I Came Home From Work To Find Myself Locked Out While My Brother Shouted… Reddit Family Stories — Transcript

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1. 0:00I came home from work to find myself
2. 0:02locked out while my brother shouted
3. 0:03through the door, "Yeah, you pay the
4. 0:05bills, but this family still doesn't
5. 0:07accept you." So, I replied, "Maybe the
6. 0:08cold will change your minds." I, 29
7. 0:11male, have been busting my ass
8. 0:12installing solar panels for 5 years in
9. 0:14the blazing Arizona sun. The solar
10. 0:17industry has been booming, especially
11. 0:18here in Phoenix, where every new
12. 0:20subdivision wants to go green for the
13. 0:22tax credits.
14. 0:23I started as a basic installer making
15. 0:25$18 an hour, but worked my way up to
16. 0:27crew chief by actually showing up on
17. 0:29time and not being a screw-up like half
18. 0:31the guys in this business.
19. 0:33Now, I'm pulling $75,000 annually
20. 0:36managing teams of installers across
21. 0:37commercial and residential projects. I
22. 0:40also have been supporting my family for
23. 0:415 years. My best friend Jay from high
24. 0:44school has been watching this for years.
25. 0:46He's an automotive mechanic who owns his
26. 0:48own shop built like a tank with zero
27. 0:49patience for BS. His assessment of my
28. 0:52situation:
29. 0:53"Dude, you're like a financial Stockholm
30. 0:55syndrome victim. These people are
31. 0:56bleeding you dry and you keep saying
32. 0:58thank you afterward." Jay's the kind of
33. 1:00friend who will tell you exactly what
34. 1:01you need to hear, even when you don't
35. 1:03want to hear it. He's been successful
36. 1:05because he treats people fairly, but
37. 1:07doesn't take crap from anyone.
38. 1:09The only other one who seemed to
39. 1:10understand how messed up things were
40. 1:12getting was my cat, Larry. This fat
41. 1:14orange tabby has been with me for 3
42. 1:16years, and he judges people better than
43. 1:18most humans.
44. 1:19Here's how this whole mess started. When
45. 1:21dad got laid off in 2019, they were 3
46. 1:24months behind on their mortgage with
47. 1:25foreclosure papers already filed. The
48. 1:28bank wasn't playing games. They had 60
49. 1:30days to come up with $4,200
50. 1:33in back payments plus penalties, or they
51. 1:35were out. I had just gotten promoted to
52. 1:37crew chief making $65,000 annually,
53. 1:40which felt like hitting the lottery
54. 1:41after years of scraping by.
55. 1:43Instead of lending them cash they'd
56. 1:45never pay back,
57. 1:47I made what I thought was a smart move.
58. 1:49I bought their house outright for
59. 1:51$180,000,
60. 1:52used my entire savings account, took out
61. 1:54a small personal loan, and liquidated my
62. 1:57401k early with penalties.
63. 2:00Put the deed solely in my name for tax
64. 2:02protection and told them they could
65. 2:04gradually pay me back over time.
66. 2:06The house itself is a decent
67. 2:08three-bedroom, two-bath ranch built in
68. 2:10the 1990s.
69. 2:11It's in a solid neighborhood with good
70. 2:13schools and low crime.
71. 2:15Property values have been climbing
72. 2:16steadily, so it should be worth around
73. 2:18$220,000
74. 2:20now. The mortgage they couldn't afford
75. 2:22was only $850 monthly, which should have
76. 2:25been manageable on two incomes.
77. 2:27But Rick and Linda have never been good
78. 2:29with money. Over the next 4 years, they
79. 2:31never paid me back a single dollar. Not
80. 2:33one.
81. 2:34I kept detailed records of every
82. 2:36expense, property taxes $3,200 annually,
83. 2:39homeowners insurance $1,800
84. 2:42annually, and every major repair.
85. 2:44New roof in 2023 after hail damage,
86. 2:46$12,000.
87. 2:48HVAC replacement when the old unit died
88. 2:51during a heat wave, $8,500.
89. 2:54Plumbing issues from tree roots, $2,400.
90. 2:58Garage door replacement, $1,600.
91. 3:01Paint job for the exterior, $3,800.
92. 3:05All out of my pocket while they acted
93. 3:07like they were doing me a favor by
94. 3:08living there.
95. 3:09The financial strain was brutal. I was
96. 3:11essentially supporting three adults on
97. 3:13my salary while trying to save for my
98. 3:15own future.
99. 3:16I had to postpone buying my own house,
100. 3:18couldn't afford to upgrade my truck, and
101. 3:20watched my savings account hover near
102. 3:22zero for years. Meanwhile, they were
103. 3:24living mortgage-free in a house that
104. 3:26would have cost them $1,200 monthly to
105. 3:29rent elsewhere.
106. 3:31My parents, Linda and Rick, are both 52
107. 3:33and act like the universe revolves
108. 3:35around them.
109. 3:36Rick claims his back is too damaged for
110. 3:38work after his layoff from a warehouse
111. 3:40job, but somehow spends 12 hours daily
112. 3:42rebuilding his 1985 Camaro in my garage.
113. 3:46Linda works maybe 15 hours weekly at a
114. 3:48beauty salon called Shear Perfection,
115. 3:50and yes, it's as tacky as it sounds. She
116. 3:52spends more time gossiping about
117. 3:54customers than actually cutting hair,
118. 3:55then comes home complaining about her
119. 3:57exhausting job. My brother, Josh, 24
120. 4:00male, is professionally worthless.
121. 4:03This kid has bounced between Arizona
122. 4:04State University, dropped out after one
123. 4:06semester, Phoenix Community College
124. 4:08dropped out twice, Universal Technical
125. 4:10Institute graduated but never used his
126. 4:12automotive certification, and probably
127. 4:1430 different jobs.
128. 4:16He's worked at GameStop, Best Buy, three
129. 4:18different restaurants, a call center,
130. 4:20and various temp agencies.
131. 4:22Never lasted more than 6 months
132. 4:23anywhere.
