Money Issues With Housemate

Eric Cartman · 10-05-2009 04:04PM #1

Ok So Ive been living with my 2 current housemates for the past 9 months, it was grand up until march. Then it started, one of my housemates, well call him C supposedly started a new job, this was fine and i said i would sub him march's rent as he could pay me back when he got paid. april rolls around and he gave me under half the amount of march's rent (200 euro) , so his current debt was 250 euro ,

so like a fool i agreed to pay aprils rent under the basis he was paying me back soon (he gave me an excuse about having to pay some fees to something), so aprils debt was then 700 euro, just towards the end of april he handed me 300 euro and said he would give me 300 the next day (300 a day ATM card limit) , i agreed and he scarpered off and i hadnt seen him in 2 weeks , so i paid mays rent, his debt is now 850 euro and ive just got a massive gas bill (375 euro) that i cant afford to pay , and i need to service my car , he hasnt been to the house now in 2 weeks, making a flighting visit 2 weeks ago to tell me hell have money soon (hes also been sneaking in while im at work , ive noticed stuff moved etc) so hes definitley avoiding me

so C owes me 850 and me + other housemate have figured out he doesnt have a job, what angers me more is ive found receipts around the house for him buying things when he was supposed to be in work (date and times that are working day at 2-4pm) and there all for un-necissary things like more shoes and suit jackets and cinema tickets.

So he does have money (from an unknown source) and hes compulsivley lying to me and my housemate and even his girlfriend.

so boards i need to know

a) how can i make him face up to his debt and pay me
b) how can i do it quickley ,

note . if i dont have rent for june by the 25th of may im boxing up all his stuff and changing the locks, im not paying his rent again . but that doesnt solve the debt issue

im up for any suggestions that are legal and arent expensive to do. I went without food for 8 days last month because of this pr*ck while he was off boozing , and im fed up at this stage

TheInquisitor · 10-05-2009 04:09PM

Tell him you are seriously in debt because of him, tell him you went without food for eight days. There's nothing worse than moochers like this guy. I would have also paid for a friend for a month or two if they were in dire straights but damn i wouldn't put myself way into the red also. Stand up to him

Eric Cartman · 10-05-2009 04:11PM

he knows about the no food, as does his girlfriend, he knows about the debt and hes just running away from it by not answering his phones and not coming home when im there

Busi_Girl08 · 10-05-2009 04:18PM

June 25th?
I say act now!!!
Have his boxes ready outside the door, locks changed ASAP.

He's had plenty of chances now, you shouldn't have to suffer anymore.

dudara · 10-05-2009 04:20PM

Are you the landlord, or could you speak to the landlord about this?

Eric Cartman · 10-05-2009 04:24PM

im renting , but its my bank account the rent goes through, i havent really wanted to get the landlord involved but i think i may have to , obviously if i changed the locks he would need to know but im still hoping it wont come to that, im putting up ads for a new housemate tomorrow,

what could the landlord do that i cant ? (he lives on the other side of the country so its not a case of him being able to call round)

Eric Cartman · 10-05-2009 06:13PM

also how does getting a judgment or court order (whatever its called) against him work ? it may come to this to get my money

Sir Oxman · 10-05-2009 06:21PM

IANAL, but i think unless you have something signed and in writing that he owes you this money, you're stuffed.

I got burnt last year - same thing, trusted a complete moocher/gimp/muppet and no amount of getting at the twat got me my money back.

At this stage, I've chalked it down to experience and will never, ever let it happen again.

Hope it turns out better for you - in the meantime change the locks and box his stuff and end it right now.

Best of luck.

Eric Cartman · 10-05-2009 07:34PM

right if i was to record a conversation with him admitting he owes me that money would that hold in court ?

dny123456 · 10-05-2009 08:22PM

Dont think so. Unless you tell him you are about to record the conversation, in which case he probably won't say that which you want him to. You're not supposed to secretly record people.

