In theory, helping someone in need should bring gratitude, not punishment. Yet, reality isn’t always so simple – sometimes, the very people you assist can turn into your biggest headache.

As you might already have guessed, today we will be uncovering a story just about that. Specifically, about a couple who helped out one of their family members in a tight spot, only to find themselves contemplating small claims court not long after.

More info: Reddit

Sometimes, when you lend a helping hand, instead of gratitude, people choose to take a far less appreciative path

Image credits: bearfotos / Freepik (not the actual photo)

A man’s aunt ends up needing a place to stay after she gets kicked out of the places she stayed at before, so he and his wife offer to take her and her adult kids in

Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)

At first, the situation was alright, until the first bill came and it was double the amount it used to be

Image credits: DC Studio / Freepik (not the actual photo)

Then, the aunt refused to pay her part, despite her family being the whole reason why the bill was so high

Image credits: senivpetro / Freepik (not the actual photo)

This continued for some time, until one day she and her kids decided to flee the home, again without paying their share

Image credits: alidrian / Freepik (not the actual photo)

She also blocked the man and his wife on every possible channel, making it impossible for them to reach out about the money she owed

Image credits: ZebraPsychological65

So, the man’s wife ended up considering taking the aunt to small claims court, both for a financial and a moral reason, but wondered if that would be too harsh

The OP’s husband’s aunt and her 3 kids got into a pretty rough spot. They were kicked out of their grandmother’s house and the woman’s ex’s place too. So, the couple decided to let them stay with their family. Everything seemed fine at first, but as the OP herself pointed out, it always does. 

Upon the aunt’s family moving in, it was decided that the bills would be split in half – after all, there were 4 people in each family. Before the guests moved in, their electricity was $160, gas was $50-$60, and water was $60-$70 a month. 

After their move-in, the costs jumped drastically. The electric bill became $348, water became $100, and gas became $70-$80. At first, they were baffled by such an increase, but they wrote it off to more people living under one roof. The problem arose when the aunt refused to pay her family’s part. Not having money for it wasn’t the issue here – she spent large amounts of it on anything but groceries or necessities.

One day, the family left home for eight days due to a health emergency. When they returned, the guests were acting strangely, and the next morning, they noticed that they were trying to flee without being noticed, again without paying their share of the bill. That month, the costs were even higher – solely the electricity was $695. Turns out, running the AC at 60 and having lights turned on all day and night costs a pretty penny. 

Image credits: wayhomestudio / Freepik (not the actual photo)

After moving away, they blocked the family on every possible channel, so there was nothing left but for the OP to threaten to take them to small claims court. These types of courts deal with private disputes that do not involve large amounts of money. They can hear cases like small personal injury claims, debt collection, property damage, and landlord/tenant claims.

Yet, some people on MoneySavingForum advise against taking family members to it. They say that the whole situation might be way too much stress to be worth it and might damage the relationship even further (granted, in this case, there’s not much of it left to destroy). Some netizens under the post also noted that the process of getting the money back might be a rather difficult one.  

At the same time, the OP herself noted she wants to go to court not only because of the overly expensive electric bill; it would be for every single unpaid bill, which accounts for a couple of thousand dollars. And it’s not even fully about money, but about receiving a legal document proving that the aunt’s family was at fault. They not only took advantage of their money, they took advantage of their kindness. 

After all, suing someone to get a moral victory isn’t an unknown phenomenon. Whether it’s a spouse who took years of your life or a family member who used you, it’s normal to feel hurt and want legal repercussions for them, even if it’s a bit unreasonable. Even though in this case it’s quite reasonable, isn’t it? 

What would you do in the OP’s case? Share your ideas in the comments!

Netizens didn’t think it was too harsh given all the circumstances but warned her that the process might be harder than it looks

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