133. 4:25Currently, he's building his brand as a
134. 4:26freelance graphic designer, which means
135. 4:28he makes about $200 monthly designing
136. 4:31terrible logos for his stoner buddies
137. 4:33while acting like he's the next Steve
138. 4:35Jobs.
139. 4:36Josh is the type who will eat your food,
140. 4:38use your Netflix password, borrow your
141. 4:40tools, then talk about you to anyone who
142. 4:42will listen.
143. 4:44The worst part was how they treated me
144. 4:45in front of others.
145. 4:47Josh would invite friends over to my
146. 4:48house, act like he ran the place, then
147. 4:51make jokes about me being the money
148. 4:52bags. Rick would complain about being
149. 4:54micromanaged by his son over house
150. 4:56repairs.
151. 4:57Linda would tell her sisters I was
152. 4:59always having opinions about their
153. 5:00decorating choices in my house. She'd
154. 5:02spend my money on throw pillows and wall
155. 5:04art, then act like I was being
156. 5:06unreasonable for questioning the
157. 5:07expenses.
158. 5:08Last year, she wanted to redo the
159. 5:10kitchen with a $15,000 renovation money
160. 5:13I didn't have and got mad when I said
161. 5:15no.
162. 5:16But the breaking point came on New
163. 5:17Year's Eve 2023 and it changed
164. 5:19everything. December 31st, 2023.
165. 5:24I'm standing at the front door of my
166. 5:25house with arms full of groceries and
167. 5:26party supplies I'd bought for their New
168. 5:28Year's celebration.
169. 5:30Temperature's about 20°, unusual for
170. 5:32Arizona,
171. 5:33but we were having a cold snap.
172. 5:35Mom opens the door like I'm some
173. 5:36door-to-door salesman trying to sell her
174. 5:38solar panels.
175. 5:39Her face goes completely blank when she
176. 5:41sees me like she's looking at a
177. 5:42stranger.
178. 5:44You must have the wrong house. I'm
179. 5:45standing there confused as hell. Mom,
180. 5:47it's me. What are you talking about? She
181. 5:50stares at me with these dead eyes. I
182. 5:52don't know who you are.
183. 5:54Then she starts closing the door.
184. 5:56The door.
185. 5:58I'm holding hundreds of dollars worth of
186. 5:59their party supplies.
187. 6:01And she's literally shutting me out like
188. 6:03I'm some random person who wandered up
189. 6:05to the wrong address.
190. 6:06Are you serious? I bought all the food
191. 6:08and drinks for tonight. We don't need
192. 6:10your charity.
193. 6:11She snaps and slams the door in my face.
194. 6:14I stood there for 10 minutes in the cold
195. 6:15hearing them laughing and music playing
196. 6:17inside. I could smell the barbecue from
197. 6:19the backyard. They were grilling steaks.
198. 6:22My phone buzzes. Text from Josh.
199. 6:25Don't take it personal, bro. Mom said
200. 6:27you weren't invited this year. Something
201. 6:29about needing boundaries and positive
202. 6:30energy only. Maybe find some friends
203. 6:33your own age.
204. 6:34That's when I heard Rick's voice through
205. 6:35the window loud and clear.
206. 6:37Maybe now he'll learn that throwing
207. 6:39money around doesn't make you family.
208. 6:41Kid thinks he owns us just because he
209. 6:43pays some bills. Then Josh's voice even
210. 6:45clearer.
211. 6:46Honestly, it's pathetic. He's 29 years
212. 6:48old and still trying to buy our love.
213. 6:50Maybe getting locked out will teach him
214. 6:52some self-respect.
215. 6:54I heard Linda laugh and agree. He's been
216. 6:56way too involved in our business.
217. 6:58The words hit me like a freight train.
218. 7:00I literally did own them.
219. 7:03I owned the house they were sitting in
220. 7:04making jokes about me. I owned the roof
221. 7:06over their heads, the walls around them,
222. 7:08the foundation they were standing on.
223. 7:10I'd been paying for their electricity,
224. 7:12their water, their property taxes, their
225. 7:14insurance. They were celebrating their
226. 7:16independence from me using resources I
227. 7:18was providing.
228. 7:20Standing there in the cold holding
229. 7:21groceries for people who just disowned
230. 7:23me, I had this moment of absolute
231. 7:25clarity.
232. 7:26They weren't grateful for 4 years of
233. 7:28free housing. They resented me for it.
234. 7:31They'd rather be homeless than
235. 7:32acknowledge what I'd done for them.
236. 7:34I was about to drive home and spend New
237. 7:36Year's alone feeling sorry for myself
238. 7:38when I remembered Jay had invited me to
239. 7:39his family's party.
240. 7:41I called him from the driveway still
241. 7:42holding bags of groceries like an idiot.
242. 7:45They locked me out. Jesus Christ, Theo,
243. 7:47get over here right now.
244. 7:49Jay's family lives in a cozy
245. 7:51neighborhood about 20 minutes from my
246. 7:52place. The kind of area where people
247. 7:54actually talk to their neighbors and
248. 7:55kids play in the streets.
249. 7:58When I walked in carrying bags of
250. 7:59groceries and champagne, his mom, Carol,
251. 8:01immediately went into full Italian mama
252. 8:03mode.
253. 8:04Theo, what are you doing bringing food?
254. 8:07We have plenty.
255. 8:09Jay told me what happened. Those people
256. 8:11are completely insane.
257. 8:13Carol's been like a second mom to me
258. 8:15since high school. She's this tiny
259. 8:17Italian woman who somehow manages to
260. 8:19feed an army every time people come
261. 8:21over. Her house always smells like
262. 8:23garlic and fresh bread and she's got
263. 8:25this way of making everyone feel
264. 8:26welcome. The exact opposite of the
265. 8:28reception I just gotten from my own
266. 8:30family. Jay appeared with a drink for me
267. 8:32already cracked open. So let me
268. 8:34understand this correctly. You bought
269. 8:35food for their party, showed up at your
270. 8:37own house and they pretended not to know
271. 8:39you. Pretty much.
