'AITA for 'ruining' my cousin's life after suing him for throwing me in a pool?'
"AITA for suing my cousin for 6K after he threw me in the pool?"
aitahearingaides writes:
My family is all on my cousin's side for this issue, and I wanted some outside judgment. My cousin (25m) has always been the golden child of our generation. He’s funny, good-looking, and outgoing, not to mention a boy amongst girls. He’s always loved to mess around and play pranks. For the record, I really dislike this cousin. I think he’s irresponsible, childish, and annoying.
I have had hearing problems for years. I recently got a $6,000 pair of hearing aids. Recently, at my grandmother's birthday party, we were all eating and drinking on the back porch. My grandmother has a pool.
My cousin decided he was going to throw me in the pool because it would be funny to ruin my hair that I had just gotten done that day. I repeatedly told him to stop and put me down, in a very serious and not playful tone at all.
He threw me in the pool, and my hearing aids were ruined. Afterwards, when I told him what happened, he basically said, "Whoops, didn’t know you had hearing aids now." When I told him the cost of them and that he would have to replace them, he freaked out and said, "No way."
My family didn’t want me to make him pay for them because I significantly out-earn him and everyone else in the family. He was in college at the time, barely making ends meet with a call center job. His girlfriend and he have a baby, and they live in a one-bedroom apartment.
He refused to pay, so I took him to court. I won. He refused to make the payments afterward, so I took him back to court, and his wages are now being garnished for the maximum amount, which is 20% of his total wages.
It pushed him over the edge of what he could afford, so he’s had to work extra and drop out of college to be able to pay their rent. My family is absolutely fuming at me. I think he made one bad choice after another, and he has never given a sincere apology during this whole ordeal.
Had he given a real apology after the incident and asked if he could wait until he finished school to pay me back, I would’ve been fine with it. But the entitled little prick is digging his heels in at every move. AITAH? The only reason I could see myself maybe being the asshole is because it’s affecting his child and girlfriend.
Here are the top rated comments in response to OP's post.
ElonsRocket22 says:
NTA. Where he f%@$ed up was not negotiating a payment plan with you that he could afford after he did it. A 20% garnish is a harsh way to learn his lesson, but he earned that lesson.
millymollymel says:
So if he’d broken a wheel chair that someone needed to get around, he and the family would think it’s ok not to replace it? Because it’s hearing aids, equipment that you need to be able to hear and function in your day to day life they think it’s ok for him to just say whoops and get away with it.
NTA. But your family is the worst. I can’t believe they would enable him like that. If they all think it’s so hard on him, why are they not all chipping in to pay off his debt? I’m sorry you have a family of selfish a@%^oles!
day-gardener says:
This is the family that raised this “child” so I’m not surprised at all by their behaviors here.
Lonely-World-981 says:
NTA. Reminder, the courts sided with you. Toxic families always protect an abuser and blame the victim.
miasdeepertruths says:
NTA. your cousin ruined your $6,000 hearing aids despite your warnings so it's fair to expect him to pay for the damage while it’s unfortunate the situation affects his family he refused to take responsibility or apologize. you gave him a chance before taking legal action, and the consequences are his own doing. you're just holding him accountable for something that directly impacts your life.