Legal family advice

[Shwowbow]

Hi all, obviously this is not a Board of lawyers but hoping someone will have a little advice.

 

Basically my sister called my mum saying her husband was being abusive, he had thrown plates around, and a can of coke at her (neither hit her) and that she wanted out and to come back to live near us ( she married him and moved 4 hours away)

My mum said absolutely, half of the family dropped everything to haul a Rental van and 2 cars down there to help her move home ( she said she wanted to take everything while he was at work, including their 2 kids) to be safe, everyone was backing her up..

 

They all get down there and she throws a big wobbler because she cannot fit absolutely everything she owns in the van, she wanted to leave him with nothing but a tv. She flips out and gets in her cars anyway to follow the guys back home for the four hour journey.. She stops part way and says she changed her mind and she's going to a friends house and she'll follow tomorrow.

The men carry on for home thinking all would be ok she'd come tomorrow, when she txts our mum saying she thinks she's as much to blame as he is and she wants to try again, that she's been too hasty and she's sorry.

Mum is absolutely fuming, my mum was in an extremely ausive relationship and my sister knows that. We think that's why she said it, to tug on mums heart strings... We're not sure if it was even true.

 

Anyway, the guys get home with all her stuff, having spent £400 on the whole thing which they certainly do NOT have to throw around.

We go round this morning to help unload it, it takes up 2 whole bedrooms.

 

My mum has told her she either hauls her own ass up here to get it all herself, or in a week they are going to sell it.

 

So i'm basically looking for advice on wether she can do this, i've looked everywhere online and no situation is the same.. Bare in mind this is the UK also. Is a week enough? Dos she have to give a further amount of notice?

She is going to write to her formally stating her plans, I just don't want her to get in trouble.

Any advice would be very appreciated, thank you very much.

[Lt Cmdr Worf]

Thats a tough one, they possession is nine tenths of the law, whatever that means. If I were your mom I would attempt to contact your sister via certified letter and tell her that if she doesnt pick up her possessions in 30 days that they will be considered forfeited and sold or disposed of. I think legally a week is too short of a time window to give her and 30 days seems more like a legally reasonable time. Plus the certified letter proves that your mom made attempts to contact her regarding the matter. But bare in mind that I'm from the US and not familiar with British law regarding property.

[Lt Cmdr Worf]

Also, please tell your mom not to go down this road with your sister again, it's clear your sister can't make up her mind about her abusive husband and turns on her family members when they try to help her. Only when she figure it out on her own will she wise up and leave her husband.

[WockaWocka]

I'd encourage your Mom not to be too hasty about selling off her daughter's possessions, no matter how angry she is about what happened. What your sister did was terrible, but what your Mom is thinking of doing is the kind of thing that can leave her estranged from her grandkids for the rest of her life. Can you imagine being a child in that situation and finding out your grandma sold your possessions just because she was angry at your Mom? Or left your parents deep in debt because they had to buy new furniture themselves? Clearly your sister was being manipulative and selfish. Ideally she'd reimburse you guys for the truck rental expenses. But she won't.

 

I would suggest your Mom send her a letter stating she has 30 days to pick up these possessions before storage fees of £xx start accruing. Use a rate comparable to a commercial storage facility and send her invoices each month stating the balance owed. Insist she pay that amount before taking anything. But I'd wait at least a year before actually following through. You only have one family.