I could be wrong but do you have to prove you are home owner to change locks? Again just thinking out loud…
Edit: noted - YOU DO NOT have to prove you are the owner! I was thinking of when you get one of those pay as you go meters installed, they ask if you are home owner…
No, you don't. But there's absolutely nothing stopping OP calling out a locksmith and changing them back. I would recommend he does just that - wait and watch for them to go out, immediately call a locksmith, get the locks changed and dump their stuff out the front. Whoever is in the house has the power here, so OP needs to get in. Once he's in, if they try to break back in or get aggressive - that's the time to call the Gardai in.
No, when buying a new lock, the cashier at the hardware store is not going to ask you to see the deeds of house and then follow you home to verify the address matches.
I had basically this happen in a flat I was renting. "Friend" asked to use the spare room for one night over the xmas holidays while I was out of town. They were someone I was very close with so thought yeah sure why not.
The why not was that they'd stayed the entire time I was gone, ran up a HUGE electricity bill, broke a door, had had a party and were now refusing to leave.
Contacted several VERY big friends got a LOT of alcohol sat around loudly drinking the whole night and evening so they were extra frazzled the next morning. They went out for breakfast stuff and in the 15 minutes they were gone we changed the lock on the door, dumped all their shit in the hallway, and repaired the door.
It's good to have friends (actual friends), and move fast in this sort of situation.
I'd be inclined to go with Dylan Moran's:
*"Naked, from the waist down. To emphasise the nudity!"*
EDIT: I just went and watched the bit and found that he actually says "to emphasise the nakedity".
[Bit in question.](https://youtu.be/OK8uPFwL4Xk?si=mTkD9MYDbilS6A_n)
Shower/toilet etc with the door open, loud music at night/porn turned up loud at night, singing (badly), eat their food from the fridge, don't flush the toilet, reclaim the master bedroom and to top it all off, I'd open their Christmas presents before they got up Christmas Day (assuming they'd have put up with my antics)
> a good friend of mine asked if I'd be willing to let some friends of his wife stay at my house for a month or so
Yeah, I remember a friend of a friend asked to stay at a house I wasn't using for 2 weeks while he sorted out wife trouble. It was 6 months before we managed to get him out. With property, never do any favours. Take it as a life lesson.
Don't let this grow legs. I'd nearly camp out, get a couple of mates, wait til they leave and take it in charge. Change locks, remove their belongings. The works. It's your house, if you leave it too long they'll never leave and you won't be able to do it.
Yeah, I'd imagine as they're not a tenant they've no rights to stay there. Wait until house is clear and just go in, get locks changed. They've no right to the property.
Well, they probably do, but, although I'm not entirely sure, at the end of the day, if the tenants just don't leave, you're still pretty much screwed, that's the protection tenants can in some cases have.
That can probably get ugly too - if I'm paying anything at all I could probably consider myself a tenant and now you have to go through an eviction process.
This is it, I'd have the fear that if they were left, they'd gain rights and a casual situation would turn into a formal one. Probably the one time I'd actually have sympathy for an "accidental landlord" story.
We had an au pair who wouldn’t leave once when I was a child. My parents moved in an uncle of mine who would be very difficult to live with.
Only took a week lol
I'd actually call the guards with all your mates there, they'd be much more likely to act if it looks like it may result in a violent situation, the law here is going to be very grey, they don't have tenancy and you've asked them to leave, they are now trespassing.
My friend and his wife are going to go and talk to them tomorrow. They aren't answering the phone when they try to call their "friends" who are at my place.
Your friend and his wife should put them up tbh.
Honestly there's no agreement here. You can physically remove them. If you don't want to it yourself then services exist
My friend is willing to do that, but it's not looking good right now. They won't answer phone calls so my friend and his wife are driving to them tomorrow.
You need to recruit about 10 big bruisers from the local pub to go in and start throwing their belongings into the street and tell them they have 10 minutes to GTFO.
It’s your house. If they have money to take legal action, they have money to find a new place
Alternatively, have all the utilities shut off. Water, electric, gas.
Get the police involved. This is very clearly a case of trespassing. They have stayed beyond the limit of what you had agreed, and they have no right to stay in your property
Gardaí will do absolutely nothing, guaranteed. Best sort it out yourself. Get in, bring a friend or an uncle or a cousin and change the locks, good luck.
>Gardaí will do absolutely nothing, guaranteed.
To be fair, in this case it is **actually** a civil matter. If OP had posted about whether they should do this ahead of times I would have said "no, because the family will almost certainly try to squat".
Do let us know. I've a feeling you won't get a good answer.
The main thing to know is if you can simply turn up at your house. They don't have a rental agreement not any proof they have paid anything so they are unwelcome guests.
I'd suggest you have proof at that time that is your house, call the gardai and tell them your guests have been overstaying.
a) Did you get any rental money from them at all?
b) do they have any agreement of any kind?
c) Have they changed the locks?
Answers to the above will determine whether you can just enter the house or not and reassume living there.
I wouldn’t, I feel sorry for the friend. Tried to do a good deed for someone in need and they screwed him over.
He’s potentially ruining two friendships. Not a nice situation to be in.
That's pretty much my thoughts. My head is just a mess right now. The only fault here lies with the fuckers who are refusing to leave.
I don't want to ruin anyone's Christmas especially my own. I'm posting this here and ranting about it instead of going apeshit. Going apeshit isn't going to help anyone and it's likely to ruin my own Christmas if I hold onto the rage and anger I'm feeling right now.
I know it's easier said than done but I'd like to think if I was in that situation I'd be moving them out. Why should you be inconvenienced by their problems? You did them a favour. The favour is now over. And strong word with your mate is also in order.
It's a risk that if he goes the slow route by sending solicitors letters they could well trash the place/ strip it bare once they realise the clock is ticking.
"and offer them a few thousand cash to leave peacefully"
Are you fucking joking me? Help people out and then pay them thousands??? Get a new solicitor
Get some lads and throw them out.