272. 8:41Jay started laughing but not in a mean
273. 8:43way. More like he couldn't believe the
274. 8:45situation had gotten this ridiculous.
275. 8:47Dude, this is like a really messed up
276. 8:49episode of Punk'd except the joke's been
277. 8:51going on for 4 years and nobody told
278. 8:53you.
279. 8:54His dad Tony who's retired from
280. 8:55construction shook his head while
281. 8:56seasoning some steaks.
282. 8:58Son in my day if someone bought your
283. 9:00house to save you from foreclosure,
284. 9:01you'd be kissing their feet not locking
285. 9:03them out on New Year's.
286. 9:05Tony built houses for 30 years before
287. 9:07his knees gave out. He understands the
288. 9:09value of property, the cost of
289. 9:11maintenance, the responsibility of
290. 9:13ownership.
291. 9:14Jay's sister Maria, a paralegal who
292. 9:16handles real estate transactions, was
293. 9:18fascinated by the legal aspect.
294. 9:21Wait, so you're on the deed, you pay all
295. 9:23the expenses but they have no idea you
296. 9:25actually own it. They think I'm just
297. 9:27helping with payments to keep it in the
298. 9:28family. Maria's eyes lit up with
299. 9:31professional interest. Oh my god, Theo.
300. 9:34You could evict them tomorrow if you
301. 9:35wanted to. They're basically squatters
302. 9:37with delusions of ownership.
303. 9:40She started explaining the legal
304. 9:41concepts, adverse possession, tenant
305. 9:43rights, eviction procedures.
306. 9:45As someone who processes real estate
307. 9:47documents daily, she understood exactly
308. 9:49how screwed my family was legally. They
309. 9:51had no documentation, no lease
310. 9:53agreement, no ownership rights
311. 9:55whatsoever.
312. 9:56Jay nearly spit out his drink. Please
313. 9:58tell me you're considering it.
314. 10:00I am.
315. 10:01The contrast was incredible.
316. 10:04I was sitting in a warm house with
317. 10:06people who genuinely cared about me
318. 10:08while my biological family was
319. 10:09celebrating my absence in a house I
320. 10:11owned. As midnight approached, Jay
321. 10:13raised his glass, the same champagne I'd
322. 10:15bought for my family's party, to Theo,
323. 10:18who's about to learn the difference
324. 10:19between family and people who happen to
325. 10:22share his DNA.
326. 10:24When the ball dropped and everyone was
327. 10:25celebrating, Jay pulled me aside.
328. 10:27"Dude, you know what you need to do,
329. 10:29right?" "What's that?" "They want to
330. 10:31play the
331. 10:32this is our house game, show them the
332. 10:34deed and watch their world collapse."
333. 10:36Something clicked in my brain right
334. 10:38there, like that moment in Casino when
335. 10:40Sam Rothstein realizes he's been played
336. 10:42by people he trusted. It was time to
337. 10:44remind them who holds all the cards.
338. 10:47January 1st, 2024.
339. 10:49I'm sitting in my apartment with coffee
340. 10:51and pure rage researching tenant rights
341. 10:53and eviction procedures on my laptop.
342. 10:56My apartment's nothing fancy, a
343. 10:58one-bedroom place I've been renting for
344. 10:59$900 monthly while paying all the
345. 11:02expenses on a house I can't live in.
346. 11:04Larry was perched on my desk watching me
347. 11:06research legal stuff with what looked
348. 11:08like approval for the first time in
349. 11:10months.
350. 11:11This cat has been judging my family
351. 11:12situation for years, and now he seemed
352. 11:14to sense that I was finally ready to do
353. 11:16something about it.
354. 11:18What do you think, Larry? Time to teach
355. 11:19them a lesson.
356. 11:21Larry stretched, knocked my pen off the
357. 11:23desk, and gave me a slow blink.
358. 11:26In cat language, that's basically
359. 11:27saying, "It's about damn time, you
360. 11:29idiot."
361. 11:31Jay came over around noon with breakfast
362. 11:33sandwiches from this deli we both love.
363. 11:35"So, did you sleep on it like a rational
364. 11:37adult or are we going full nuclear like
365. 11:39I suggested?" "Full nuclear."
366. 11:41These people need to learn who actually
367. 11:42owns what.
368. 11:44I'd been doing research all morning
369. 11:45learning about Arizona's landlord-tenant
370. 11:47laws.
371. 11:48Turns out when you own property and
372. 11:50people are living there without a lease,
373. 11:52they're called tenants at will.
374. 11:54And tenants at will can be evicted with
375. 11:5530 days notice for any reason or no
376. 11:57reason at all. No lease means no
377. 12:00protection.
378. 12:01Then I found Anastasia through online
379. 12:03reviews and referrals from other
380. 12:04landlords. This woman has a reputation
381. 12:07for being absolutely ruthless in
382. 12:08eviction cases. Her success rate is
383. 12:10something like 98%.
384. 12:12And she's got testimonials from
385. 12:14landlords who'd been dealing with
386. 12:15nightmare tenants for years.
387. 12:18During our consultation, she smiled like
388. 12:20a predator when I explained the
389. 12:21situation.
390. 12:22Her office was all dark wood and legal
391. 12:24books designed to intimidate.
392. 12:26Anastasia herself was maybe 5 ft 4 in
393. 12:28in, but had this presence that made you
394. 12:30understand why tenants were terrified of
395. 12:32her.
396. 12:33So, you own the house. They've been
397. 12:35living there for 4 years without paying
398. 12:37rent and they don't know you're the
399. 12:38owner. That's correct. She smiled. This
400. 12:41is going to be fun.
401. 12:43How fast do you want them out?
402. 12:45Jay leaned forward as fast as legally
403. 12:47possible. These people locked him out on
404. 12:49New Year's Eve. I explained the whole
405. 12:51situation. The complaints to neighbors,
406. 12:53Josh's social media posts, the constant
407. 12:55financial demands, the total lack of
408. 12:57gratitude.
