Children are so ungrateful these days.
At least, that’s how one woman’s parents felt. The woman informed her parents that she’d be kicking them out of her house, and her parents didn’t take it well.
Confused about whether or not she was doing the right thing, the woman turned to the internet to ask if she was wrong.
This is what happened:
Background
The woman, or the original poster (OP), inherited her mother’s house after she tragically passed away when she was a teenager. The house is fully paid off and in OP’s name, who is now 25 years old.
At the time, OP’s father wasn’t active in her life at all. That changed after her mother passed. He moved into OP’s house to care for her with his wife because OP was only 16 or 17 years old at the time.
Eight years later, OP is now an adult with a stable job and an undergraduate degree.
Did OP’s father pay rent?
Over the last eight years, OP’s father hasn’t paid any rent to OP. That said, the couple has kept up maintenance for the house and paid utilities. OP expresses that she’s “very appreciative and thankful for everything they have done for [her] and [her] house.”
What happened?
As OP is now an adult, she decided that she’d like to live in her house—alone. OP feels like she’s ready to take care of the house on her own. She decided to tell their father and stepmother this.
How did OP’s father take the news?
“My dad basically said he felt like I used them to get to a point where I could take care of myself and kick them to the curb. And then asked if I would give him a percentage of whatever I may get from selling my house if and when that time came,” says OP.
OP told her father that she’d need to think about it and couldn’t give him an immediate answer.
OP’s father also suggested that the three of them sell the house, using the money to buy a bigger house. They would add OP’s father’s name to the new mortgage, an idea that OP is completely against.
What did OP’s stepmother say?
“My stepmom was upset at my response and basically said I shouldn’t have to think about it and to just give them the percentage because of everything they’ve sacrificed (moving into the house, paying utilities, property taxes, maintenance, etc.) while I was in high school and college,” states OP.
Did this change OP’s mind?
OP’s father and stepmother’s arguments only made her more frustrated. “I’m starting to feel like my dad thinks I owe him for doing his job as a parent. I’m just ready to live on my own as an adult, but I feel like they were planning on staying in my house forever,” she admits.
Is OP wrong for kicking her father and stepmother out of her house? The internet didn’t hold back:
This house is a gift from OP’s mother to OP, not her father
“The house is your inheritance from your mother. He has no more rights to it than he would have to any money she might have left you. That was HER way of taking care of you once she was gone. Stay strong and look out for yourself since your father isn’t.”
OP could have kicked them out earlier and been profiting
“If you kicked them out when you turned 18, you could’ve easily rented the spare bedroom (I’m assuming you have at least two bedrooms), split utilities, and used their rent to cover your half of those with some to save for housing expenditures.
“You got a raw end of the deal without realizing, and I’m sorry for you for that. I also have a funny feeling if you had to move in with them, [they surely would] have been kicking you out at 18 or charging you rent whilst staying after due to the ‘sacrifice’ they had to make for you.”
OP needs to get a lawyer
“Lawyer, lawyer, lawyer.
“[You’re not in the wrong]. They’ve lived rent-free for almost a decade. You’d think, knowing it’s YOUR house, they would have saved up some $$$ over all that time.
“You don’t owe them anything. Don’t let them guilt you. Keep any and all legal documents pertaining to the house in a separate, safe location, like a safety deposit box. You can start an eviction process, which will give them plenty of time to find alternative housing.
“Meanwhile, take pictures of every inch of the house. If they start getting petty and destructive, you’ll want evidence of the state of the house before any trouble starts. Good luck, and stay strong. Your mom left you a great gift. You deserve to make it your own home.”
Why is OP’s father complaining? He’s saved thousands
“My mortgage is about $1k per month, and I live in a CHEAP place. Your father lived in your house, rent-free, for years. He would have had to pay utilities wherever he lived, but likely, he also would have had to pay for housing. He didn’t. If I do some conservative math, he’s stayed with you for six years at $1k per month. He has saved over $70k for staying in your house.
“You’re being nice about it. This is your mother’s home, and it is in your name. I’d give them a couple weeks to be [mad] about it before I started making an issue of it. But you are not in the wrong.”
This article was written and syndicated by What the Fab.
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Elise Armitage is an entrepreneur and founder of What The Fab, a travel + lifestyle blog based in California. At the beginning of 2019, Elise left her corporate job at Google to chase her dreams: being an entrepreneur and helping women find fabulous in the everyday. Since then, she’s launched her SEO course Six-Figure SEO, where she teaches bloggers how to create a passive revenue stream from their website using SEO. Featured in publications like Forbes, Elle, HerMoney, and Real Simple, Elise is a firm believer that you can be of both substance and style.