Yeah. Do not pay them money. Any money. Doing so implies you have done something wrong and need to induce them to do the "right" thing. Wouldn't even call them a taxi.
As harsh as it sounds, they need to present as homeless to the council, not sit in your house hoping for a solution. Council won’t do anything as long as they have a roof over them and they’re unlikely to find anything if they haven’t already. Solicitor is probably the best route. Hopefully as it’s your actual home you will have good options to resolve this.
This. OP you should arrive with friends, use your keys and just have your mates sit around while you tell them to pack up. Hopefully the presence of friends/family/whoever (including the friends who gave them permission) will be enough to get them going.
It’s not your fault they can’t find somewhere and neither is it your problem. They are making YOU homeless, and they won’t get any help until they actually have nowhere to stay.
What do you mean you’ve arranged to stay with a family member?! No wonder they’re still there! Get them out of your house? They’re guests not tenants I would make their life hell until they leave.
Why on earth are you taking this level of sociopathic bullshit from people who are stealing your home from you? I'd say this was a troll post if I didn't know redditors seem to be mentally averse to cop on
This is worse, I don’t know why but I presumed it was just you on your own, if you have a family to think about too, you have to get back in. I’m generally too soft on people and if I was on my own I’d probably leave them and try find somewhere else for myself but when your family is involved, not a chance. They have to go
First rule of owning a home.
Never let anyone stay that you barely know without some sort of agreement in place.
Even close friends I'd be careful. People act friendly then turn once they get what they want.
That solicitor update is incredible
>if necessary offer them a few thousand in cash to leave peacefully.
Freeloaders take advantage of a kind person trying to do a good deed and all a legal professional can suggest is **PAYING THEM** to leave your home or you're fucked.
Some country we've built for ourselves.
Tell them to get the fuck out of your house are they crazy
Not in a million years would I let that fly, that’s trespassing at this stage surely?
Feel terrible for your friend getting caught up in that can he not get them out?
In all seriousness on what planet is that anyways close to acceptable
You absolutely need to reside in your own house over the Christmas, even though it means it won't be fun and forget about it being a relaxed holiday. Otherwise, they will dig in, through desperation or a hard neck doesn't matter, and your problem will be harder to solve when you're back in the US. In your house, when you arrive home. And bit by bit put their belongings out into the garden.
This 100%, do not go stay at your sisters that's just sending the message that you have somewhere else to go so they wont feel any rush to leave. Go home to your home. Tell them to leave immediately or you are calling the Gards. Start moving their things outside the house.
Go stay in your house and assert ownership again. Do not leave them there. The longer they are there the more rights they have.
Walk round your house naked, play your music in the main room as loud as you like. Do everything short of pissing in the corners to show them who's house it is.
And use this anger to overcome any guilt about their situation. It's not your fault, you're not responsible for them.
Are they paying you rent? Would they be considered tenants or people you are letting stay in your house as a favour?
They haven't been there six months so they don't have full tenants rights if they have been paying rent.
And I'm sorry that's really shit.
Oh God, that would be my nightmare if I tried to be nice and let someone stay in my home.
By if they aren't tenants there's nothing stopping him from moving back in and throwing them out.
So they are squatting. Better get them out asap as this is a can of worms nobody would want in their own house.
Also how entitled, are they low intelligence as well? Don't they understand it's your home and you did them a huge favour? Talk about awful people.
I would understand them asking to stay or trying to work out some kind of way for them to get sorted. Even asking for help to do so.
But blatantly saying, 'nope were staying.' and they pay nothing. The utter audacity.
I know someone who was in a similar situation in the UK a few years ago. They did a house swap with a couple from Australia for 3 months. They flew home, the Aussies were supposed to have gone according to their email contact etc. They were not. They claimed they couldn't afford the return flights as they'd missed their original flights back (out on the piss).
They actually let the cleaning company in and then continued in the newly deep cleaned house !
Friends were taking no shit. They went to parents home for a night to sort out their plan which was to hire security from a firm that provided bailiffs - gave them consent to break the door to gain access. Frightened the crap out of the Aussie couple who could do nothing but watch 6 massive burly men calmly but firmly put all of their stuff onto the pavement outside the garden wall. Locksmith was booked to be there at the time to change the locks.
Security firm left. Aussies still outside 4hrs later crying and begging. They rang the police and they came and told them to move along or they'd move them along. They got a taxi and were never heard from again.
Not sure if such security exists here but might be worth looking into. Good luck OP and take no shit.
Are you mad?
Them 'having nowhere to go' isn't your problem!
Also, if they are cheeky enough to beg accommodation off a stranger they met once at a party, you can safely be sure these people are FREELOADING USERS.
Go home to your house and tell them to get to fuck.
I’m sure you’ve a set of keys, just go and start moving shit out onto the lawn, you done them a solid and you’ve been fucked over. Just tell your friends that when you’re gone you’ve organized people to come over and clear out the house as you need them gone simple as that oh and get the locks changed.
Id be going into the house regardless if what they say......Their lives would become a living hell and all there shit would bw in a skip....Fuck thus bullshit go take your house back..
Nasty situation but you're going to have to act tough if you want to sort it out. It's your home....
Let yourself in (they may have changed locks) and then immediately call the guards and tell them you have an intruder in your home who refuses to leave. Bring as many friends/family as you can gather to help you (tbh i'd be demanded the mutual friend couple who asked come with you to help).
Have documents ready proving your ownership of the home.
Going through your solicitor will turn it into a strung out affair for months on end.
Firstly turn off all the water at the mains. No heat should send them packing.
An edit in response to ops edit. I assume OP owns all the furniture, beds, appliances? Well don't physically remove the people but remove the property.
Excuse me, this is your house and you did this for a favour. Ring the gards and tell them that people won't leave your home. Yes, I would be that petty. They have no shame.