409. 12:58Anastasia took notes and asked pointed
410. 13:00questions about documentation, which I
411. 13:02had plenty of. I've been doing this for
412. 13:0415 years and I've never seen the case
413. 13:06this clear-cut. You have all the
414. 13:08documentation. They have zero legal
415. 13:10standing and their behavior has been
416. 13:12appalling. We're going to destroy them.
417. 13:15Two days later, I had my eviction
418. 13:17paperwork ready. Notice to quit and
419. 13:19demand for possession of premises in big
420. 13:21bold letters that would make anyone's
421. 13:23stomach drop.
422. 13:24The key terms were simple but
423. 13:26devastating.
424. 13:27Current occupants.
425. 13:29Linda Morrison, Rick Morrison, and Josh
426. 13:31Morrison must vacate within 30 days or
427. 13:33face formal eviction proceedings and
428. 13:35sheriff assisted removal.
429. 13:37Alternatively, they could remain as
430. 13:39tenants paying $1,000
431. 13:41with first month due within 10 days.
432. 13:44Anastasia suggested the rent option to
433. 13:46make me look reasonable in court. We
434. 13:48both knew they couldn't afford $1,000
435. 13:50monthly. They'd been unable to pay their
436. 13:52original $850 mortgage, but offering the
437. 13:55option would make me look generous to a
438. 13:56judge while knowing they'd probably
439. 13:58fail.
440. 13:59"The rent option serves multiple
441. 14:00purposes," Anastasia explained. "It
442. 14:02makes you look fair and reasonable. If
443. 14:04they take it and fail to pay, you get
444. 14:06them out even faster. If they refuse it,
445. 14:08you look like the good guy who tried to
446. 14:10work with them."
447. 14:11When I got home with the papers, Larry
448. 14:13took one look at the legal documents and
449. 14:15sat up straight and slow walked at me
450. 14:16like he was saying, "Finally, you're not
451. 14:18being a complete pushover."
452. 14:21Jay read through the eviction notice and
453. 14:22started grinning. This is beautiful.
454. 14:26January 3rd.
455. 14:27I drove to my house with the papers and
456. 14:29a process server Anastasia had arranged.
457. 14:32Jay insisted on coming for the show. I
458. 14:34wouldn't miss this for anything. This is
459. 14:36better than any movie.
460. 14:37Rick answered the door in his bathrobe
461. 14:39looking hungover and confused. His face
462. 14:42went from annoyed to genuinely
463. 14:43bewildered when he saw me with some
464. 14:45official-looking stranger in a suit.
465. 14:48Theo, what are you doing here? And who's
466. 14:50this guy?
467. 14:52The process server stepped forward with
468. 14:53professional efficiency.
469. 14:55Richard Morrison, you're being served
470. 14:57with legal notice regarding this
471. 14:58property. He handed Rick the papers with
472. 15:00a receipt to sign. Service completed.
473. 15:03Good luck.
474. 15:04Jay was standing behind me trying not to
475. 15:06laugh as Rick's face went completely
476. 15:08white reading the first few lines. The
477. 15:10color drained from his face as he
478. 15:11realized these weren't fake documents or
479. 15:13some kind of prank.
480. 15:15What the hell is this?
481. 15:16Theo, what's going on?
482. 15:18Read it carefully, Rick.
483. 15:20Linda rushed to the door, grabbed the
484. 15:21papers from Rick's shaking hands. Her
485. 15:23voice went up an octave as she read.
486. 15:25This has to be fake. We own this house.
487. 15:29Josh appeared behind them with his usual
488. 15:31immediate aggression instead of trying
489. 15:32to understand the situation.
490. 15:35This is BS, Theo. You can't just make up
491. 15:37some fake legal papers. Check the county
492. 15:39records, Linda.
493. 15:41My name's been on the deed for 4 years.
494. 15:43You've been living in my house rent-free
495. 15:45while treating me like garbage.
496. 15:47That's when Josh completely lost it,
497. 15:49which was exactly what I expected.
498. 15:51You're such a lying piece of There's no
499. 15:53way you own this house. You're just
500. 15:54trying to scare us because you're mad
501. 15:56about New Year's. Josh, the county
502. 15:57records are public. You can look them up
503. 15:59online right now on your phone. Screw
504. 16:01that. This is our house. We're not going
505. 16:04anywhere. You want us out, come and make
506. 16:06us leave.
507. 16:07Jay stepped forward, all 6 ft 2 of him.
508. 16:09Kid threatening the actual property
509. 16:11owner isn't the smartest legal strategy.
510. 16:14Instead of taking the notice seriously
511. 16:16or trying to understand their legal
512. 16:17situation, they decided to fight it.
513. 16:20Josh convinced Rick and Linda that I was
514. 16:22bluffing that the documents were fake,
515. 16:24that they could hire a lawyer and expose
516. 16:25me for trying to steal their house.
517. 16:27The delusion was incredible to watch.
518. 16:30The family drama exploded within hours.
519. 16:32My phone started blowing up with calls
520. 16:34from relatives who'd heard Linda's
521. 16:35dramatically edited version of events.
522. 16:37Most were predictably taking her side
523. 16:39without asking for details or trying to
524. 16:41understand the actual legal situation.
525. 16:44Aunt Carol called crying about how I was
526. 16:45throwing family onto the streets. Cousin
527. 16:48Jenny sent a series of angry texts about
528. 16:50family loyalty and blood being thicker
529. 16:52than water.
530. 16:53Uncle Jim left a long voicemail about
531. 16:55how disappointed he was in me and how
532. 16:57this wasn't how he expected me to treat
533. 16:59family.
534. 17:00The narrative Linda was spreading was
535. 17:02that I was trying to steal their house
536. 17:04using fake legal documents, that I was
537. 17:06jealous of their stable home life, and
538. 17:08that I was having some kind of mental
539. 17:09breakdown that was making me vindictive.
540. 17:12But then Uncle Samuel called. Samuel is
541. 17:14Rick's older brother, 58, been a master
542. 17:16plumber for 35 years.
