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Internet Is Split Over Italian Mom Winning Case Against Two Adult Children After They Refuse To Move Out
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Internet Is Split Over Italian Mom Winning Case Against Two Adult Children After They Refuse To Move Out

Internet Is Split Over Italian Mom Winning Case Against Two Adult Children After They Refuse To Move OutInternet Is Split Over Italian Mom Kicking Out Two Adult Children With The Help Of The CourtItalian Mom Evicts Her 40-Something-Year-Old Sons With The Help Of The Court, Sparks DiscussionItalian Mom Kicks Out Two Adult Children With The Help Of The Court, Sparks Online DiscussionItalian Mother Wins Case Against Forty-Year-Old Sons After They Refuse To Leave Family HomeMom Wins Case Against Two Two Men Living At Parents' Home Get Evicted By Their Italian Mother After Court CaseWoman Takes Her Forty-Year-Old Sons To Court For Refusing To Move OutItalian Mom Takes Grown Sons To Court After They Refuse To Leave The Nest
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Sooner or later, most parents of adult children must grapple with the empty nest syndrome, experiencing a sense of sadness when their not-so-little ones grow up and move out of the family home.

Still, this isn’t always the case as one Italian mother has recently taken her two sons, both in their 40s, to court for being a little too lazy to spread their wings. 

Image credits: George Pak (not the actual photo)

The 75-year-old woman from the northern city of Pavia tried to persuade her children, 40 and 42, to leave her house, but the two have repeatedly refused.

According to the mother, “neither of them wanted to know” anything about emptying the family nest despite both men having jobs, the Lombard woman told the local newspaper La Provincia Pavese.

The Pavia judge presiding over the case, Simona Caterbi, ruled in favor of the mother, who complained about the lack of contribution of her two sons in regard to household expenses and chores.

The woman explained that, despite having jobs, neither of them cooperated with household expenses or chores

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Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio (not the actual photo)

While children living under the same roof as their mother would be justifiable based on the “obligation of the parent to provide maintenance,” the judge concluded that this principle didn’t apply to the case given that both men were over 40.

Caterbi has issued an eviction order and the 40-year-olds have until December 18 to move out.

In Italy, the phenomenon of adults living with their parents isn’t that uncommon: almost 70% of people aged between 18 and 34 still reside with their mother or father, data from 2022 shows. A large portion of that population (72.6%) are men, while a smaller but significant one is composed of women (66%).

The Italian woman said that “neither of them wanted to know” anything about leaving the nest

Image credits: Yan Krukau (not the actual photo)

A study from 2019 found that, among the adults living with their folks, 36.5% were students, 38.2% had a job, and 23.7% were searching for one.

These figures have spiked in recent years, partly due to adverse economic conditions and the struggle to secure steady employment.

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In the Bel Paese, the reality of adults residing with their parents is often a source of ridicule. A frequent term used to describe them, bamboccioni (big babies), was coined in 2007 by the Italian Ministry of Economy Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa to mock those wanting to live a pampered life benefiting from free housing and food.

According to U.S. Census Bureau data from 2021, one in three U.S. adults ages 18 to 34 live in their parents’ home.

Things are different across the pond. Young adults in many European countries are far more likely than their American counterparts to reside with their parents, statistical agency Eurostat data shows.

The judge ruled in favor of the mother, determining that the “obligation to provide maintenance” was unjustifiable at 40 years old

Image credits: Sergio D’Afflitto (not the actual photo)

In 24 of the 29 countries analyzed, more than one in three adults between 18 and 34 lived under the same roof as their parents in 2021. In addition to Italy, other countries that reported high figures were Croatia (77%), Greece (73%), Portugal (72%), and Serbia (71%).

Scandinavian countries present a contrasting image. Fewer than one in five young adults in the region live with their parents, the lowest figure corresponding to Denmark (16%).

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The Pavia mother isn’t the first to take their adult children to court. Three years ago, Italy’s supreme court rejected the appeal of a 35-year-old part-time musician who wished to savor the taste of homemade pasta for a little longer.

