My wife and sister in law own a property that they have let to DHSS tenants. 
The house was newly renovated and fitted to an above average standard before 
the tenants moved in but they are systematically damaging the property in 
what appears to be an effort to get themselves evicted so that the council 
will give them a bigger property.

A pattern seems to be emerging where one of the tenants family will 
telephone my wife on a Sunday evening and asking her to evict them or to 
report flooding in the bathroom. When the latter occurs they tell my wife 
that the ceiling is damp and that if it falls and hurts anyone they will sue 
her. A plumber and builder who attended a couple of weeks ago said that they 
found buckets in the upstairs bathroom and they felt that they were being 
used by the tenants to dowse themselves in water.

I have tried to take a back seat on this as strictly speaking this is an 
issue for my wife and her sister however my wife is currently receiving 
chemotherapy and she does not need the stress that this is causing. I have 
been trying to remember the law I learnt as part of my business degree and 
as far as I can remember, because the tenants are causing the damage 
themselves, my wife is not liable for any harm that may arise as a 
consequence of their action. Am I right?

Thanks

Michael

Giganews wrote:

> My wife and sister in law own a property that they have let to DHSS
> tenants. The house was newly renovated and fitted to an above average
> standard before the tenants moved in but they are systematically
> damaging the property in what appears to be an effort to get
> themselves evicted so that the council will give them a bigger
> property.
> 
> A pattern seems to be emerging where one of the tenants family will
> telephone my wife on a Sunday evening and asking her to evict them or
> to report flooding in the bathroom. When the latter occurs they tell
> my wife that the ceiling is damp and that if it falls and hurts
> anyone they will sue her. A plumber and builder who attended a couple
> of weeks ago said that they found buckets in the upstairs bathroom
> and they felt that they were being used by the tenants to dowse
> themselves in water.
> 
> I have tried to take a back seat on this as strictly speaking this is
> an issue for my wife and her sister however my wife is currently
> receiving chemotherapy and she does not need the stress that this is
> causing. I have been trying to remember the law I learnt as part of
> my business degree and as far as I can remember, because the tenants
> are causing the damage themselves, my wife is not liable for any harm
> that may arise as a consequence of their action. Am I right?
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Michael

Yes to an extent , however if the damage injures a third party and your
wife and sister in law  had not endevoured to repair the damage they
could be held liable as well once informed by the tenant .


If your wife gets them evicted they will not be rehoused anyway if the
reason for eviction was due to criminal damage to the house (unless
they have young children)


The only problem you have is proving that they are delibratly wrecking
the house



--

"Giganews"  wrote in message 
news:U-idnej6GoQFaLnanZ2dnUVZ8qaqnZ2d@pipex.net...
> My wife and sister in law own a property that they have let to DHSS 
> tenants. The house was newly renovated and fitted to an above average 
> standard before the tenants moved in but they are systematically damaging 
> the property in what appears to be an effort to get themselves evicted so 
> that the council will give them a bigger property.
>
> A pattern seems to be emerging where one of the tenants family will 
> telephone my wife on a Sunday evening and asking her to evict them or to 
> report flooding in the bathroom. When the latter occurs they tell my wife 
> that the ceiling is damp and that if it falls and hurts anyone they will 
> sue her. A plumber and builder who attended a couple of weeks ago said 
> that they found buckets in the upstairs bathroom and they felt that they 
> were being used by the tenants to dowse themselves in water.
>
> I have tried to take a back seat on this as strictly speaking this is an 
> issue for my wife and her sister however my wife is currently receiving 
> chemotherapy and she does not need the stress that this is causing. I have 
> been trying to remember the law I learnt as part of my business degree and 
> as far as I can remember, because the tenants are causing the damage 
> themselves, my wife is not liable for any harm that may arise as a 
> consequence of their action. Am I right?
>
> Thanks
>
> Michael

Try getting hold of someone from your local housing authority and tip them 
off that these people are trying to make themselves intentionally homeless.

On can't help feeling that you pre let checks were grossly inadequate!

"R. Mark Clayton"  wrote in message 
news:jI-dnegkQIJtIrjanZ2dnUVZ8uadnZ2d@bt.com...
>
> "Giganews"  wrote in message 
> news:U-idnej6GoQFaLnanZ2dnUVZ8qaqnZ2d@pipex.net...
>> My wife and sister in law own a property that they have let to DHSS 
>> tenants. The house was newly renovated and fitted to an above average 
>> standard before the tenants moved in but they are systematically damaging 
>> the property in what appears to be an effort to get themselves evicted so 
>> that the council will give them a bigger property.
>>
>> A pattern seems to be emerging where one of the tenants family will 
>> telephone my wife on a Sunday evening and asking her to evict them or to 
>> report flooding in the bathroom. When the latter occurs they tell my wife 
>> that the ceiling is damp and that if it falls and hurts anyone they will 
>> sue her. A plumber and builder who attended a couple of weeks ago said 
>> that they found buckets in the upstairs bathroom and they felt that they 
>> were being used by the tenants to dowse themselves in water.
>>
>> I have tried to take a back seat on this as strictly speaking this is an 
>> issue for my wife and her sister however my wife is currently receiving 
>> chemotherapy and she does not need the stress that this is causing. I 
>> have been trying to remember the law I learnt as part of my business 
>> degree and as far as I can remember, because the tenants are causing the 
>> damage themselves, my wife is not liable for any harm that may arise as a 
>> consequence of their action. Am I right?
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> Michael
>
> Try getting hold of someone from your local housing authority and tip them 
> off that these people are trying to make themselves intentionally 
> homeless.
>
> On can't help feeling that you pre let checks were grossly inadequate!

I suspect that there is no check that one can perform to avoid this
eventuality.

Many years ago someone in my block rented his house to a
(minor) know name who worked for a national newspaper.
You would think this type of person would be suitable.  He
was the tenant from hell.

tim