543. 17:18This guy built Morrison Plumbing from
544. 17:20nothing working out of his garage until
545. 17:22he could afford a real shop. He's raised
546. 17:24four kids after his wife died of cancer
547. 17:26when they were young. Put them all
548. 17:27through college and has zero patience
549. 17:29for lazy people or excuses.
550. 17:31Samuel and Rick have been feuding for
551. 17:33decades because Samuel thinks Rick is a
552. 17:35worthless mooch who's never taken
553. 17:37responsibility for anything in his life.
554. 17:39Every family gathering ends with Samuel
555. 17:41calling Rick out for being unemployed,
556. 17:43broke, or making excuses for his latest
557. 17:45failure.
558. 17:46Theo, it's Samuel.
559. 17:48I just got off the phone with Carol
560. 17:50who's having some kind of breakdown
561. 17:51about you evicting Rick and Linda. Want
562. 17:53to tell me what's really going on here?
563. 17:55I explained everything.
564. 17:57Samuel listened without interrupting,
565. 17:59which is rare for him.
566. 18:01Long pause.
567. 18:02So, you're telling me you've been Rick's
568. 18:04landlord for 4 years and he doesn't even
569. 18:06know it? That's right.
570. 18:08Samuel started laughing.
571. 18:10Really laughing. Jesus Christ, Theo,
572. 18:13that lazy piece of has been complaining
573. 18:15about being controlled by his own son
574. 18:16who's been letting him live rent-free.
575. 18:19This is the funniest thing I've heard
576. 18:20all year. So, you don't think I'm being
577. 18:22too harsh?
578. 18:24Too harsh, kid? You should have kicked
579. 18:25them out years ago.
580. 18:26Rick's been a deadbeat his entire adult
581. 18:28life, and Linda enables every bit of it.
582. 18:31As for Josh, that kid's been a smart-ass
583. 18:33punk since he could walk.
584. 18:35Samuel's support felt incredible after
585. 18:37hours of angry calls from other
586. 18:39relatives who were buying Linda's victim
587. 18:40narrative.
588. 18:41Theo, let me tell you something. I've
589. 18:43been trying to get Rick to act like a
590. 18:45responsible adult for 20 years. You
591. 18:47buying his house and letting him live
592. 18:49there free was the best thing that could
593. 18:50have happened to him.
594. 18:51And he threw it away because he's too
595. 18:53stupid and entitled to appreciate it.
596. 18:55Samuel told me stories about Rick's
597. 18:57failures over the years, the jobs he'd
598. 18:59quit, the businesses he tried to start
599. 19:01with other people's money, the constant
600. 19:03borrowing and never paying back.
601. 19:05He'd been watching Rick fail at life for
602. 19:07decades while making excuses and blaming
603. 19:10everyone else.
604. 19:11Three days later, Anastasia called with
605. 19:13an update. Theo, they hired a lawyer and
606. 19:16they're contesting the eviction. They're
607. 19:18claiming adverse possession and alleging
608. 19:20fraud. Are you serious? Dead serious.
609. 19:23Their lawyer is Martin Goldberg. He's
610. 19:25what we call a bottom feeder. He'll take
611. 19:27any case if the money's right. He's
612. 19:29filing a motion claiming they've been
613. 19:30living there openly for 15 years and
614. 19:32should have ownership rights.
615. 19:34The court hearing on January 25th was
616. 19:36scheduled for 10:00 a.m.
617. 19:38I showed up in my best suit with
618. 19:40Anastasia and a folder full of
619. 19:41documentation.
620. 19:43Property deed, tax records, purchase
621. 19:45documents, maintenance receipts, bank
622. 19:47statements, everything proving I was the
623. 19:49legitimate owner. They showed up with
624. 19:51Martin. Josh was wearing his only dress
625. 19:54shirt and acting like he was about to
626. 19:55expose some massive conspiracy.
627. 19:58Judge Martinez looked annoyed from the
628. 19:59start. She'd clearly seen this type of
629. 20:01case before.
630. 20:02Delusional tenants who thought they
631. 20:04could steal property through legal
632. 20:05manipulation.
633. 20:07Mr. Goldberg, your clients are claiming
634. 20:09adverse possession of property they
635. 20:10don't own.
636. 20:12Your Honor,
637. 20:13my clients have been residing in this
638. 20:15property for 15 years and have made
639. 20:17substantial improvements.
640. 20:19Do they have documentation of these
641. 20:20improvements?
642. 20:22Goldberg shuffled through his papers
643. 20:23nervously.
644. 20:25Well,
645. 20:25Your Honor, that's they have receipts
646. 20:27for some materials. Mr. Morrison, do you
647. 20:30have the property deed?
648. 20:32Anastasia stood up with crisp
649. 20:34professionalism.
650. 20:35Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Theo Morrison has
651. 20:38been the sole owner since 2019 when he
652. 20:40purchased the property to prevent
653. 20:41foreclosure.
654. 20:43And the defendants knew about this
655. 20:44purchase.
656. 20:45Yes, Your Honor. Mr. Morrison purchased
657. 20:47the property to help his family avoid
658. 20:49foreclosure, but retained sole
659. 20:50ownership. Anastasia presented our
660. 20:52evidence methodically.
661. 20:54Purchase agreement showing I'd paid
662. 20:56$180,000
663. 20:57cash.
664. 20:59Deed transfer showing my name as sole
665. 21:00owner.
666. 21:014 years of property tax payments in my
667. 21:03name.
668. 21:04Insurance policies in my name.
669. 21:06Maintenance receipts totaling over
670. 21:08$30,000 in repairs and improvements.
671. 21:11Everything documented, everything legal.
672. 21:13When it was Goldberg's turn, he had
673. 21:15basically nothing. No documentation, no
674. 21:17evidence, just claims that my family
675. 21:19deserved the house because they'd lived
676. 21:21there longer.
677. 21:22He tried to argue that I'd somehow
678. 21:23defrauded them, but had no proof of
679. 21:25fraud.
680. 21:26The judge was brutal in her dismissal.
681. 21:28Mr. Goldberg, adverse possession
682. 21:30requires specific legal criteria that
683. 21:32your clients clearly don't meet.