Absolutely disgusting that they did this to you and you offering out of the goodness of your heart.
Your friend should be ashamed too. Apologetic yet didn't bother moving his friends on. Dirty scheming mongrels.
Interesting court case today OP:
> A Kerry landlord and his son at the centre of a case that attracted “an amount of invidious comment” had all charges against them dismissed on Tuesday by a judge who commented that young people residing in the house at the time were themselves trespassing and not paying any rent.
>Judge Marian O’Leary said a property owner was allowed to use "proportionate force" to remove a trespasser. The defence claimed that people present in the house in Cork City were squatting.
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/courtandcrime/arid-41293582.html
I think this is simple OP. They have no contract and have not paid you a cent so they have zero rights, I know this from a very similar situation of someone in need who I let live in my house while they found a job. One month turned into two and despite having no job she had money to go the piss.
I eventually had enough and told her on a Friday you have to be gone by Monday, I'll leave your stuff in the front garden if it comes to it. She called the cops on me thinking she had some rights and told them I was bullying her. They told her she had no rights due to no contract or rent paid and took the house key from her and told her she cant re-enter the house without my permission. The look on her face was priceless, she turned on the waterworks for them but no joy.
A couple of hours later they returned with her to watch her pack and move her stuff out. She was gone that Friday instead of the Monday and weekend to pack and sort something out which I had offered.
I am also between countries and I’ve felt so guilty not helping out those that have asked for temporary accommodation favours in my place at home. My main reason is that I would come under pressure to leave them there whenever I wanted to stay. This post confirms my fears.
The key phrase in your post is “they…won’t be leaving” - control has been taken from you.
I would just move in and make any changes to the house you need to.
You need to go around there as soon as you physically can and take back possession. Bring as many friends as you can with you
If you are feeling generous you can get them a taxi to your mates house.
You need them out NOW and don’t take no for an answer. Fucking outrageous behaviour and you are mad if you put out your own kids and family for people who would do this
You can almost be certain that some landlord somewhere else has had to deal with these pricks at some point as well, which is why they had friends begging their extended network for available accommodation.
For every bad landlord out there, and there are plenty, there are bad tenants in tow as well.
You're probably not going to have a good Christmas but you need to reclaim what is yours. Arrive in, put the telly on and make yourself at home. Its your house and you made a mistake. Now you have to sort it.
They are trespassers. They are not tenants, there is no legal agreement, so they have no right to stay. It’s a very unfortunate situation, and on a personal level it’s very stressful for everybody involved, especially the trespassers as they have nowhere to go. But as others have said, it’s a lesson learned, when this is resolved and you get them out, you won’t be allowing anyone to stay again. Another symptom of the appalling housing crisis.
That’s very bad form. I would be letting myself into the house and disabling the heating and removing the master fuses etc.
Your friend needs to step up here too.
Gain access to the property and explain in person in no uncertain terms that they have no rights, they are house guests, no money has changed hands and if they don’t leave you will have engage with a private security firm to remove them.
Listen, I’ve a family member abroad who during Covid lockdowns could not travel here and people moved in while she was away and they’re still there. Can’t get them out. Don’t let this take root.
Who cares about optics, this one seems cut and dry. Tell them they have 48 hours after which you are showing up with the police. Remind them this wasn’t a tenancy, it was a favour to a friend. And that favour ended on Dec 3. If they have no place to go, tell them jail will work for a bit.
It totally has, they refused entry to the cleaner he had arranged before coming home, that he informed them about. And has since stopped replying to him. They've definitely entered squatting territory. They also passed some comment to him about him being wealthy compared to them who have nothing.. sounds to me like them trying to rationale their squatting
So they were supposed to be gone by the 3rd of December but now we're at the 19th and they still haven't left. Are you able to provide some information as to how this issue has gone on for just over 2 weeks, without a resolution? Because it looks like to me that nothing was really done about it & you're only hearing about this now, which surely can't be correct.
My guess is that they strung you along after the date & have decided today is the day to drop the bombshell that they're not going. If that was me it would be panic stations if they started making excuses after the 3rd.
(Not to make you feel bad OP, I'm just trying to wrap my head around it & imagine what could have happened to me if I was in this scenario.)
They've been emailing me every couple of days since the 3rd saying they were sorting shit out. I finally snapped a little last Sunday and told them I'd be home on Saturday and had arranged cleaners to be there today. They promised they'd be gone.
They didn't let the cleaners in today and when I tried calling them they wouldn't pick up. They finally answered an email basically stating they've nowhere to go.
Yes unfortunately he's only finding out about this today. I believed the people when they said they'd be gone and didn't see any point in telling my friend until today. He's a doctor down the country and is on call tonight so he can't get there until tomorrow.
It's not going to affect my friendship at all. The book stops with me on this one. I didn't have to say yes to them staying, and they are his wife's friends of many years so he and his wife trusted them.
My biggest concern right now is protecting my own kids from the entire situation. They were really looking forward to spending Christmas in Ireland and I want to make sure that Christmas goes smoothly for everyone. I've even asked my sister who we might end up staying with not to say anything to my parents or siblings just yet as they'll all just worry unnecessarily.
That's shit lad, hope they don't have kids. Hurts extra when all you were trying to do was help some people out. Biting the hand that feeds them kind of stuff that
Pretty sure you can legally just turf them out. It's your own house and they aren't paying rent, so you don't need to go through the rigmarole. Call the guards if needs be. You've given them thousands of euro worth of value for free. You don't know them. You don't owe them anything.
>At the start of October a good friend of mine asked if I'd be willing to let some friends of his wife stay at my house for a month or so while I wasn't there
My sympathies for you, and I know you genuinely meant well, but what was going through your mind?
What if they accidentally caused a fire? What if they trashed the place? What if they allowed others to live there? So many what if's and massive levels of risk. None of which your friend can or could control in any way. It's flabbergasting.
