... even if someone else reported them and gave their name they'd still try to blame us.

    Is this the point where i tell you they're actually in their late 50's so should definately know better!


    Hubby thinks we should report them but is too scared to actually do it himself......

    I'm still a bit chicken myself to be honest, but it is just so dodgy!
  • hiya, I was gonna say same as Lara, i'm pretty sure if they have savings more than ??16k then they hae to tell the benefits people...would imagine its the same if tehy have won lottery or come into some money another way.
    I would def give the benefit fraud helpline hon, i hat people who scrounge off us taxpayers and if they are not doing that then they have nothing to worry about xxx
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