Grieving family set up fundraiser after ‘unempathetic’ landlord evicts them following shock death of mum from cancer
3 November 2024, 08:32 | Updated: 3 November 2024, 09:18
A family has shared their disbelief after they claim to have been forced out of their home by an “unempathetic” landlord following the unexpected death of their mother.
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Emma Smith, aged 49, passed away in September within a month of being diagnosed with metastatic rectal cancer.
Her three sons — Archie, 14, Beau, 16, and Jordan, 27 — have now been evicted from their long-time home in County Durham, where they had lived for over ten years.
Daughter Daisy, who has set up a fundraiser for the family, said: “In the days immediately following my mum’s death, the landlord, without offering condolences, wasted no time in giving my brother just four weeks to make new arrangements.”
Jordan, who is now the guardian of Archie and Beau, has been desperately searching for a new place to live in the small town of Consett to minimise disruption to his younger brothers' education.
Daisy explained: “After applying for every available property, none have responded to him, which means they will almost certainly have to resort to temporary accommodation. This is far from ideal, especially given the awful, gutting circumstances, and with the added responsibility of organizing and funding my mother’s funeral."
She added: "As a family, this is the most painful thing we have ever had to face."
'No compassion'
Daisy, 20, a history student at the University of Bristol, shared that the day after her mother’s passing, the landlord sent an appraiser to re-evaluate the house.
She added that her brother Jordan was initially told they could stay in the house and that he could assume the tenancy — even offering to pay the increased rent from £650 to £900 per month. However, the landlord changed his mind just three days after Emma passed away.
Daisy explained that as Jordan was not officially the "legal" tenant - Emma was - it gave the landlord a loophole to evict them in four weeks, rather than the two months minimum notice.
She added the landlord has shown “no compassion” for the grieving family, repeating excuses and refusing to answer phone calls or messages. She added that the situation has been “awful” and has left the family with “no time to grieve.”
“It’s been one thing after another,” she said.
'Stressed and anxious'
Jordan told LBC he has been in “fight-or-flight mode” since his mum died and is “very worried.”
He also said he hasn’t had time to grieve as he’s had to look after the boys, find them a new place to live within four weeks, and manage the funeral arrangements.
He added that he feels “stressed and anxious” about securing temporary accommodation for his younger brothers.
'Beacon of light'
Daisy said: “To describe my brother, Jordan, in a few words would be impossible. He has faced this situation with an incredible amount of strength, caring for my younger brothers while coping with our mother’s loss, finding a new property, funding the funeral, and handling everything in between.
"Jordan has been our family’s beacon of light throughout this tragedy. Although he would never ask for help due to his selflessness, as his sister, I know he needs and deserves all the support we can give him.”
Daisy added: “My family and I are immensely grateful for any donations or shares of this fundraiser; all donations will go to my three brothers — Jordan, Beau, and Archie — who need it more than ever, to finally find stability and start the healing process after all the stress.”
The landlord was approached by LBC for comment. He responded that the “facts weren’t right” and said he was in communication with Durham County Council on the issue.
A link to the fundraiser can be found here.