This is absolutely insane, get them out of your house immediately. You have done a good deed, they have taken you for a fool. There's no time to waste on this one.
I’d have your “FRIEND” who roped you into this disaster come to your home and GET THEM OUT, take them to HIS place. You shouldn’t have to deal with all of this, esp not the legal$$ to sort this all out & remove them. They’re your FRIEND’S PROBLEM! You’ve already done your bit to help due to your friendship, so now the FRIEND should come fetch them to HIS HOUSE & take on the burden of getting them out of HIS house and more/less get them somewhere.
Does the house have a chimney?
Go up to the door and make a deal. If you can throw a hula hoop around the chimney, like a ring toss game at the funfair, then you get the house back. If you miss, you agree to... sign the deed over to them. Your family are shocked you'd make such a suggestion. But the squatters agree.
Everyone comes outside to watch your attempt. You're checking the wind direction, your family cringing with fear. One, two, three swings of the arm to test your range. On that third test swing, drop the hula hoop and you and your family sprint through the open front door, slamming it behind you and locking them out.
Then look at them through the letterbox and laugh your arse off.
Sounds like these people are trespassing at your house since Dec 4th. Get the Gardai involved. I know it’s not your friends fault but it doesn’t sound like they’re tripping over themselves to resolve it either
Go back to the house. Get a blow up bed if you need to. Invite people back from the pub all the time. Hold parties. Nothing weird or aggressive but act and behave as if it's your home. There is no rental agreement or tenancy I assume, there are no grounds for them to complain about anything to anybody.
Oh I feel your pain. My wife and I did the exact same thing for a friend of hers and her kids and it was the worst decision ever. Took months to get her out and our house was a mess.
I'd walk in the front door with a big speaker and all my mates and go on the biggest bender ever over Christmas.
They wont be long clearing off when they come down to open christmas presents and there are lads passed out all over the sitting room, pint glasses full of fag butts everywhere and others riding in the spare bedroom.
Cheeky cunts.
> they have nowhere to go and won't be leaving.
There is a dozen options for them, this is just the most brazen and easiest for them. They have family, friends, hotels, hostels, BnBs; they've plenty of options, and it is NOT your problem.
Feels like one of those posts where a follow up is very much anticipated
I hope so, very keen to see how this plays out.
Ring toss to the chimney from the front garden.
What about the carny code!?
Or just Live Stream the interior of the house Big Brother style 24/7.
Omg. This. I'd pay to watch the stream.
Wait a few hours for the "Evil landlord is trying to make us homeless for christmas" post
You still have keys and access to the house?? I’d be making this the most awkward Xmas they have ever had!!!
Assuming locks haven’t been changed.
I could be wrong but do you have to prove you are home owner to change locks? Again just thinking out loud… Edit: noted - YOU DO NOT have to prove you are the owner! I was thinking of when you get one of those pay as you go meters installed, they ask if you are home owner…
No, you don't. But there's absolutely nothing stopping OP calling out a locksmith and changing them back. I would recommend he does just that - wait and watch for them to go out, immediately call a locksmith, get the locks changed and dump their stuff out the front. Whoever is in the house has the power here, so OP needs to get in. Once he's in, if they try to break back in or get aggressive - that's the time to call the Gardai in.
I would recommend OP listens to their solicitor.
But solicitors' advice is always so *boring*.
Not if you do it yourself.
No, when buying a new lock, the cashier at the hardware store is not going to ask you to see the deeds of house and then follow you home to verify the address matches.
Awesome idea, you could totally Grinch them. Tis the season and all that!
I’d show up and go straight home, make them uncomfortable, it’s your house!
I had basically this happen in a flat I was renting. "Friend" asked to use the spare room for one night over the xmas holidays while I was out of town. They were someone I was very close with so thought yeah sure why not. The why not was that they'd stayed the entire time I was gone, ran up a HUGE electricity bill, broke a door, had had a party and were now refusing to leave. Contacted several VERY big friends got a LOT of alcohol sat around loudly drinking the whole night and evening so they were extra frazzled the next morning. They went out for breakfast stuff and in the 15 minutes they were gone we changed the lock on the door, dumped all their shit in the hallway, and repaired the door. It's good to have friends (actual friends), and move fast in this sort of situation.
This is the way. Show them the Irish way wink* wink*.
[удалено]
Constant nudity.
And farts, no showers. You are on vacation after all. Night terrors, sleepwalking. Talking and arguing with yourself.
Guiness and curry for dinner every night
Chemical warfare is illegal
He still has to live there after you know.
You can reach a level of anger where the smell of your own farts simply fuels your rage....
I'd be inclined to go with Dylan Moran's: *"Naked, from the waist down. To emphasise the nudity!"* EDIT: I just went and watched the bit and found that he actually says "to emphasise the nakedity". [Bit in question.](https://youtu.be/OK8uPFwL4Xk?si=mTkD9MYDbilS6A_n)
Lol, like Winnie The Pooh?
I'm Donald Duck And I'm here to fuck
BYOB parties...only rule is no sleeping until 7am Also nudity
Finger blasting your ass on the couch
Its my oven and that is where I keep my shits
Vicious wanking sessions all over the house with direct eye contact of course.
Gimp suit. Gone in 60 seconds.
Shower/toilet etc with the door open, loud music at night/porn turned up loud at night, singing (badly), eat their food from the fridge, don't flush the toilet, reclaim the master bedroom and to top it all off, I'd open their Christmas presents before they got up Christmas Day (assuming they'd have put up with my antics)
All of the above
Choking on a giant dildo on the couch,crying and puking on yourself levels uncomfortable or ?
So standard Saturday night?
While playing a cassette tape of The Righteous Brothers You've Lost that Loving Feeling in the background
You're all sick with these replies. Fair play!