The young man alleged that his €20,000 income wasn’t enough to subsist on his own. In the ruling, the court determined that young adults don’t have the right to expect financial support from their parents.

Most people supported the mother, making up their own theories as to why this phenomenon happens

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Marina Urman

Marina Urman

Writer, BoredPanda staff

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Marina is a journalist at Bored Panda. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, she holds a Bachelor of Social Science. In her spare time, you can find her baking, reading, or binge-watching a docuseries. Her main areas of interest are pop culture, literature, and education.

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Marina Urman

Marina Urman

Writer, BoredPanda staff

Marina is a journalist at Bored Panda. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, she holds a Bachelor of Social Science. In her spare time, you can find her baking, reading, or binge-watching a docuseries. Her main areas of interest are pop culture, literature, and education.

Gabija Saveiskyte

Gabija Saveiskyte

Author, BoredPanda staff

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Hi there! I am a Visual Editor at Bored Panda. My job is to ensure that all the articles are aesthetically pleasing. I get to work with a variety of topics ranging from all the relationship drama to lots and lots of memes and, my personal favorites, funny cute cats. When I am not perfecting the images, you can find me reading with a cup of matcha latte and a cat in my lap, taking photos (of my cat), getting lost in the forest, or simply cuddling with my cat... Did I mention that I love cats?

Read less »

Gabija Saveiskyte

Gabija Saveiskyte

Author, BoredPanda staff

Hi there! I am a Visual Editor at Bored Panda. My job is to ensure that all the articles are aesthetically pleasing. I get to work with a variety of topics ranging from all the relationship drama to lots and lots of memes and, my personal favorites, funny cute cats. When I am not perfecting the images, you can find me reading with a cup of matcha latte and a cat in my lap, taking photos (of my cat), getting lost in the forest, or simply cuddling with my cat... Did I mention that I love cats?

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Libstak
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

75 years old and they expect her to support them? If they had any honour they would be doing everything for her, cooking, cleaning, paying all the bills. Most especially they would ensure her good health and ensure she is regularly checked by a doctor and has all her medication etc. These 2 are complete monsters.

VioletHunter
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah, the people in the comments blaming her for her sons being like that are nuts.

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Stuart
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How in the heck can the internet be split over this?? They are over 40!!

CatLady
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm over 40 and live with my parents and sometimes rely on them. However, I am disabled. If I was capable of earning an independent living and having my own place, I would.

Load More Replies...
Vinnie
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

From the Guardian: "While an eviction order is rare, there have been cases in Italy of parents being taken to court by their adult children who still expect financial support. In one case, in 2020, Italy’s supreme court rejected the appeal of a 35-year-old part-time musician, who argued that his €20,000 (£17,400) income wasn’t enough to live off and he needed money from his parents. His case was rejected, with the court ruling that young adults do not have an automatic right to parental financial support."

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Libstak
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

75 years old and they expect her to support them? If they had any honour they would be doing everything for her, cooking, cleaning, paying all the bills. Most especially they would ensure her good health and ensure she is regularly checked by a doctor and has all her medication etc. These 2 are complete monsters.

VioletHunter
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah, the people in the comments blaming her for her sons being like that are nuts.

Load More Replies...
Stuart
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How in the heck can the internet be split over this?? They are over 40!!

CatLady
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm over 40 and live with my parents and sometimes rely on them. However, I am disabled. If I was capable of earning an independent living and having my own place, I would.

Load More Replies...
Vinnie
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

From the Guardian: "While an eviction order is rare, there have been cases in Italy of parents being taken to court by their adult children who still expect financial support. In one case, in 2020, Italy’s supreme court rejected the appeal of a 35-year-old part-time musician, who argued that his €20,000 (£17,400) income wasn’t enough to live off and he needed money from his parents. His case was rejected, with the court ruling that young adults do not have an automatic right to parental financial support."

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