My Father Sold the House I Paid For—Now I’m Keeping My Kids Away From Him

Living in a house your father bought usually means security and stability, unlike paying the mortgage to the bank. But it looks like even family ties don’t matter when it comes to money, as you can read in the following story that one of Bright Side readers shared with us.

Living in my father’s house

My dad bought a house for me as a way to “help secure my future.” It was a great gesture from him, as I couldn’t afford the high rental fees as a college student, so I agreed, and moved in.

For eight years, I lived in a home with the understanding that once I paid it off, my father would transfer the title to me. Though the house was in his name, I covered the mortgage, property taxes, and all upkeep, including major repairs.

Shocking news

I got married and had my own children by the time I was getting close to finally paying off the mortgage and owning it. In the meantime, my Mum passed away, but after a year my Dad remarried. His new wife, Sheila, had two daughters as well, and they were all living in a small flat not far from us.

One day, my Dad announced that he changed his mind and wanted to keep my house now, as they would need a bigger place to live.

He gave me an ultimatum.

After this shocking news soon came another, only half of the mortgage had been paid so far, as he only paid half of the money I sent to him towards the mortgage, and the other half he just kept for himself. He told me unless I don’t pay off all the remaining amount from the mortgage now, I have to move out by the end of the month.

I couldn’t believe what he was saying, and how he could do this to his own daughter. I didn’t have that much money, so I tried to argue with him, but as we never had anything in writing, I couldn’t do much. We packed our stuff and moved out.

I don’t want to see him.

Luckily, my husband’s parents are very nice and supportive, so we moved in with them until we could afford to buy a place of our own.

My Dad tried to contact me and his grandchildren, but I simply didn’t want to hear about him. I don’t think I can ever forgive him for what he did, and I don’t want him around us after his betrayal. Maybe in time, my feelings might change, but our relationship will never be the same.

Lessons of the story

We felt appalled after reading this story and agreed with our reader’s decision. We certainly hope that she and her family can settle into their own home soon and start a new life.

One lesson from this story that property experts would also recommend, is that have everything in writing. It doesn’t matter if you’re renting only a room, a garage, or a whole flat, you should have a written lease, even if your landlord is your father or any other member of your family.

To prove this father’s behavior is not unique, and it’s not easy to deal with family members, read our next story, My Father-in-Law Never Paid the Bill, So I Gave Him a Taste of His Own Behavior.