Teen plans legal action after stepfather uses his $13,500 savings to buy car for mother. AITA? + UPDATE
"AITA for telling my step-dad and mom that they shouldn't be surprised at what my little brother said to them when they pulled a prank on him?"
jamie_doo
I [20 F] am an older sister to my little (biological) brother (17 M) who finished high school last year. My little brother and I are really close. He says I'm the best friend he has and he loves me more than anyone (of course this is not true, he has many friends of his own).
My brother has been asking our step-dad/mother if he could get a new car for his grad party since last year, and he said he'd pay 50-75% with his own hard-earned money while they paid the rest. They said no.
I have a car but I had been working for one, they helped me pay off for it. So my brother's arguments with our parents got heated after awhile (one time I told my brother that I'd help him pay off expenses for a good car once I got my own.
He hugged me and said I didn't need to worry and that he owed me way more than I owed him). But he continued to press our parents all of last year until they gave in and said yes like they did for me.
Note that our step-dad and my brother have a negative relationship for the most part. Our bio mother and step-dad got together soon after our bio dad and mom divorced when we were little.
My brother thinks that step-dad and mother were seeing each other before our real parents divorced and to be honest, I think that might be true. Not certain, though. Anyway, my step-dad, mother and brother compromised and said they'd get him the car in 2021 so that people don't gawk at him at the graduation party.
June this year my brother and step-dad/mother are still on about the car, now the arguments getting loud and lasting hours until evening. My step-dad was getting into screaming matches with my brother over it but they reached a final compromise of the car being bought last week.
The fated morning comes and my brother wakes up to our step-dad and mom guiding him outside to... a car. But not his, our mother's. Step-dad used his and my brother's money on a dumb prank, bought a completely different model of car, and said it was for our mother.
Our mom and step dad just laughed and kissed each other. My brother didn't lose it, he didn't even look angry. He just looked dead in our step-dad's eyes and said, and I'm not joking, verbatim: "you might think I'm effing stupid, you might think whatever. But I'm just better than you, bro.
You know that, I know that, and our mom is an effing idiot for staying with a prick like you. But I'll make you wish you'd never effing met us. I promise you. You might be laughing now, but you'll be crying later."
He then walked off, not even looking back at them as they stared horrified. They asked me what was that about and I, feeling terrible for my brother, said they had it coming and not to be surprised.
So now they grounded both of us. I've had to explain the situation to my friends as I can't see them anymore but I feel so bad for my baby brother and they back me up on this and ask me to comfort him as much as possible. But our parents are so mad, and they can't see that my brother had his heart crushed. AITA?
Here were the top rated comments from readers in response to the OP's initial post:
DuckDuckWaffle99
NTA. Your brother is a better person than I am because I would be blasting stepdad/mother everywhere. I'd call the local news stations and ask if they are interested in a story of parents stealing from their child.
I'd tell family, friends, people at church, random strangers on the street, post about it on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, make a You Tube video, everything. Your mother is the worst for letting someone do this to her child. I want to say so many things that would get me permanently banned.
LuckyClover96
Imagine being this mother, and trading her own son's trust and love... for a car and some giggles.
1Shelly1
Yeah. This is most certainly just a robbery under the pretense of a prank.
merlin242
Wait...so your parents used 75% of your brothers money to buy themselves a car as a “prank”?
jamie_doo (OP)
Thank you everyone, all the insights mean a lot. Yes. As awful as it sounds. My brother is destroyed by my mother especially. I'm working on talking to my brother on a potential legal action like a lawsuit to get the expenses back from our step-father.
My bio dad is generally nice and loving to us (I think he barely tolerates our step-dad and his ex-wife, our mother) and he'll take us back in full time if the law allows it. If not, my brother and I will move in together to our own place.
Right now, I'm trying to be there for my little brother as much as possible. Lots of cuddles and free food but he won't stop bawling his eyes out. I'm worried psychological harm has been done to him.
The next day, the OP returned with an update for readers.
jamie_doo
In the time away from the post, it kind of blew up Imao. My brother and I appreciate everyone tuning in with their insights. I took a break from work today to call my biological dad. Since l'm over the age of 18, in our state, custody arrangements aren't as stringent on me and my brother in a few weeks.
My biological father legally sees us 40% of the time and my bio mother 60%. I have the legal right to choose if I should stay with my bio mom and her husband and my biological dad who in my opinion, is a much better fit.
My brother and I have agreed our biological dad is the only way out of this madness so we're going to move out. We'll raise the issue in court if need be, we need to get away from this madness.
Right after writing the posts and getting comments suggesting legal action, I talked to my brother about it. He's still kind of feeling awkward about it but he feels certain that's the route he will take so as not to pass any statute of limitations, since in a few weeks he will be an 18 year old.
I'm certain a few weeks is fairly safe though lol. I am not legally smart at all, nor is my brother but we're getting good at this stuff. He got robbed and he deserves his money back.
A few comments mentioned the setting up of a GoFundMe. My brother wants everyone to know that he appreciates the gesture but asks people not to do that to themselves. He is adamant about taking his step-father to court over this and said that the messages of support were extremely touching.
He wants everyone wanting to donate somehow to him to keep their money and use it to better themselves and their families. And all the offers of free cars from working mothers to him broke him - he said people with families deserve their cars more than he does at his age.
Lastly, I end this by saying, thank you. To everyone. For my brother's sake and for my own. We realize what a terrible situation we are in. But we're taking steps to get away. It means a lot.
EDIT: If it's meaningful to anyone, the car my baby brother wanted was around $18,000 dollars. 75% of that purchase, so $13,500 dollars, was pooled with the remainder of the money my step-father had. My father purchased a cheaper car with his own and my brother's money. Is $13,500 dollars worth going to court over?
Here were the top rated comments from readers in response to the OP's update:
Consistent-Winter-67
Is $13500 worth going to court for?! I'd go to court for a tenth that.
reluctantseal
I feel for this OP. She's really naive. If this is real, I'm glad she reached out in some way instead of just going with it. She's 20 and still talks like she actively follows a custody agreement.
Consistent-Primary41
$13500 is Grand Larceny in a lot of states.
There's real jail time involved if this isn't a first offence.
peter095837
Soon enough this mother is going to wonder why her kids won't see her anymore. She's a sh!!!thead and same with that step-dad!
KitchenDismal9258
Oh the poor OP. She just is so clueless about everything. The grooming to think that this is pretty much normal in a family is way out there....