684. 21:34They don't have continuous possession.
685. 21:36They don't have hostile possession, and
686. 21:38they don't have open and notorious
687. 21:39possession.
688. 21:41Mr. Morrison is the legal owner, has
689. 21:42been paying all expenses, and wants
690. 21:44possession of his property. Your motion
691. 21:46is denied. Defendants have 30 days to
692. 21:48vacate. Josh jumped up like an idiot.
693. 21:51This is BS. You can't just steal our
694. 21:52house. Bailiff, remove that man if he
695. 21:54speaks again without permission. As we
696. 21:56walked out, Josh was screaming in the
697. 21:58hallway about corrupt judges and family
698. 22:00betrayal while courthouse security
699. 22:02threatened to arrest him for disrupting
700. 22:04the peace.
701. 22:05That evening, Uncle Samuel called with
702. 22:07obvious satisfaction in his voice.
703. 22:09Theo, I heard about the court hearing
704. 22:11from Carol. She's all worked up about
705. 22:13Rick and Linda losing, but I told her
706. 22:15exactly what I think about the
707. 22:16situation.
708. 22:17What did you tell her? I told her that
709. 22:20Rick's been a lazy mooch his entire
710. 22:21life. That you saved their asses from
711. 22:23foreclosure and let them live rent-free
712. 22:25for 4 years and that they brought this
713. 22:27on themselves by treating you like
714. 22:29garbage.
715. 22:30I also told her that anyone taking
716. 22:32Rick's side in this is an idiot.
717. 22:34After getting destroyed in court, they
718. 22:36had no choice but to face reality.
719. 22:38Their lawyer Goldberg basically told
720. 22:40them they had no case and suggested they
721. 22:42try to negotiate with me instead of
722. 22:44facing eviction and homelessness.
723. 22:46The defeat in court had been total and
724. 22:48public. There was no ambiguity about who
725. 22:50owned the house,
726. 22:51no gray areas about their legal rights.
727. 22:54They were squatters legally speaking and
728. 22:56everyone knew it.
729. 22:57Linda called February 1st, voice shaking
730. 22:59with desperation.
731. 23:01Theo, honey, we've been looking
732. 23:02everywhere. Everything decent is $1,200
733. 23:06or more and we need first month, last
734. 23:08month, and security deposit. We don't
735. 23:11have that kind of money.
736. 23:12I put the call on speaker so Jay could
737. 23:14hear.
738. 23:15He was over helping me organize some
739. 23:16paperwork and immediately started
740. 23:18grinning.
741. 23:19Larry was sitting on the couch between
742. 23:21us and I swear he was listening to the
743. 23:23conversation with interest.
744. 23:25That sounds like a personal problem,
745. 23:27Linda. Please, can we rent from you?
746. 23:29We'll pay you fairly. We just need a
747. 23:31chance to prove we can be good tenants.
748. 23:34The irony was incredible.
749. 23:36After 4 years of living rent-free after
750. 23:38locking me out on New Year's Eve after
751. 23:40trying to steal my house in court, she
752. 23:42was now begging to become my tenant. Jay
753. 23:44was making exaggerated jerking off
754. 23:46motions behind me trying to make me
755. 23:47laugh.
756. 23:49Larry looked back and forth between us
757. 23:50like he was enjoying the show. $1,000 a
758. 23:53month. First month due February 10th
759. 23:56month-to-month lease, which means I can
760. 23:58terminate with 30 days notice if you
761. 24:00screw up even once. $1,000, Theo.
762. 24:04That's so much money. Couldn't we start
763. 24:05at maybe $700 and work up to it?
764. 24:08Linda, comparable houses in your
765. 24:10neighborhood rent for $1,200
766. 24:13to $1,400.
767. 24:15I'm giving you a discount. Take it or
768. 24:17leave it.
769. 24:18Rick got on the phone with his usual
770. 24:20entitlement. Son, we appreciate this.
771. 24:23The court thing got out of hand, but
772. 24:24we're family. We can make this work.
773. 24:26This isn't family anymore, Rick. This is
774. 24:28business. You're my tenants now. Act
775. 24:31like it.
776. 24:32Josh tried to negotiate because of
777. 24:33course he did. Bro, what if we did like
778. 24:35$800? I mean, we just spent money on
779. 24:37that lawyer and court fees. You spent
780. 24:39your money on a lawyer to try to steal
781. 24:40my house. That's not my problem. It's
782. 24:42$1,000 or you're out in 3 weeks. After I
783. 24:45hung up, Jay was shaking his head in
784. 24:46amazement. Theo, I'll bet you 100 bucks
785. 24:49they don't make the first payment.
786. 24:51Larry stretched and knocked a pen off
787. 24:53the coffee table, which I interpreted as
788. 24:55him agreeing with Jay's assessment.
789. 24:57Uncle Samuel called after hearing about
790. 24:59the rental agreement from the family
791. 25:00gossip network. Theo, I heard you're
792. 25:03giving them another chance with the rent
793. 25:04option. You're more generous than I
794. 25:06would be.
795. 25:07Think they'll actually pay?
796. 25:09Samuel laughed, a sound with no humor in
797. 25:12it.
798. 25:12Kid Rick hasn't held a steady job in 4
799. 25:14years. Linda works part-time by choice.
800. 25:17And Josh makes maybe $200 a month
801. 25:20playing with his computer.
802. 25:22What do you think?
803. 25:23They signed the month-to-month rental
804. 25:24agreement February 8th at Anastasia's
805. 25:27office.
806. 25:28The whole process was awkward and tense.
807. 25:30Josh was being a complete ass during the
808. 25:32signing making snide comments about
809. 25:33every clause and acting like I was being
810. 25:35unreasonable.
811. 25:37So, if we're late on rent, you can just
812. 25:38kick us out? That seems harsh for a
813. 25:40family. You're tenants. And yes, if you
814. 25:42don't pay rent, you get evicted. That's
815. 25:44how renting works. Whatever, bro. This
816. 25:46whole situation is screwed up and you
817. 25:48know it. Rick signed the lease while
818. 25:50grumbling about the monthly amount.