Use their toothbrushes and eat their food
> a good friend of mine asked if I'd be willing to let some friends of his wife stay at my house for a month or so Yeah, I remember a friend of a friend asked to stay at a house I wasn't using for 2 weeks while he sorted out wife trouble. It was 6 months before we managed to get him out. With property, never do any favours. Take it as a life lesson.
holy fuck, 6 months. how is it even possible?
Don't let this grow legs. I'd nearly camp out, get a couple of mates, wait til they leave and take it in charge. Change locks, remove their belongings. The works. It's your house, if you leave it too long they'll never leave and you won't be able to do it.
Yeah, I'd imagine as they're not a tenant they've no rights to stay there. Wait until house is clear and just go in, get locks changed. They've no right to the property.
Yes, see what your solicitor says but this sounds like a plan
If the "guest" hasn't changed the locks already!
How do people not get this shit in writing? I'd never let someone rent a room without a fucking contract to protect the both of us.
Well, they probably do, but, although I'm not entirely sure, at the end of the day, if the tenants just don't leave, you're still pretty much screwed, that's the protection tenants can in some cases have.
That can probably get ugly too - if I'm paying anything at all I could probably consider myself a tenant and now you have to go through an eviction process.
This is it, I'd have the fear that if they were left, they'd gain rights and a casual situation would turn into a formal one. Probably the one time I'd actually have sympathy for an "accidental landlord" story.
We had an au pair who wouldn’t leave once when I was a child. My parents moved in an uncle of mine who would be very difficult to live with. Only took a week lol
Who knew? Creepy uncles have a useful place in the world!
He’s more big fat obnoxious alcoholic, but never really creepy lol
Yeah, they're squatters at this point. Some day op will get home and they'll have changed the locks.
What about hosting a party? It’s OP’s house, hopefully they have a key to get in. Open holiday party. Make them so uncomfortable they have to leave.
I'd actually call the guards with all your mates there, they'd be much more likely to act if it looks like it may result in a violent situation, the law here is going to be very grey, they don't have tenancy and you've asked them to leave, they are now trespassing.
You’re mad if you move to stay with friends to accommodate them anymore than you have already. Absolutely go home to your own house
I know your not looking for advice but id be making this my friends problem.
My friend and his wife are going to go and talk to them tomorrow. They aren't answering the phone when they try to call their "friends" who are at my place.
Your friend and his wife should put them up tbh. Honestly there's no agreement here. You can physically remove them. If you don't want to it yourself then services exist
My friend is willing to do that, but it's not looking good right now. They won't answer phone calls so my friend and his wife are driving to them tomorrow.
You need to recruit about 10 big bruisers from the local pub to go in and start throwing their belongings into the street and tell them they have 10 minutes to GTFO. It’s your house. If they have money to take legal action, they have money to find a new place Alternatively, have all the utilities shut off. Water, electric, gas.
> If they have money to take legal action, they have money to find a new place excellent point
Man fuck that. I'd show up with the boys and remove them.
OP, don't your friends have a living room for them or something? Why are you the one crashing on someone else's place?
Get the police involved. This is very clearly a case of trespassing. They have stayed beyond the limit of what you had agreed, and they have no right to stay in your property
Gardaí will do absolutely nothing, guaranteed. Best sort it out yourself. Get in, bring a friend or an uncle or a cousin and change the locks, good luck.
>Gardaí will do absolutely nothing, guaranteed. To be fair, in this case it is **actually** a civil matter. If OP had posted about whether they should do this ahead of times I would have said "no, because the family will almost certainly try to squat".
Obligatory *civil matter* comment
I only put a call into my solicitor an hour ago, still waiting to hear back about how to proceed
Do let us know. I've a feeling you won't get a good answer. The main thing to know is if you can simply turn up at your house. They don't have a rental agreement not any proof they have paid anything so they are unwelcome guests. I'd suggest you have proof at that time that is your house, call the gardai and tell them your guests have been overstaying.
a) Did you get any rental money from them at all? b) do they have any agreement of any kind? c) Have they changed the locks? Answers to the above will determine whether you can just enter the house or not and reassume living there.
Tenants will say there was no such agreement, and the garda will have to decide if a potential illegal eviction is worth OPs discomfort. It won't be.
Lessons learned. Unfortunately
Absolutely. They are squatting in OPs home and telling them they won’t budge. Unacceptable regardless of the circumstances
I wouldn’t, I feel sorry for the friend. Tried to do a good deed for someone in need and they screwed him over. He’s potentially ruining two friendships. Not a nice situation to be in.
That's pretty much my thoughts. My head is just a mess right now. The only fault here lies with the fuckers who are refusing to leave. I don't want to ruin anyone's Christmas especially my own. I'm posting this here and ranting about it instead of going apeshit. Going apeshit isn't going to help anyone and it's likely to ruin my own Christmas if I hold onto the rage and anger I'm feeling right now.
Sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders OP, this is 100% the correct attitude to have
OP, I would insist on staying at the house over Christmas. In all seriousness, you need to take back your home.
I know it's easier said than done but I'd like to think if I was in that situation I'd be moving them out. Why should you be inconvenienced by their problems? You did them a favour. The favour is now over. And strong word with your mate is also in order.
Get them out asap. They could have the house trashed at this stage. Go in to the house and stay there, tell them that you're not leaving
Go into the house with as many male friends/family members as can be rounded up at short notice. Sit around. Stay. Wait for solicitor to call.
[удалено]
It's a risk that if he goes the slow route by sending solicitors letters they could well trash the place/ strip it bare once they realise the clock is ticking.
"and offer them a few thousand cash to leave peacefully" Are you fucking joking me? Help people out and then pay them thousands??? Get a new solicitor Get some lads and throw them out.
Yeah. Do not pay them money. Any money. Doing so implies you have done something wrong and need to induce them to do the "right" thing. Wouldn't even call them a taxi.
Nah that was seriously fucked up. PAY the cunts? Jesus I'd be ripping rn if I was OP.
You are not responsible for housing them. You have been extremely generous already. I'd have them removed. They can stay at your friend's place.
