To think DH shouldn't pay his ex?

[BruthasTortoise]

DSSs live with us, DSS1 stays with his mum 2 nights a week and goes to school from her house. Today DSSs mum sent a huge ranting text about how she was sick of DH not providing for DSS and how she would no longer be giving him dinner money on the days she has him. This came as news to us as DSS gets his 5 days dinner money at the start of the week. Turns out he had been telling his Mum he had no money then pocketing the £10 she was giving him and using it to buy sweets and crap after school. Their mum is now demanding that DH refund her £100 or so she has paid out this year.
Now DH is going to have a stern word with DSS, come up with a suitable punishment and has told their mum to sell some of his belongings at her house to pay back the money but doesn't think he (DH that is) should have to pay the money. Their mum is now saying she won't have money to get them anything for Christmas if DH doesn't pay. AIBU to think its not DH's responsibility to pay this money back?

[BruthasTortoise]

And no I didn't hear the call, DH showed me the text message.

[BruthasTortoise]

She didn't lose custody of her children - she left DH and the boys for an OM years ago. And has subsequently had another child. She has never indicated any desire to have the boys living with her and doesn't have DSS2 to stay at all. Not that DH was an angel during their relationship and he would admit it - leaving her to look after a small child while he worked 70+ hours a week was not good and he would admit to largely ignoring the warning signs that she felt neglected.

[springythatlldofornow]

For starters, it's not unknown for some people to have 'only' £100 to spend on christmas. If they're lucky.

Yes she has BU to 'demand' it from DH (if she did - did you hear the call?). But, reading between the lines, she has lost custody of her children by the sound of it. Maybe there's history. Doesnt excuse everything but understandable if she hates him.

[ChazsBrilliantAttitude]

Let me get this straight. She has been misled by her own 14 year old son and yet for some reason it is his father's fault.
YANBU

[olibeansmummy]

This happened to us in reverse. SS lives with his mum but claimed he needed dinner money for Monday as he spent the weekends with us. It turned out he'd been lying and was on free school meals! This had been going on for 6 months, so quite a lot of money but it never would have occurred to us to ask SS's mum to pay it back ( and we're not even on good terms with her), she's just trying her luck!

[niceguy2]

OK, so DSS gets a reasonable amount of allowance per month so it's not like he's had to resort to lying to get by then.

Yep, 1000% your DH should tell her to sod off. Definitely don't be tempted to give in because aside from the fact she's chancing it by being economical with the truth. It's also what I call the thin end of the wedge. If he buckles now, I'd expect her to try similar in the future.

[LuciusMalfoyisSmokingHot]

Your DH needs to just give her a big fat no, her cheek alone for saying your DH doesnt provide would be enough for me to get my back up.

[BruthasTortoise]

Oh and to answer questions re. allowance - he gets £60 a month paid into his account. From that he pays half his phone bill (£6) each month and half his youth club fees (£3) a week. The rest is his to spend as he wishes but he has a tendency to blow it all in the first week or two and leave himself short for the rest of the month. We have been considering changing it to weekly but DH and I are both of the opinion that in this day and age managing money on a monthly basis is an invaluable life skill.

[NigellasDealer]

well it really has nothing to do with your husband does it?
honestly, tell her to do one, politely of course, she cannot even look after her own children.

[BruthasTortoise]

Posted too soon! DSS is now saying that he didn't ask for the money everytime, sometimes she just gave it to him. To be honest I think she has left herself short for Chritsmas and is chancing her harm a bit and while I have sympathy for that it's not like Christmas isn't predictable and I'm sure her other child will have presents etc.

[BruthasTortoise]

Thanks everyone - I had a feeling that we weren't being unreasonable but it's sometimes hard to tell. DSSs Mum is today suggesting that DH give her the money in full and then he can take it from DSS pocket money however DSs

[mayorquimby]

Tell the useless fucker to bugger off.

[NigellasDealer]

she does sound a bit of a silly woman tbh., what she is suggesting does not make sense any way you look at it. Why should the dad clear up the son's financial mess that he got into by lying and cheating? What life lesson would be in that? a pretty crappy one that's what.

[WaitMonkey]

She sounds a total idiot.

[DoubleLifeIsALifeOfSorts]

Boney well it doesn't really, was just a 'what if' thought that maybe there's a reason for the mum to be desperate and asking for money... More of a caveat assuming that the h hasn't left exw in dire straits really, feel free to ignore as not the point of the thread :)

[ChippingInLovesChristmasLights]

and he's 14, old enough to be told he's had his Christmas present already - to the tune of £100 cash.

[ChippingInLovesChristmasLights]

So, let's get this straight..


Your DH (and you of course) give him his lunch money.

He lies to get more money. He spends said money on shite.

He gets caught lying to his Mum.

She thinks your DH (and you of course) should now pay her, on top of already paying for lunches on 'her' days.

The woman is an idiot. It's no wonder your DH and her don't get on.

It's a wonder she can cross the road on her own with that kind of logic

[BoneyBackJefferson]

DoubleLifeIsALifeOfSorts

"unless shes horribly poor and he's stinking rich and then although there's no reason to"

Not understanding why this should come in to it either.

[sykadelic15]

Not his responsibility. Had she called your DH and asked the first time he mentioned not having money, she wouldn't have given him so much.

Add to that, why on earth is it HIS responsibility if THEIR kid essentially steals?

[OpalTourmaline]

What is the arrangement re Christmas present buying for dss? Is the mum solely responsible for it? She has left it quite late, but maybe that's me being anal.

[IneedAsockamnesty]

Quite aside from the utterly stupid lesson paying her would teach your dss

She is responsable for his upkeep and behaviour when he is with her and that's that.

[MoominsYonisAreScary]

Stupid women, tell her not a chance!

[niceguy2]

plus, does she not see the irony about demanding Dh repay the money DSS got by lying by erm...lying that she's no money for xmas? What does that teach DSS?

[Inertia]

DSS takes responsibility for taking money from his mother under false pretences.

His mum isn't really in any position to complain about DSS not being provided for if she is supposed to pay maintenance and doesn't. However, it's worth investigating whether DSS has lied to her about anything else - it could be that DSS has asked for money from his mother for things like school trips when your DH has already paid.

[clam]

Another one here who is thinking that if he had spent this £100 on lunches (as opposed to frittering it away) she still wouldn't have had enough money for Christmas. Why's it any different just because she's realised he's been pulling a fast one?