819. 25:52Linda kept asking questions about
820. 25:53utilities and maintenance
821. 25:54responsibilities.
822. 25:56The whole time I could see them mentally
823. 25:58calculating whether they could actually
824. 25:59afford the payments.
825. 26:01Anastasia was professional, but clearly
826. 26:03enjoying the situation.
827. 26:05Mr. Morrison, I'll keep the eviction
828. 26:06paperwork ready. Based on my experience,
829. 26:09you'll probably need it within 30 days.
830. 26:12February 10th came and went. No rent
831. 26:14payment, exactly like Samuel and Jay
832. 26:16predicted.
833. 26:17February 12th,
834. 26:19Linda called with the predictable
835. 26:20excuses. Theo, honey, we're having a
836. 26:22little cash flow issue. Rick's
837. 26:24disability application is still pending
838. 26:26and Josh's client hasn't paid him yet.
839. 26:28Can we get it to you by the 15th? Jay
840. 26:30was there when I took the call, eating
841. 26:32pizza and enjoying the show.
842. 26:34Larry was sprawled across my lap purring
843. 26:36like he was entertained by the drama
844. 26:37unfolding through the phone speaker.
845. 26:40Cash flow issue. Jay repeated mockingly.
846. 26:43That's fancy talk for we spent our rent
847. 26:45money on a lawyer to steal your house.
848. 26:47Theo, we're trying our best here. Can't
849. 26:50you work with us?
850. 26:51You agreed to pay $1,000 by February
851. 26:5310th. It's now February 12th. You're
852. 26:56already in default. February 15th, still
853. 26:58no payment.
854. 27:00This time Rick called with his standard
855. 27:01entitled attitude.
856. 27:03Theo, we need to talk about this rent
857. 27:05situation. $1,000 is unrealistic given
858. 27:08our current circumstances.
859. 27:10Jay nearly choked on his drink laughing.
860. 27:13Current circumstances?
861. 27:14You mean being broke because you tried
862. 27:16to steal his house?
863. 27:17Rick, you signed a lease agreeing to pay
864. 27:19$1,000 monthly. If you can't afford it,
865. 27:22you need to move out. Come on, Theo, be
866. 27:24reasonable. We're family. We can work
867. 27:26something out. We're not family. You
868. 27:28made that clear. You're tenants who
869. 27:30aren't paying rent. After 20 days of
870. 27:32excuses and failed promises, Anastasia
871. 27:35filed the second eviction.
872. 27:36Theo, this is even easier than the first
873. 27:39one. They signed a lease. They're in
874. 27:41default. And they have no legal standing
875. 27:43whatsoever.
876. 27:44The March 1st court hearing was brutal.
877. 27:47The judge was clearly annoyed to see the
878. 27:48same defendants again, especially after
879. 27:50they'd wasted the court's time with
880. 27:51their fraudulent adverse possession
881. 27:53claim.
882. 27:54Mr. Morrison, back again with the same
883. 27:56family?
884. 27:57Yes, your honor. They signed a rental
885. 27:59lease, then failed to pay the first
886. 28:00month's rent.
887. 28:02Josh couldn't keep his mouth shut, which
888. 28:03was perfect for our case.
889. 28:05Your honor, this is retaliation.
890. 28:08He's mad that we tried to fight for our
891. 28:09rights.
892. 28:10The judge looked disgusted.
893. 28:12Son, you tried to steal his house and
894. 28:14failed. Now you're not paying rent you
895. 28:16agreed to pay. That's not retaliation,
896. 28:18that's consequences.
897. 28:20Judgment for the plaintiff. Defendants
898. 28:22have 7 days to vacate or face
899. 28:23sheriff-assisted removal. 7 days instead
900. 28:26of 30. The judge was clearly tired of
901. 28:28their BS and wanted them out fast. But
902. 28:30the real drama started after the
903. 28:32eviction. Josh's desperation turned into
904. 28:35full-blown harassment, and that's when
905. 28:37his carefully constructed lies started
906. 28:39unraveling in spectacular fashion.
907. 28:42Two weeks after they got kicked out, I
908. 28:43was at my apartment when this huge guy
909. 28:45showed up at my door looking seriously
910. 28:47pissed.
911. 28:48Built like a bouncer covered in tattoos.
912. 28:51Definitely not someone you want angry at
913. 28:53you.
914. 28:54You.
915. 28:55Theo Morrison. Yeah.
916. 28:57Who's asking names, Marcus?
917. 28:59I'm looking for your piece of brother,
918. 29:00Josh. He owes me money, and I heard he
919. 29:02might be staying with you. Josh doesn't
920. 29:04live with me. We're not exactly on
921. 29:06speaking terms. Marcus looked confused
922. 29:09and increasingly angry. That's weird,
923. 29:11man. When Josh borrowed five grand from
924. 29:13me last month,
925. 29:15he said he lived in this nice house with
926. 29:16his family and had steady design work.
927. 29:19Showed me pictures of the house and
928. 29:20everything.
929. 29:21My blood went cold.
930. 29:23He borrowed $5,000 from you?
931. 29:26Yeah. Said he needed it for high-end
932. 29:28design equipment and software licenses
933. 29:30for his business.
934. 29:31Showed me his portfolio. Talked about
935. 29:33all these big corporate clients he was
936. 29:35landing. Said he'd pay me back in 30
937. 29:37days, no problem. Josh had been using my
938. 29:40house as collateral for loans, telling
939. 29:42people he lived there with his
940. 29:43successful family and had a thriving
941. 29:45design business.
942. 29:46The pictures he'd shown Marcus were of
943. 29:48my property, my garage, my driveway.
944. 29:51He'd been presenting my success as his
945. 29:53own to scam money from people. Kids
946. 29:55seemed legit. Marcus continued.
947. 29:58Professional portfolio, nice family
948. 29:59home, talked a good game about his
949. 30:01business growth, but now I find out he's
950. 30:03homeless and his design business is BS.
951. 30:05What happens if he doesn't pay you back?
