A man sought advice online after deciding to evict his son, future daughter-in-law, and her family from a house he owned. The incident arose when his son’s fiancée’s family excluded the man and his wife from the upcoming wedding, leading to an escalating conflict.
The man, who lives in New Jersey, purchased a four-bedroom home in Pennsylvania for his son after he graduated from college. His son had decided to remain in Pennsylvania rather than return to New Jersey, and the father thought the house would be a good investment and a convenient place to visit his son.
The arrangement worked well at first. The father paid for the house’s taxes, services, and maintenance while his son was responsible for the day-to-day upkeep. However, everything changed when the son began a serious relationship and proposed to his fiancée, who moved into the Pennsylvania home.
The Turning Point: A Barbecue Gone Wrong
Initially, the father got along with his son’s fiancée and her family. To foster relationships between both families, the man and his wife hosted a barbecue at the Pennsylvania house. It was meant to be a celebration of the couple’s engagement and a chance for the families to bond.
At first, the barbecue seemed successful. Both families mingled, and the atmosphere was friendly. However, the event took a sour turn when the fiancée, her mother, and sisters went inside the house with the man’s wife and daughter. Shortly after, the wife and daughter emerged visibly upset and announced they were leaving immediately to return to New Jersey. They refused to explain why.
The father drove them back to New Jersey without pressing them for details. Later, after his wife and daughter had calmed down, they revealed the shocking reason for their distress. Inside the house, the fiancée’s family had informed them they were “not their kind of people” and, as a result, were uninvited from the wedding.
Confrontation with the Son
Outraged by the exclusion, the father called his son to discuss the incident. To his dismay, his son sided with his fiancée and her family. The son argued that it was his fiancée’s wedding and her decision whom to invite. This response only deepened the father’s anger and hurt.
After taking a week to reflect, the father decided to visit the Pennsylvania house to speak with his son in person. Upon arrival, he was met with an unexpected and infuriating sight: his son’s fiancée and her family had moved into the house without informing him.
When the father entered, the fiancée’s family confronted him, asking why he was there. They assumed the house belonged to his son. The father clarified that he owned the house, not his son, and he was there to speak with him. The fiancée’s family then demanded that he leave “their” house, further escalating the conflict.
Eviction Decision
The father informed the fiancée’s family that the house was his property and that they were trespassing. The fiancée called the son, who was at work, to inform him of the confrontation. The son then called his father, demanding to know why he was at the house. The father explained that, given his exclusion from the wedding and the disrespect shown by the fiancée’s family, he intended to sell the house.
The son protested, arguing that he had been living there rent-free and assumed he had rights to the property. However, the father held firm, reminding him that the house was a gift for him to live in but not his to own. Given the circumstances, the father issued an ultimatum: his son, the fiancée, and her family had 30 days to vacate the premises. If they failed to comply, he would involve a lawyer to proceed with formal eviction.
Community Reaction
The father turned to the internet to gauge whether his actions were reasonable. The overwhelming response supported his decision. Commenters reassured him that he was within his rights to evict his son and the fiancée’s family. Many advised him to consult a lawyer immediately to protect his property and ensure the eviction process went smoothly.
Several people expressed sympathy for the father’s situation, condemning the fiancée’s family’s behavior and the son’s lack of loyalty. They pointed out that the father had been generous in providing the house and deserved respect in return.
Lessons Learned
This situation highlights the complexities of family dynamics and the potential pitfalls of mixing family relationships with financial arrangements. The father’s generosity in providing a home for his son ultimately led to entitlement and disrespect from his son and the fiancée’s family. The incident serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of setting clear boundaries and expectations in similar arrangements.
In the end, the father took decisive action to protect his rights and restore his dignity, earning the support of many who empathized with his predicament. While the situation may have strained his relationship with his son, it underscored the importance of standing firm in the face of mistreatment, even from loved ones.