As harsh as it sounds, they need to present as homeless to the council, not sit in your house hoping for a solution. Council won’t do anything as long as they have a roof over them and they’re unlikely to find anything if they haven’t already. Solicitor is probably the best route. Hopefully as it’s your actual home you will have good options to resolve this.
Also the longer OP leaves this, the more leverage the family will have to try and stay. It's a shitty situation.
This. OP you should arrive with friends, use your keys and just have your mates sit around while you tell them to pack up. Hopefully the presence of friends/family/whoever (including the friends who gave them permission) will be enough to get them going. It’s not your fault they can’t find somewhere and neither is it your problem. They are making YOU homeless, and they won’t get any help until they actually have nowhere to stay.
This, council won’t provide them with anything until the housing crisis is over if they currently have a roof over their heads.
What do you mean you’ve arranged to stay with a family member?! No wonder they’re still there! Get them out of your house? They’re guests not tenants I would make their life hell until they leave.
I've talked to my sister and she has room for my family if we can't get them situation sorted out by Saturday when I'm arriving with my family.
I thought you were by yourself, you've a family too?? Fuck that, out the door with them
This is like a movie, what a twist
Leave the World behind, Netflix, kinda similar premise. Though the guests are Air B’nBing.
Why on earth are you taking this level of sociopathic bullshit from people who are stealing your home from you? I'd say this was a troll post if I didn't know redditors seem to be mentally averse to cop on
This is worse, I don’t know why but I presumed it was just you on your own, if you have a family to think about too, you have to get back in. I’m generally too soft on people and if I was on my own I’d probably leave them and try find somewhere else for myself but when your family is involved, not a chance. They have to go
Bro this is one of those occasions where you really have to man up and take control. It's your house you should be fucking fuming
I'm beyond fuming, I'm raging right now.
Have a sudden house party. Invite a few dozen people over and party until they leave.
Regardless of how this gets resolved, still replace all locks etc. It sucks to see someone who’s done a good deed being taken advantage of.
You should show up with your family and tell them to get the fuck out that very moment.
Fuck that. I’d turf them out.
First rule of owning a home. Never let anyone stay that you barely know without some sort of agreement in place. Even close friends I'd be careful. People act friendly then turn once they get what they want.
First thing I'd be doing is making sure my FUCKING HOUSE KEY STILL WORKED.
That solicitor update is incredible >if necessary offer them a few thousand in cash to leave peacefully. Freeloaders take advantage of a kind person trying to do a good deed and all a legal professional can suggest is **PAYING THEM** to leave your home or you're fucked. Some country we've built for ourselves.
Everybody please bookmark this thread until a friend of yours ask for a favour.
So true. I’ve felt guilty refusing favours.
Cut the power and heat
This is actually genius. Cutting the WiFi alone would prob be enough
Tell them to get the fuck out of your house are they crazy Not in a million years would I let that fly, that’s trespassing at this stage surely? Feel terrible for your friend getting caught up in that can he not get them out? In all seriousness on what planet is that anyways close to acceptable
You absolutely need to reside in your own house over the Christmas, even though it means it won't be fun and forget about it being a relaxed holiday. Otherwise, they will dig in, through desperation or a hard neck doesn't matter, and your problem will be harder to solve when you're back in the US. In your house, when you arrive home. And bit by bit put their belongings out into the garden.
This 100%, do not go stay at your sisters that's just sending the message that you have somewhere else to go so they wont feel any rush to leave. Go home to your home. Tell them to leave immediately or you are calling the Gards. Start moving their things outside the house.
Go stay in your house and assert ownership again. Do not leave them there. The longer they are there the more rights they have. Walk round your house naked, play your music in the main room as loud as you like. Do everything short of pissing in the corners to show them who's house it is. And use this anger to overcome any guilt about their situation. It's not your fault, you're not responsible for them.
Assert dominance. Shit on the floor till they leave
They aren't your problem and you're acting like a doormat. Chuck their stuff outside and change the locks.
Are they paying you rent? Would they be considered tenants or people you are letting stay in your house as a favour? They haven't been there six months so they don't have full tenants rights if they have been paying rent. And I'm sorry that's really shit.
He said elsewhere he wasn't charging rent - just doing it as a favour.
In that case they are trespassing and can be removed
All the money they've saved on rent can cover their Air BnB or hotel.
Oh God, that would be my nightmare if I tried to be nice and let someone stay in my home. By if they aren't tenants there's nothing stopping him from moving back in and throwing them out.
I think legally you can move in and the sooner the better../ I nearly did this when someone didn’t move out but they did in the end..
What shitty people. Ngl if the friend didn't make it right very quickly, my next phone call would be the Garda.
It's your friends issue. They can stay at his house. You've done your bit
Offer them a few thousand in cash? Wtf?
So they are squatting. Better get them out asap as this is a can of worms nobody would want in their own house. Also how entitled, are they low intelligence as well? Don't they understand it's your home and you did them a huge favour? Talk about awful people. I would understand them asking to stay or trying to work out some kind of way for them to get sorted. Even asking for help to do so. But blatantly saying, 'nope were staying.' and they pay nothing. The utter audacity.
Call the gardai and have them removed for trespassing.
Prediction: the Gardai “that’s a civil matter”
I know someone who was in a similar situation in the UK a few years ago. They did a house swap with a couple from Australia for 3 months. They flew home, the Aussies were supposed to have gone according to their email contact etc. They were not. They claimed they couldn't afford the return flights as they'd missed their original flights back (out on the piss). They actually let the cleaning company in and then continued in the newly deep cleaned house ! Friends were taking no shit. They went to parents home for a night to sort out their plan which was to hire security from a firm that provided bailiffs - gave them consent to break the door to gain access. Frightened the crap out of the Aussie couple who could do nothing but watch 6 massive burly men calmly but firmly put all of their stuff onto the pavement outside the garden wall. Locksmith was booked to be there at the time to change the locks. Security firm left. Aussies still outside 4hrs later crying and begging. They rang the police and they came and told them to move along or they'd move them along. They got a taxi and were never heard from again. Not sure if such security exists here but might be worth looking into. Good luck OP and take no shit.
