'AITA for kicking my uncle out of 'his' house?' UPDATED
"AITA for kicking my uncle out of 'his' house?"
I (23M) was very close to my grandfather, who passed away last year. He left me his entire estate, including the house after my grandma divorced him. Before he passed, my grandma had asked him to let her son (my uncle, 50M, not biologically related to my grandfather) rent the house.
They set up a 3-year contract for $1,800 a month, and at the end, he could buy the house for $377K. The contract ends this November. After a lengthy probate process, the house is now officially in my name. My uncle asked if I’d extend the contract because of high interest rates, but I didn’t want to—I'm hoping to buy my own home soon.
My grandma pressured me, saying “it’s family,” so I reluctantly agreed to extend it for 3 more years. While I was waiting for a new contract to be drafted, my uncle asked if he could start construction on the house. I said no, but then a friend of mine (who was doing the work) told me that my uncle had already started construction without my permission.
I went to check it out, and sure enough, major work had been done without permits. I confronted him, and he denied it until I showed him photos. He claimed it was “his house” and that he could do what he wanted.
Later, during a family holiday, my uncle and his girlfriend ambushed me, proposing a 5-year contract with lenient rent terms, no restrictions on construction, and permission to sublet. I refused and said I’d have my lawyer draft the contract instead.
During probate, my uncle and his girlfriend discussed what they would prefer contract wise that left it more open-ended. I continuously listened to their wants; however, I told them in the end I would send them a contract drafted by my lawyer once the house was in my name.
A few months later, my uncle, his girlfriend, and my grandmother sent me the 5-year contract they had proposed during the family holiday. I firmly declined. My grandmother then called and berated me for not signing, claiming that if it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have inherited anything from my grandpa.
At that point, I lost my temper and said, “You have to be kidding me.” She responded, “Your grandpa would be disappointed in you for using that language with me.” I replied, “Don’t use my grandpa against me,” and hung up.
Since then, my grandma and uncle have cut me off. I had my lawyer draft a new contract: 3 years, no subletting, and a clause requiring my approval for construction, the rest of the original contract (from my grandpa) is the same.
Now my uncle is saying he can only qualify for $350K instead of the $377K he owes, and my family is pressuring me to accept the lower offer, accusing me of forcing him out. AITA for refusing his contract, insisting he pay the full $377K, signing my contract, or moving out, and standing my ground despite family pressure?
Here's what people had to say about this one:
Pure-Philosopher-175 said:
NTA. Legally, it is your house. Evict him and be done with it or he will screw you around forever.
stiggley said:
NTA. Get the property valued and see how much of a bargain $377k is to them, and how much the lowball offer of $350k is - just to hammer home "No." Remind them that you, as the owner sets the details of a deal - thy don't dictate it, and whilst they are family, they also shouldn't take advantage of family and abuse the goodwill, of which there is little left after Uncle has already started lying and abusing trust.
Tricky-Jellyfish-341 said:
NTA. You definitely need to state in the contract that any construction without written permission is grounds for immediate eviction and dissolution of the contract. Document the current state of the house inside and out. And stick to your guns about the price. He has 3 years to save the 20k.
SnowcatTish said:
NTA. Why didn't you evict your uncle for doing construction without permits? Your uncle is putting YOUR livelihood at risk by doing construction on a home without pulling permits on a house that you own! Evict him. Go no contact with Grandma & uncle they sound like a couple of AH.
ButItSaysOnline said:
NTA. Kick him out now. Don’t renew.
mphflame said:
NTA. He started construction without approval and if he didn't have proper permits, it will need removed. This alone is possible cause for eviction if you wanted to.
About two months later OP came back with this update:
Hello everyone. First off, I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who commented and supported me through this ordeal. I genuinely appreciated all the advice and the emotional validation that came my way. I tried my best to read as many comments as I could, and the consensus was clear: I am *not* the a^%$ole!
Following the advice I received here, I made the decision not to extend the contract or lower the price. After reading the responses, I sent my uncle a message responding to his request to lower the price, saying, “I will take this as you declining the extension and will expect the in the next two months.”
Since then, it appears I may have been officially cut off from my grandma and uncle. We happened to show up at the same restaurant last week, and there was absolutely no acknowledgment from them.
Additionally, a close family member passed away recently, and no one from my family reached out to me about it—except for my mother. Despite the family strain, as of this morning, I officially received the funds for the house in full. That has been the biggest relief after all the stress of this past year. Again, thank you all for the advice, support, and truth checks I needed.
Here's what people had to say after the update:
I wouldn’t shed any tears over being cut off by grandmother and uncle. They sound like a pair of grifters. Very unethical to try to scam a 23yo. You’re better off without them.
Grifters indeed! And I bet there's a valid reason why Grandpa did not leave the house directly to Uncle. I am glad OP did not cave of the pressure of "but we're family". Good riddance!
Most people get loving relationships with close relatives for free, but for OP the price tag was $27,000. Not a good deal.