Lollipops23 · 10-05-2009 08:26PM

dny123456 wrote: »

Dont think so. Unless you tell him you are about to record the conversation, in which case he probably won't say that which you want him to. You're not supposed to secretly record people.

very true.
tbh i'd ring the landlord to let him know you're locking this guy out and boxing up his stuff. but i'd defo be boxing up his stuff!

trevo · 10-05-2009 08:29PM

the lad clearly has a problem and yes he needs to pay you back as soon as. but you need to sit him down with his girlfriend, before he dose something he wishishs he didnt

ILikePoker · 10-05-2009 08:31PM

This happened to me before. Cut ur losses now and get out of it dont be the only name on contract is really silly. One of life experiences you must just learn from and move on. Maybe you could say if u give half the money u owe to me i let you go for another month and if he agrees take the money then **** him over urself somewhat what i done anyway but dont be only name on contract then flatmates get them added to contract

Eric Cartman · 10-05-2009 08:39PM

im not the only name on the contract, were all signed the same way, its just my account used for the rent

dudara · 10-05-2009 09:14PM

I'd advise getting in touch with your landlord then, and telling him the story. He may be willing to use the lad's deposit to pay you, or he may be able to apply pressure that you can't.

In future though, don't pay for anyone else. Only pass on the money that you have. Let the landlord know that person C hasn't paid, and you only have money from persons A and B.

She Devil · 10-05-2009 09:23PM

Phone your landlord tell him its simple you have been footing the bill for C, and you can't pay it anymore so either he goes without that part of the rent or he tells him to get out then the landlord has to find another person for the room and you and the other housemate arent out of pocket ...

As for your gas bill if its your name on it then you are liable, my advise is phone them and let them know if you are having probs paying it and tell them why also.

Otherwise as above cut your losses and get rid of the waster

Overheal · 10-05-2009 09:38PM

Lollipops23 wrote: »

very true.
tbh i'd ring the landlord to let him know you're locking this guy out and boxing up his stuff. but i'd defo be boxing up his stuff!

Maybe, maybe not. If you explain the situation and let the Landlord know truthfully what hes paid and what you paid he may credit you particularly with the rent you spotted for your flatmate. ie. your mates 850 in debt, he's paid 500 so youre out 850, the landlord might recognise that, credit you 850 rent, and tell your man the debt is owed to [the landlord] and not to you.

See he'll gladly take you for a ride but might be quicker to bend to the landlord who will gladly and easily go legal with it if its unpaid.

Reflector · 11-05-2009 10:48AM

the guy is taking the piss, tell him to pay up or you'll kick him out get someone else in and use the deposit to get yourself some money back.

shellyboo · 11-05-2009 01:21PM

dudara wrote: »

I'd advise getting in touch with your landlord then, and telling him the story. He may be willing to use the lad's deposit to pay you, or he may be able to apply pressure that you can't.

In future though, don't pay for anyone else. Only pass on the money that you have. Let the landlord know that person C hasn't paid, and you only have money from persons A and B.

Spot-on advice from dudara. Especially the bit about the deposit - however, you'd need to have someone lined up to take the room from whenever yer man's rent lapses, or else the landlord will want to keep it to cover lost earnings.

I'd say speak to your landlord anyway and outline the situation. Make it clear to him that you won't be handling the rent anymore, that he'll have to get it from each of you individually.

11-05-2009 01:27PM

If you are all on the lease and there is no personal liability can you not:

1) Take the money for rent off all the other house mates this month into your account, plus whatever "token" 'C' actually pays _this_ month.
2) Take what you are owed OUT of this and transfer the rest
3) Ring the landlord and say the missing money is from Person "C" and not the rest of you.

This way you get your money back, and the landlord knows who to chase?

shellyboo · 11-05-2009 01:30PM

Deleted User wrote: »

If you are all on the lease and there is no personal liability can you not:

1) Take the money for rent off all the other house mates this month into your account, plus whatever "token" 'C' actually pays _this_ month.
2) Take what you are owed OUT of this and transfer the rest
3) Ring the landlord and say the missing money is from Person "C" and not the rest of you.

This way you get your money back, and the landlord knows who to chase?

I doubt the landlord would see it that way. It was the OP's choice to lend the money, so unfortunately, it's him that's liable to suffer the loss and not the landlord. If the OP hadn't loaned the moocher the money, the landlord would probably just have thrown the guy out - thus not losing any money, never mind two months' rent.

Unless he's a really, really, really nice landlord.

11-05-2009 01:38PM

The landlord doesn’t have to know, all he will know is the rent is short THIS month.

However, we are both speculating as we do not know the full arrangement as to what happens when one or more people fail to pay. Each lease is different. If the money is missing and the landlord knows who it is, then it is really down to the lease as to what he can or can not do about it.