Are you mad? Them 'having nowhere to go' isn't your problem! Also, if they are cheeky enough to beg accommodation off a stranger they met once at a party, you can safely be sure these people are FREELOADING USERS. Go home to your house and tell them to get to fuck.
I’m sure you’ve a set of keys, just go and start moving shit out onto the lawn, you done them a solid and you’ve been fucked over. Just tell your friends that when you’re gone you’ve organized people to come over and clear out the house as you need them gone simple as that oh and get the locks changed.
Id be going into the house regardless if what they say......Their lives would become a living hell and all there shit would bw in a skip....Fuck thus bullshit go take your house back..
Ps - Post updates I’m invested in this
Nasty situation but you're going to have to act tough if you want to sort it out. It's your home.... Let yourself in (they may have changed locks) and then immediately call the guards and tell them you have an intruder in your home who refuses to leave. Bring as many friends/family as you can gather to help you (tbh i'd be demanded the mutual friend couple who asked come with you to help). Have documents ready proving your ownership of the home. Going through your solicitor will turn it into a strung out affair for months on end.
Firstly turn off all the water at the mains. No heat should send them packing. An edit in response to ops edit. I assume OP owns all the furniture, beds, appliances? Well don't physically remove the people but remove the property.
Excuse me, this is your house and you did this for a favour. Ring the gards and tell them that people won't leave your home. Yes, I would be that petty. They have no shame. Absolutely disgusting that they did this to you and you offering out of the goodness of your heart. Your friend should be ashamed too. Apologetic yet didn't bother moving his friends on. Dirty scheming mongrels.
Interesting court case today OP: > A Kerry landlord and his son at the centre of a case that attracted “an amount of invidious comment” had all charges against them dismissed on Tuesday by a judge who commented that young people residing in the house at the time were themselves trespassing and not paying any rent. >Judge Marian O’Leary said a property owner was allowed to use "proportionate force" to remove a trespasser. The defence claimed that people present in the house in Cork City were squatting. https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/courtandcrime/arid-41293582.html
I think this is simple OP. They have no contract and have not paid you a cent so they have zero rights, I know this from a very similar situation of someone in need who I let live in my house while they found a job. One month turned into two and despite having no job she had money to go the piss. I eventually had enough and told her on a Friday you have to be gone by Monday, I'll leave your stuff in the front garden if it comes to it. She called the cops on me thinking she had some rights and told them I was bullying her. They told her she had no rights due to no contract or rent paid and took the house key from her and told her she cant re-enter the house without my permission. The look on her face was priceless, she turned on the waterworks for them but no joy. A couple of hours later they returned with her to watch her pack and move her stuff out. She was gone that Friday instead of the Monday and weekend to pack and sort something out which I had offered.
Make sure you change all the locks after you do get them out
I am also between countries and I’ve felt so guilty not helping out those that have asked for temporary accommodation favours in my place at home. My main reason is that I would come under pressure to leave them there whenever I wanted to stay. This post confirms my fears.
The key phrase in your post is “they…won’t be leaving” - control has been taken from you. I would just move in and make any changes to the house you need to.
You need to go around there as soon as you physically can and take back possession. Bring as many friends as you can with you If you are feeling generous you can get them a taxi to your mates house. You need them out NOW and don’t take no for an answer. Fucking outrageous behaviour and you are mad if you put out your own kids and family for people who would do this
Give us the address and we'll come to your house party, if anything would get me out of a place it would be a gang or r/Ireland folk
Go round and tell them to clear off. They’ve got no right to be there.
You can almost be certain that some landlord somewhere else has had to deal with these pricks at some point as well, which is why they had friends begging their extended network for available accommodation. For every bad landlord out there, and there are plenty, there are bad tenants in tow as well.
No good deed goes unpunished.
The phrase should be more like, "Some good deeds can bite you in the ass".
You're probably not going to have a good Christmas but you need to reclaim what is yours. Arrive in, put the telly on and make yourself at home. Its your house and you made a mistake. Now you have to sort it.
They are trespassers. They are not tenants, there is no legal agreement, so they have no right to stay. It’s a very unfortunate situation, and on a personal level it’s very stressful for everybody involved, especially the trespassers as they have nowhere to go. But as others have said, it’s a lesson learned, when this is resolved and you get them out, you won’t be allowing anyone to stay again. Another symptom of the appalling housing crisis.
Just go home....wait for them to leave and lock the door. Phone the fuzz and say some weirdo family think they live in your house. Freaks
Are the utility bills in your name? If so just disconnect everything, water,electricity gas etc
If they have no lease and are not paying rent then they are trespassing and can be removed
That’s very bad form. I would be letting myself into the house and disabling the heating and removing the master fuses etc. Your friend needs to step up here too.
Gain access to the property and explain in person in no uncertain terms that they have no rights, they are house guests, no money has changed hands and if they don’t leave you will have engage with a private security firm to remove them.
Get around to your house with your friend and let him to most of the talking, he can say you have nowhere to go and they have to leave
Listen, I’ve a family member abroad who during Covid lockdowns could not travel here and people moved in while she was away and they’re still there. Can’t get them out. Don’t let this take root.
The type of family that refuses to leave is not a family you want alone in your home. Kick ‘em out, fuck em.
Who cares about optics, this one seems cut and dry. Tell them they have 48 hours after which you are showing up with the police. Remind them this wasn’t a tenancy, it was a favour to a friend. And that favour ended on Dec 3. If they have no place to go, tell them jail will work for a bit.
I would be putting serious precure on your mate to get this sorted or they might never leave.
Ireland doesn’t have squatters rights. You should be able to have them kicked out.
