Housemate has changed the locks!

[Chocolate Teapot]

Hello all,

My friends housemate has changed the locks on their jointly owned property, they had a load of police around last night because apparantly he's not allowed to kick his door down to get into the property, forceable entry was the phrase they used.

Any advice one what he can do? they are both up to date with mortgage payments.

I'm asking here as my friend is living on a shoe string at the minute as he was unemployed for a while so can't afford a costly solicitor and he needs access to the house as soon as possible!


Cheers everyone.

[philthy]

Not allowed to kick the door in to gain entry to his own property?
That doesn't sound right?
Sounds more like a domestic to me.

[Nimbus]

I think you need to tell us the rest of the story....

So why would someone change the locks on your housemate without notice...

[Chocolate Teapot]

they said it's a civil matter but they said he cannot in any way force his way into the house (unless his housemate isn't in)

[Poledriver]

This is Pistonheads! There is only one answer1

KICK THE BACK DOORS IN!

Edited by Poledriver on Saturday 21st February 14:27

[DrTre]

Tunnel in.

[Chocolate Teapot]

Nimbus said:

I think you need to tell us the rest of the story....

So why would someone change the locks on your housemate without notice...

Sure, started out with this http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...

just before Christmas my friend pushed his housemate, he phoned the police and his girlfriend cooberatted his story that my friend had punched him, my friend now has a conviction/caution for this.

Since then they haven't spoke a word, his housemate is really odd, he's got his own fridge and labels all his food and marks the level of his milk and things like that, he isn't even there most of the time and never touches his stuff anyway

[OzzyR1]

Are you sure they are co-mortgagees not just housemates in a rented place?

The bloke sounds like a freak - the sort of nutter you sometimes unfortunately encounter when taking the gamble of renting a room in a house.

If they do own the place, why the hell did your mate get a joint mortgage with him in the first place?

[Nimbus]

ohh, I remember that thread now....

simple answer is to wait till the hosuemate is out, get a professional locksmith to come over and let him in, they can do it without kicking the door in...
Then if anyone asks while its being done... he's lost his keys.

Then change the locks again..

[Chocolate Teapot]

OzzyR1 said:

Are you sure they are co-mortgagees not just housemates in a rented place?

The bloke sounds like a freak - the sort of nutter you sometimes unfortunately encounter when taking the gamble of renting a room in a house.

If they do own the place, why the hell did your mate get a joint mortgage with him in the first place?

definately joint mortgage, he was living with his girlfriend and they split up, he wanted to keep the house and at the time he worked with this guy and he offered to buy her out (about 6 months after he bought into the house he got dismissed from the job they worked in together for exposing himself to the women in the office)

He is a complete odd ball.

[Chocolate Teapot]

Nimbus said:

ohh, I remember that thread now....

simple answer is to wait till the hosuemate is out, get a professional locksmith to come over and let him in, they can do it without kicking the door in...
Then if anyone asks while its being done... he's lost his keys.

Then change the locks again..

is there nothing he can do now? he never leaves his bedroom and there is always someone in the house, either him or his girlfriend.

[richyb]

How can you legally not kick you own door down???? I took my door off the hinges to fix a section of the door frame that was warping a few days ago. Should I be worried the police are on route? Its his house FFS.

[pokethepope]

Get your friend to stake out the place and get in when the housemate leaves/returns?

[minerva]

Call a locksmith, so that he can repair the door within the hour(?) and then kick it in, get it repaired (with new lock) and then the other chap is in the same position (ie no key).

Then call the police and tell them that the other chap is kicking the door in!

[King Herald]

Chocolate Teapot said:

OzzyR1 said:

Are you sure they are co-mortgagees not just housemates in a rented place?

The bloke sounds like a freak - the sort of nutter you sometimes unfortunately encounter when taking the gamble of renting a room in a house.

If they do own the place, why the hell did your mate get a joint mortgage with him in the first place?

definately joint mortgage, he was living with his girlfriend and they split up, he wanted to keep the house and at the time he worked with this guy and he offered to buy her out (about 6 months after he bought into the house he got dismissed from the job they worked in together for exposing himself to the women in the office)

He is a complete odd ball.

I bet his side of the story is very different, mayhap how you keep drinking his milk, eating his food, punching him out etc?

[GreenV8S]

Chocolate Teapot said:

they had a load of police around last night because apparantly he's not allowed to kick his door down to get into the property, forceable entry was the phrase they used.

I'd imagine that the police would talk to everyone and try to find whether your mate did actually have a right of entry to the house. As the [co] owner, he does. So presumably the other bloke managed to persuade them not to believe your mate's story. That being the case I'm not inclined to take it at face value either.

If he is indeed the co-owner then he *is* entitled to go into the house and can contract a locksmith to let him in and change the locks if necessary. What he can't do is assault anyone else in the process, or deny access to the other bloke if he is still entitled to it.

[Chocolate Teapot]

King Herald said:

Chocolate Teapot said:

OzzyR1 said:

Are you sure they are co-mortgagees not just housemates in a rented place?

The bloke sounds like a freak - the sort of nutter you sometimes unfortunately encounter when taking the gamble of renting a room in a house.

If they do own the place, why the hell did your mate get a joint mortgage with him in the first place?

definately joint mortgage, he was living with his girlfriend and they split up, he wanted to keep the house and at the time he worked with this guy and he offered to buy her out (about 6 months after he bought into the house he got dismissed from the job they worked in together for exposing himself to the women in the office)

He is a complete odd ball.

I bet his side of the story is very different, mayhap how you keep drinking his milk, eating his food, punching him out etc?

I obviousely have no way to prove it to you that this isn't the case but I have no reason to make any of this up, I just want it resolved for him as quickly as possible, it's a rediculous mess and has been making my friends life hell for months now and he can't see a way out of it!

[Chocolate Teapot]

GreenV8S said:

Chocolate Teapot said:

they had a load of police around last night because apparantly he's not allowed to kick his door down to get into the property, forceable entry was the phrase they used.

I'd imagine that the police would talk to everyone and try to find whether your mate did actually have a right of entry to the house. As the [co] owner, he does. So presumably the other bloke managed to persuade them not to believe your mate's story. That being the case I'm not inclined to take it at face value either.

If he is indeed the co-owner then he *is* entitled to go into the house and can contract a locksmith to let him in and change the locks if necessary. What he can't do is assault anyone else in the process, or deny access to the other bloke if he is still entitled to it.

are you absolutely sure about this? the police last night were convinced he cannot access the property regardless, he has plenty of proof he is the co owner, mortgage contracts etc that are stored at his parents house.

[TheEnd]

the locksmith should be able to pick the lock , then change it.

[minimatt1967]

Poledriver said:

This is Pistonheads! There is only one answer1 KICK THE BACK DOORS IN!