'MIL trying to sue me after finding out I'm divorcing her son.'
"MIL trying to sue me after finding out im divorcing her son."
NoFloor2646
Hey Reddit, I’m in a bit of a wild situation and need some advice this is a throwaway account for privacy reasons. So, I (32F) recently separated from my husband, but before that, I had been living with him and my MIL (let’s call her Diane) in her house for about two years. She said we could stay there for free to “save money” (lol, sure).
Anyway, things were okay at first, but then MIL started making weird comments. Every time I used her laundry machine or even made food in the kitchen, she’d say stuff like, “Wow, must be nice living here for free and using all my stuff.”
Like, what?! She said we didn’t have to pay for anything! I did my laundry like, twice a week, max. But she acted like I was running a laundromat out of her house.
The issue started a few months ago, when the marriage started going south. Every time I used the laundry machine, or even opened the fridge, she’d make snide comments like, “It must be nice to live here for free and use all my things.”
Fast forward to after the separation, I moved out and found my own place. She was super angry and upset that i filed for divorce. Now, Diane is saying that I owe her for “rent” and utilities for the entire time I lived there.
She’s also claiming I “abused” her laundry machine by using it so much (mind you, it was 2-3 times a week for my clothes and towels), and she’s even talking about suing me to get back-payments for using the house and the appliances. There was never any written or verbal agreement that I’d have to pay for anything, and now she’s pulling this out of nowhere.
She’s threatening to take me to small claims court, saying I owe her thousands of dollars for two years of rent, laundry usage, and utilities. I don’t even know where to start. Can she even do that if there was never a contract?
She's saying she will sue me for distress should I be worried? I feel like this is just her way of punishing me for leaving Jake, but I don’t want this to escalate into something serious. Has anyone dealt with something like this before? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Here were the top rated comments from readers in response to the OP's post:
theworldisonfire8377
No court will take her seriously without a written agreement or contract.
Evening_Tax1010
Also, even without a written agreement, if she tried to claim she was owed rent, the fact that she did not attempt to evict OP at any point for YEARS would support the fact that there was no expectation of rent.
everellie
Inform your divorce attorney that your ex is harassing you through his mother.
Hot_Aside_4637
Lot's of people threaten to sue and don't follow through. If she files, show up so she doesn't get a default judgement. Even better, submit it to "The People's Court" or "Judge Judy" then post here so we all can enjoy. NTA.
LightPhotographer
"Dear Diana, you don't need to go to the Small Claims court! Just send me a copy of the rental agreement so I can calculate how much rent we agreed upon and don't forget the page where the laundry machine was mentioned. Forever yours, OP.
UsualConcept6870
So she asked you to move in, then actively sabotaged your relationship (don’t tell me that the comments and I guess your ex’s lack of backbone were not a factor in the relationship going south) and now that she finally got rid of you, she is upset and wants to sue? Hilarious.
You do what you need and don’t worry about her. If she ever follows through, she has no chance of winning and you’ll just get a lawyer and counter sue for emotional abuse and whatever they can come up with. In a few years it will be just a funny story about crazy exMIL.
mustang19671967
She is bluffing , there is no contract and a judge would know living there with husband.
Just ignore her and block her on everything.
DemureDamsel122
Do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT communicate with either of these people in any way except through a lawyer. NTA for not paying her.
Common_sense_always
You'd be surprised how often this happens - she thinks she can slow you down and avoid the divorce. Move on - carry on. No law or person can force you to stay married to someone - not even their mother.
FitOrFat-1999
I hope she's texting or leaving you voice mails with these looney tunes threats. She would look like a fool in small claims court but she sounds like a fool anyway, since with no contract she has no case. You can either ignore her and collect the evidence of her idiocy, or consult with a lawyer to see if there's a way to get her to back off. Do you think your STBX is behind this?
TowerAirGirl
A lawyer once told me "You don't have a problem until you have a problem". In other words until she actually files something and until you are actually served You Don't Have a Problem. Some people just like to threaten others in order to get their way. Forget her and move on.
hisimpendingbaldness
If she sues, YOU HAVE TO APPEAR. It will get laughed out, but you have to appear. A default judgment against you is difficult and expensive to reverse. Just tell her to serve the papers to your divorce lawyer and shut up about it.