Harriet Thompson could not take her eyes off the hospital sign that read Surgery. The letters blurred
My husband was always comparing me to his mother, so I told him to gather his things and move in with
Living in Someone Else’s Flat? Pay the Rent!
“I don’t even know if my daughter’s wedding will go ahead. Everyone’s fallen out, and my future son-in-law’s lost the plot. With only two weeks to the big day, he’s acting up. I have no idea how this will end, I feel so sorry for my daughter,” sighs Helen.
“Why is everyone arguing?”
“You won’t believe it—it’s all about the new flat. We wanted to do something special for the newlyweds, so we put together every last penny, even sold our cottage in the country and the garage, just to afford a flat as a wedding gift. It’s in my daughter’s name. But since they’re about to marry, what does it matter whose name is on the deed?”
“Well, exactly…”
“That’s how both myself and my husband see it. The flat, of course, is a blank slate. It needs a full renovation and furnishing, but we’ve nothing left in savings. My husband suggested we all pitch in on the renovation so they could move in as soon as possible. But the fiancé flat out refused to do any work!”
“Why’s that?”
“Because, in his eyes, it’s not his flat. He doesn’t want to put time or money into a property he doesn’t own. He said we should handle renovations ourselves. He’ll pick up a few basics, but has no intention of spending much on it.”
“Maybe they should just live in it as is, without a renovation?”
“That’s impossible, the flat’s completely bare. And to top it off, all the water and electrics need redoing, floors and walls are a mess, old windows are about to fall apart, and it needs at least basic finishing touches,” Helen explains.
“I really don’t see how anyone could live there, even I’m not that easy-going. How can young people start off in a dump like that? It’s embarrassing. My future son-in-law works at a major company, he’s paid well, but he’s too tight with money. You see, he wants to save for a home of his own so he’s never at risk of being left with nothing. Basically, he wants to live off us. He insists we pay for all the work ourselves. So I told him if he thinks it’s someone else’s flat, he should pay us rent! He laughed and agreed,” sighs Helen.
“What does your daughter think?”
“She’s in tears, very upset. She loves him terribly, but we just can’t add his name to the deeds. She says now she doesn’t want a flat, or a renovation. But I don’t like that he won’t invest in the family at all. What comes next? They’re not even married and they’re already fretting over divorce and splitting assets,” Helen says.
Do you think my future son-in-law should invest in the flat? He’s planning to live there, start a family, make it a home. Does it really matter whose name is on the paperwork? Or is his position logical? What would you do if you were in his shoes? Someone elses flat? Then pay rent! “I honestly dont know anymore if my daughters wedding will even happen.
As she was ladling something from the pot, I pulled out some antibacterial wipes from my handbag and
Emily Smith drifted past shop windows, eyefeeding herself on the displays. In her mind she tallied how
Living in Someone Else’s Home? Then Pay the Rent!
“I don’t even know if my daughter’s wedding will happen. Everyone’s arguing, and my future son-in-law has gone off the rails. Just two weeks to the wedding, and he’s lost the plot. I feel so sorry for my daughter,” confides Alison.
“Why are you all fighting?”
“You won’t believe it—it’s over the flat. We wanted to do something special for the young couple, so we pooled all our savings and bought a flat as a wedding present. We even had to sell our lakeside cottage and garage to cover the cost. The property is registered in my daughter’s name. But since they’re getting married, what difference does it make whose name is on the deeds?”
“Exactly…”
“That’s what my husband and I think. The place, of course, is completely empty. It needs a total renovation and some furniture, but we haven’t got any savings left. My husband suggested to our future son-in-law that we all pitch in and sort the flat out together, so they can move in as soon as possible. But my son-in-law refuses to do any work!”
“Why not?”
“Because he says it’s not his flat. He doesn’t want to put money into a property that isn’t in his name. He said we should do the renovation ourselves. He might buy a few little things, but he has no intention of spending much.”
“So maybe they should just live there as is, without any renovations.”
“That’s impossible—it’s completely bare. Plus, it needs all the plumbing and electrics redone, the floors and walls levelled, and the old windows really have to go before they fall apart. At least some basic work needs doing,” says Alison.
“In my opinion, nobody could live in those conditions. I’m not fussy, but how can a young couple live in such a dump? It’s embarrassing. My future son-in-law works in a big company; he earns a good salary, but he’s tight with his money. You see, he wants to save for a place of his own, so he’s never left without a roof over his head.
“It turns out he wants to live at our expense. He insists we pay for the refurbishment. So I told him: if you think the flat isn’t yours, then pay rent! He just smiled and agreed,” sighs Alison.
“What does your daughter make of all this?”
“She’s utterly distraught and keeps crying. She loves him dearly, but we can’t put his name on the deeds too. Now she says she doesn’t want the flat or the renovation. But I don’t like that a man won’t invest anything in his family. What’s next? They’re not even married and already thinking about splitting up and who would get what,” says Alison.
Do you think my future son-in-law should invest in this flat? He’s planning to live there, start a family, settle down. Does it really matter who owns it on paper? Or is his position reasonable? What would you do in his situation? Someone else’s home? Then pay the rent! I find myself thinking about it now, all these years later
My husbands parents simply refuse to accept realitytheyre constantly trying to reunite him with his ex-wife.
My old friend, George, was forty-two when he finally settled down with a wife. He used to say she was
Im off on holidayIm not here to babysit anyone! My mother-in-law left me in the lurch, but I got my own back.
My mother-in-law offered to help us with the kids during the summer. Shes recently retired and has a