I would go with the advice here of talking to the landlord, but do it before transferring the next payment. At least then if it IS a lease where only the non payer is held accountable, then if the land lord is unhelpful there is the back up option of just leaving the actual perpetrator in the lurch.

shellyboo · 11-05-2009 01:46PM

Deleted User wrote: »

The landlord doesn’t have to know, all he will know is the rent is short THIS month.

Yeah, €850 short... which is more than one month's rent from one person. In order for the OP to 'reclaim' his money from this month's rent, he'd have to not pay his own rent, AND take his other housemate's rent - since it sounds like the moocher won't be paying anything. So he won't have anything to give to the landlord at all... which I don't think the landlord's going to sit still for, tbh.

But like you say, we're speculating.

11-05-2009 01:49PM

Yea it is all speculating. I know personally I would never get into a shared contract without i being clear that if the money is short, the only person liable for the shortage is the person who actually did not pay. That was how it was when I was in college myself.

Without reading the contract we can only throw ideas out there for the OP to consider, I have thrown mine out.

dumbyearbook · 11-05-2009 02:05PM

Dont change any locks, you are a tenant its not your house put a little bolt on the inside maybe so he cant come in at least whilst you are there? ask the owner for advice on this if you change them he'll need/want a set you can only exclude the LL to a certain degree not 100%

If it was a new hoover you needed would you rush to buy that?!

Sorry to hear about your housemate he sounds like a total kno b don't do business with friends ( any debt over 100euro imo is business,,,,,,,,) unless of course yoy can actually trust them

best of luck

If I were you I'd make this the LL's problem and call this guys parents or something mortify the payment out of them!

Eric Cartman · 12-05-2009 12:36PM

cheers for all the replys, ive now started locking my room and i got a solicitor friend to help me write up a letter that basically says he acknowledges the debt amount and how it was accumulated . Im going to try get him to sign it so i have some legal protection.

he still hasnt shown up at the house now (its the third week since ive seen him) but he has been spotted around dublin shopping and the like.

but im putting up signs in the local shop for a new housemate and ill see how it goes, if it gets any response im boxing up his stuff and he can f*ck off

BaZmO* · 12-05-2009 12:48PM

dudara wrote: »

In future though, don't pay for anyone else. Only pass on the money that you have. Let the landlord know that person C hasn't paid, and you only have money from persons A and B.

Also, it might be worth setting up banking online with each others accounts so that you have proof when people pay and don't pay their rent each month.

Eric Cartman wrote: »

cheers for all the replys, ive now started locking my room and i got a solicitor friend to help me write up a letter that basically says he acknowledges the debt amount and how it was accumulated . Im going to try get him to sign it so i have some legal protection.

Do you really think he's going to sign it?

junior_apollo · 12-05-2009 12:58PM

Tell the landlord.. tell him to take the money owed from his deposit .. change the locks and box up his stuff... if he wants his stuff he will have to contact you in order to gain access to get the stuff.. at which point you can arrange for the landlord to be there that day also (tell him he can get access for his stuff on the 25 June or whenever.. and then give the landlord the same date)... then the landlord can be there to ask him for the rent he owes..

Overheal · 12-05-2009 02:13PM

Eric Cartman wrote: »

im renting , but its my bank account the rent goes through

So I'm guessing your mate's name doesnt show up on the lease? That can be a bit of a loophole working against you. I know if I missed rent it was my housemate that got into trouble because the bill was in her name. Same with the ESB. And the Internet. Poor girl learned her lesson trying to get rent of 4 other people for 3 different bills all the time...

If thats the case I understand your reluctance because the landlord has every right to turn you down iirc - but you have to at least try.

bangersandmash · 12-05-2009 02:59PM

Have you contacted your landlord yet OP? It seems like this should be your first course of action. While it you have little formal evidence against the moocher, it is possible that your landlord might be reasonable. He'll probably want to make sure the situation is resolved asap and the vacant room is filled.

At the very least you're going to have to inform your landlord that you may soon be changing the locks to his property.

LegacyUser · 12-05-2009 04:16PM

def contact the landlord to ensure the landlord doesnt return his deposit. his deposit if big enough may cover the rent, prob wont cover the bills as well. provided he hasnt damaged the property the landlord should give you the deposit towards your loss in his presence. all 3 of you need to meet together sooner than later to sort this

Money Issues With Housemate

Comments