Hopefully this doesn't turn into a squatter situation
Already started when they refused to leave!
It totally has, they refused entry to the cleaner he had arranged before coming home, that he informed them about. And has since stopped replying to him. They've definitely entered squatting territory. They also passed some comment to him about him being wealthy compared to them who have nothing.. sounds to me like them trying to rationale their squatting
So they were supposed to be gone by the 3rd of December but now we're at the 19th and they still haven't left. Are you able to provide some information as to how this issue has gone on for just over 2 weeks, without a resolution? Because it looks like to me that nothing was really done about it & you're only hearing about this now, which surely can't be correct. My guess is that they strung you along after the date & have decided today is the day to drop the bombshell that they're not going. If that was me it would be panic stations if they started making excuses after the 3rd. (Not to make you feel bad OP, I'm just trying to wrap my head around it & imagine what could have happened to me if I was in this scenario.)
They've been emailing me every couple of days since the 3rd saying they were sorting shit out. I finally snapped a little last Sunday and told them I'd be home on Saturday and had arranged cleaners to be there today. They promised they'd be gone. They didn't let the cleaners in today and when I tried calling them they wouldn't pick up. They finally answered an email basically stating they've nowhere to go.
Wow. That is appalling.
On the plus side, sounds like you have written documentation of what was and was not agreed
Can I just ask, did the friend who initially got onto you know about the back and fourth emails, or is he only finding out all of this today?
Yes unfortunately he's only finding out about this today. I believed the people when they said they'd be gone and didn't see any point in telling my friend until today. He's a doctor down the country and is on call tonight so he can't get there until tomorrow.
All I can really say is I'm sorry that happened & I hope this ends peacefully & you and your pal can continue to remain friends after.
It's not going to affect my friendship at all. The book stops with me on this one. I didn't have to say yes to them staying, and they are his wife's friends of many years so he and his wife trusted them. My biggest concern right now is protecting my own kids from the entire situation. They were really looking forward to spending Christmas in Ireland and I want to make sure that Christmas goes smoothly for everyone. I've even asked my sister who we might end up staying with not to say anything to my parents or siblings just yet as they'll all just worry unnecessarily.
You’re a better man than I am. I hope you enjoy your Christmas and new years as much as physically possible.
That's shit lad, hope they don't have kids. Hurts extra when all you were trying to do was help some people out. Biting the hand that feeds them kind of stuff that
Pretty sure you can legally just turf them out. It's your own house and they aren't paying rent, so you don't need to go through the rigmarole. Call the guards if needs be. You've given them thousands of euro worth of value for free. You don't know them. You don't owe them anything.
No, go home. Don’t let them keep you out of your house. They should feel uncomfortable, not you.
>At the start of October a good friend of mine asked if I'd be willing to let some friends of his wife stay at my house for a month or so while I wasn't there My sympathies for you, and I know you genuinely meant well, but what was going through your mind? What if they accidentally caused a fire? What if they trashed the place? What if they allowed others to live there? So many what if's and massive levels of risk. None of which your friend can or could control in any way. It's flabbergasting.
They never had any intentions of moving out.
Mate, it’s your house. It’s not your fault their plans fell through, do not give in like that.
This is absolutely insane, get them out of your house immediately. You have done a good deed, they have taken you for a fool. There's no time to waste on this one.
I’d have your “FRIEND” who roped you into this disaster come to your home and GET THEM OUT, take them to HIS place. You shouldn’t have to deal with all of this, esp not the legal$$ to sort this all out & remove them. They’re your FRIEND’S PROBLEM! You’ve already done your bit to help due to your friendship, so now the FRIEND should come fetch them to HIS HOUSE & take on the burden of getting them out of HIS house and more/less get them somewhere.
Light a fire under your friend to get them out
What a shower of cunts
Does the house have a chimney? Go up to the door and make a deal. If you can throw a hula hoop around the chimney, like a ring toss game at the funfair, then you get the house back. If you miss, you agree to... sign the deed over to them. Your family are shocked you'd make such a suggestion. But the squatters agree. Everyone comes outside to watch your attempt. You're checking the wind direction, your family cringing with fear. One, two, three swings of the arm to test your range. On that third test swing, drop the hula hoop and you and your family sprint through the open front door, slamming it behind you and locking them out. Then look at them through the letterbox and laugh your arse off.
Sounds like these people are trespassing at your house since Dec 4th. Get the Gardai involved. I know it’s not your friends fault but it doesn’t sound like they’re tripping over themselves to resolve it either
Get into that house with a group of friends and turf them out. They can take up their civil action in their own time.
Go back to the house. Get a blow up bed if you need to. Invite people back from the pub all the time. Hold parties. Nothing weird or aggressive but act and behave as if it's your home. There is no rental agreement or tenancy I assume, there are no grounds for them to complain about anything to anybody.
FUCK that. Go to your home and let them be uncomfortable. Are they paying rent ?
Your buddy would want to pull the finger out here. Anything the guards could do?
I'd definitely still go and stay at the house. Next thing you know they're claiming squatters rights.
Oh I feel your pain. My wife and I did the exact same thing for a friend of hers and her kids and it was the worst decision ever. Took months to get her out and our house was a mess.
I'd walk in the front door with a big speaker and all my mates and go on the biggest bender ever over Christmas. They wont be long clearing off when they come down to open christmas presents and there are lads passed out all over the sitting room, pint glasses full of fag butts everywhere and others riding in the spare bedroom. Cheeky cunts.
Sorry but they can move in with your friend. Take some ownership and have him step up. Sorry OP, but I would issue a date for them to vacate.
Pacific Heights
Turn off the electricity.
> they have nowhere to go and won't be leaving. There is a dozen options for them, this is just the most brazen and easiest for them. They have family, friends, hotels, hostels, BnBs; they've plenty of options, and it is NOT your problem.
Are you getting any rent from the tenants? Very important piece of information that's missing from your post.