952. 30:07Marcus cracked his knuckles with obvious
953. 30:09intent. Well, I'm not the type to just
954. 30:11write off five grand.
955. 30:13I've got his signed promissory note,
956. 30:14copies of his ID, his social security
957. 30:16number, everything. If he doesn't pay
958. 30:18up, I'm taking him to court and filing
959. 30:20criminal charges for fraud.
960. 30:22After Marcus left, Jay was laughing his
961. 30:24ass off. Dude, your brother borrowed
962. 30:25money by pretending he still lived in
963. 30:27your house and had a successful
964. 30:28business. That's next-level scamming.
965. 30:31Two days later, Josh called me from an
966. 30:33unknown number sounding panicked and
967. 30:34desperate. Theo,
968. 30:36I need your help.
969. 30:38There's this guy Marcus looking for me
970. 30:39and he's serious about getting his money
971. 30:41back.
972. 30:42Yeah, he came by my place.
973. 30:44You borrowed five grand by lying about
974. 30:45living in my house.
975. 30:47Look, I was desperate.
976. 30:49Okay.
977. 30:50I needed money for equipment and I
978. 30:52thought I could pay him back once I got
979. 30:53some big clients.
980. 30:55Josh, you've made like $200 total in the
981. 30:57past 6 months.
982. 30:59What made you think you could pay back
983. 31:00$5,000?
984. 31:02I don't know. I thought something would
985. 31:03work out, but now he's threatening to
986. 31:05sue me and file criminal charges.
987. 31:07That's fraud, Josh. You used false
988. 31:09information to get money you knew you
989. 31:10couldn't pay back. Can you help me out?
990. 31:13Just this once. I'll pay you back. I
991. 31:15swear.
992. 31:16You borrowed money by claiming you lived
993. 31:18in my house and had a successful
994. 31:19business. That's your problem, not mine.
995. 31:22I called Uncle Samuel with the update.
996. 31:25Samuel was quiet for a moment, then
997. 31:26started laughing with genuine delight.
998. 31:29That little He's been telling people
999. 31:30he's a successful entrepreneur while
1000. 31:32living rent-free and making $200 a
1001. 31:34month. This is perfect.
1002. 31:36Perfect. Josh just committed fraud. Real
1003. 31:39fraud with criminal consequences. This
1004. 31:41isn't family drama anymore. This is
1005. 31:44actual crime.
1006. 31:45That boy is about to learn what real
1007. 31:47consequences look like.
1008. 31:492 months later, Josh was arrested. Turns
1009. 31:51out Marcus wasn't his only victim.
1010. 31:54Josh had borrowed money from at least
1011. 31:55three other people.
1012. 31:57The total was over $12,000 in fraudulent
1013. 31:59loans.
1014. 32:00All obtained by using my house as proof
1015. 32:02of his stability and success.
1016. 32:04He'd been running a systematic scam
1017. 32:06taking pictures of my property and
1018. 32:07presenting them as evidence of his
1019. 32:09financial success and family support.
1020. 32:11Josh ended up pleading guilty to
1021. 32:13multiple counts of fraud and theft by
1022. 32:14deception.
1023. 32:15He got 2 years probation restitution
1024. 32:17orders for all the money he'd stolen and
1025. 32:19a criminal record that'll follow him
1026. 32:21forever.
1027. 32:22The judge was particularly harsh because
1028. 32:24Josh had used family property to
1029. 32:26perpetrate his fraud.
1030. 32:28Meanwhile, Rick was arrested for
1031. 32:29trespassing after breaking into his
1032. 32:31brother's house when he got kicked out.
1033. 32:33He'd been staying with Uncle Paul until
1034. 32:35they got tired of his attitude and
1035. 32:36kicked him out, too.
1036. 32:38Rather than finding proper housing, he
1037. 32:39tried to break into Paul's house to
1038. 32:41retrieve his belongings and got caught
1039. 32:43by neighbors.
1040. 32:44Linda ended up in a women's shelter
1041. 32:45after burning bridges with every
1042. 32:47relative who tried to help her.
1043. 32:49Turns out constantly complaining about
1044. 32:51your ungrateful son while begging for
1045. 32:53money gets old fast with family members.
1046. 32:55Jay moved into my house as the perfect
1047. 32:57tenant paying $1,200
1048. 32:59monthly and taking better care of the
1049. 33:01place than my family ever had. He asked
1050. 33:04permission before making any changes,
1051. 33:05paid his rent early every month, and
1052. 33:07actually improved the property value
1053. 33:09with his maintenance and upgrades. The
1054. 33:11best part is that Uncle Samuel became
1055. 33:13the voice of reason for the extended
1056. 33:15family. He calls out anyone who tries to
1057. 33:17defend Rick or Linda armed with facts
1058. 33:19and years of watching Rick fail at life.
1059. 33:22"Theo's the only one in this family with
1060. 33:24any sense," Samuel told Aunt Carol at
1061. 33:27the last family gathering.
1062. 33:28"Rick's a deadbeat. Linda's an enabler.
1063. 33:32Josh is a criminal.
1064. 33:33And Theo's the only one who worked hard
1065. 33:36and made something of himself."
1066. 33:38Sarah and I are engaged now planning a
1067. 33:40small wedding where Jay will be my best
1068. 33:42man.
1069. 33:43"You know what the best part is?" Samuel
1070. 33:44said during our engagement celebration.
1071. 33:47"You didn't just get revenge on Rick.
1072. 33:49You showed everyone what real success
1073. 33:50looks like. You own property. You've got
1074. 33:53a good job. You're marrying a great
1075. 33:55woman and you're surrounded by people
1076. 33:56who actually give a damn about you. They
1077. 33:58had every opportunity to treat me with
1078. 34:00basic respect while living in my house
1079. 34:02for free.
1080. 34:03Instead, they chose entitlement, lies,
1081. 34:05and legal battles.
1082. 34:06Now they're scattered across the state
1083. 34:08facing criminal charges and dealing with
1084. 34:10the consequences of their own actions.
1085. 34:13While I'm thriving, some bridges need to
1086. 34:15be burned."