Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 9:18 pm
Hi all
A colleague of mine lives with her parents and 7 months ago took out a mortgage on their property effectively buying it from her father. He was being chased for debts and from the little I know the sale was sufficient to clear his mortgage and debts.
My colleague took on the mortgage on a relatively low salary and I think some juggling of figures took place to enable her to get the mortgage agreed. The arrangement was that her father would continue to pay the lions share. Since then he has given up work as a builder and now claims incapacity benefit of, she thinks, about £600 a month. Her mother gets income support of approx £60 per week.
The family are of an Indian background and, without wishing to offend anybody here, have certain traditions including the father's word is final. He seems to pocket her mother's income and is now telling my colleague he cannot afford to pay more than £200 per month towards the £550+ mortgage. She has been paying all the food bills and utility costs out of approx £900 per month salary on the understanding that the mortgage was mostly covered by her father's contribution.
My question is would she be entitled to charge rent to her parents as the landlord of the property and if so, could she receive this directly as housing benefit payable to the landlord. She cannot afford to allow this situation to get much worse otherwise she will be posting here in her own right. With it being family its a tricky situation as other than evicting him and her mother there is no way she can afford the mortgage and bills. She is fed up of her father's couldn't care less attitude but is close to her mum. If she had sole occupancy of the property she could then get a tenant to help meet the costs but cannot even think of evicting her mum.
Catch 22 or what??
Any advice much appreciated even if its to say she has no entitlement. At least she will then have a clearer picture of what needs to be done.
Regards
Dave
A colleague of mine lives with her parents and 7 months ago took out a mortgage on their property effectively buying it from her father. He was being chased for debts and from the little I know the sale was sufficient to clear his mortgage and debts.
My colleague took on the mortgage on a relatively low salary and I think some juggling of figures took place to enable her to get the mortgage agreed. The arrangement was that her father would continue to pay the lions share. Since then he has given up work as a builder and now claims incapacity benefit of, she thinks, about £600 a month. Her mother gets income support of approx £60 per week.
The family are of an Indian background and, without wishing to offend anybody here, have certain traditions including the father's word is final. He seems to pocket her mother's income and is now telling my colleague he cannot afford to pay more than £200 per month towards the £550+ mortgage. She has been paying all the food bills and utility costs out of approx £900 per month salary on the understanding that the mortgage was mostly covered by her father's contribution.
My question is would she be entitled to charge rent to her parents as the landlord of the property and if so, could she receive this directly as housing benefit payable to the landlord. She cannot afford to allow this situation to get much worse otherwise she will be posting here in her own right. With it being family its a tricky situation as other than evicting him and her mother there is no way she can afford the mortgage and bills. She is fed up of her father's couldn't care less attitude but is close to her mum. If she had sole occupancy of the property she could then get a tenant to help meet the costs but cannot even think of evicting her mum.
Catch 22 or what??
Any advice much appreciated even if its to say she has no entitlement. At least she will then have a clearer picture of what needs to be done.
Regards
Dave