So then, my Grandfather recently died, leaving his suburban London home to my Mother and Uncle. The house is in a reasonably nice area and in pretty good order so it looks set to net my family a tidy sum. All good, then?
Er, no.
You see, for the last fifty years or so my grandparents lived next door to Margaret, a rather lonely woman. She lost her husband in the war, has next to no family, and for one reason or other has managed to make few friends. In fact, after my Gran died she tried to get my grandfather to marry her, citing company in their old age as the motivating factor - my Grandad refused, he couldn't stand her. All in all she's a pretty tragic person but not someone you'd want to live next door to as she's more than a little intrusive and overbearing.
That said, none of us were expecting what's happened.
Last weekend prospective buyers weren't just greeted by the estate agent. Oh, no. Apparently, Margaret, who - God knows why, and much to the agent's horror - has a front door key, insisted on following each party around the house and lecturing them on how the blacks and asians and muslims were ruining the area, and how she wants a nice white family living next door. According to the agent at least one seriously interested potential buyer was lost after Margaret (in her own words) "took her to one side and explained things". If that wasn't bad enough she's also been telling house hunters that she owns the passage that runs behind the house - a blatant untruth.
My Mum has been on the phone to her but it's difficult, especially for someone as altrusistic and kind as my mother. Margaret's racism's unpleasant but we're talking about a scared, vulnerable old lady, who's just watched the last link to the community she knew and loved wither and die. She really has nothing left, but she also not our responsibility and my family could really do with selling the house before winter sets in and the housing market stagnates. So the plan is for Mum and my uncle to go up there in the week, take back the key and set Margaret straight: she can't go into the house, she can't speak to prospective buyers, she can't interfere with process in any way. The estate agents have already been told to keep her at arms length.
Ho hum, it's rather mental and annoying but also quite sad. |
