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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ignore ex’s messages and requests for paying off debt.

90 replies

Gonewiththemadness · 08/01/2020 12:50

I’ll try not to make this too long but I’m not sure that I’m doing the right thing although actually even though this isn’t usually the route I’d take it feels like the right thing.
We had pets (which I have as they were more mine than ex’s) and one of them had a vet bill from an emergency vet cost shortly before we broke up which was in ex’s name.
I said I’d pay when I had the money to do so and then we broke up and to be honest I’d forgotten about it until ex text me around 2 months ago about it. I paid a quarter of it to the company and was planning to do installments but have now decided against paying anymore.
My reason being that in the 4 years together I paid for almost everything including ex’s DC’s birthdays, Christmases, clothes and uniforms ect which is fine as I wanted to but I also paid all the rent, all the food and bills and despite continuously asking ex to contribute even just £30-£50 a week it rarely materialised and I wasn’t happy with that which I’d made clear at the time.
We were also engaged to be married and I lost allot of money on that. £1,400 to be exact. It wasn’t right that we got married as it wasn’t a healthy or loving relationship and although it was me who felt stronger about that ex also agreed it was a good idea not to marry at the time. Was supposed to cancel the venue ect and had apparently tried only to leave me with the full costs after lying in regard to contacting them ect.
We also booked a holiday shortly before breaking up which ex said I should put in my name (of course) which obviously I cancelled after the break up and then was left with another £400 debt for this in my name. I decided not to contact ex about it to save the hassle and just take it on as I’d rather have my peace and happiness than £200 fro ex for holiday debt.
The vet bill was £240. I paid £60 2 months ago and then haven’t paid again since. I got a message yesterday asking about it and asking about mine and my DC’s Christmas. Another message a couple of hours later asking me if I got the message and could I reply. My brother called today to say ex had text him to and asked if I’d changed my number and ask me to text.
When it came to arranging about seeing DC ect after the breakup and actually even before I would wait days, sometimes a week or so for a response but Ex expects an immediate response.
Ex was emotionally abusive which I’d not really realised so much at the time although I knew things weren’t right but I’ve since had counselling and I feel so much better being separated with no contact.
My question of am I being unreasonable though is basically should I be paying the vet bill debt?

Please can you vote...
YABU to say that I should respond and pay the debt
Or...
YANBU to say that I should just leave the other £180 unpaid by myself and not respond to the messages.

OP posts:
WendyMoiraAngelaDarling · 08/01/2020 13:32

I wouldn't give him a penny.

WendyMoiraAngelaDarling · 08/01/2020 13:34

If you don't pay the vet, next time you have an emergency they wont help and your pet could die!

You do know there is more than one vet don't you?

Thehop · 08/01/2020 13:34

Ignore him or ask if he wants to pay the many hundreds he owes you?

NicEv · 08/01/2020 13:35

If you said you would pay it then pay it. You shouldn’t have said you would pay it if you didn’t intend to.

cstaff · 08/01/2020 13:36

Not a penny would I give that miserable fuckwith.

fitzi4life · 08/01/2020 13:40

If they are your pets then yes you should pay, if you decided to pay his part of the holiday thats your choice, you didnt ask him for the money you cant now blame him for that.
But, saying all of that I wouldnt pay it lol

SandyY2K · 08/01/2020 13:43

You said you'd pay it, so honour your word.

The fact that you allowed him to live rent free and you paid for his child's presents and clothes is a separate issue. You chose to do it, when it should have been a red flag that he wasn't paying for his child's uniform.
You can't raise this as justification unless it was a loan.

The most valid point IMO is the holiday costs that you were lumbered with, but depending on how long ago you broke up... I might not bother raising it now.

He was clearly less than adequate as a dad and a partner...so you're well rid of him.

Dacquoise · 08/01/2020 13:44

Tricky one. You agreed to pay it but have been left out of pocket for other debts which you haven't tackled with him.

The vets bill is effectively his debt as it's in his name and any debt collection agency the vets use will pursue him not you. If he keeps contacting you about it can you not reply with your argument about the other debts? If you don't respond he may keep pestering.

There isn't really a lot he can do to get you to pay in the same way you would have difficulty recouping your money. My other thought is would he try to retrieve the pet in question as it was jointly 'owned' if he wanted to get aggressive about it?

Wheresthebiffer2 · 08/01/2020 13:44

the Vet treated your Pet. they deserve payment for that. So pay it. (if you have squabbles with your ex over who owes what, that is a separate issue, but nothing to do with the vet).

do the right thing - pay the vet bill.

Thethiniceofanewday · 08/01/2020 13:46

If you still have the pets then IMO the bill is your responsibility

NameChangeNugget · 08/01/2020 13:46

Why aren’t you paying it, if you agreed?

Thethiniceofanewday · 08/01/2020 13:47

(This assumes the vet still needs paying. If ex has paid it and wants you to repay them that’s different)

user1493413286 · 08/01/2020 13:50

I didn’t really agree with you until I got to the holiday part; it was your choice to pay the other things but the holiday thing he owed you money for so really you’re square

ThunderboltandLightning · 08/01/2020 13:51

'Given all the other debts you left me with, you can pay the bill yourself'. Block. And tell your brother to block him too, and to stop sending you flying monkeys.

nomdunchien · 08/01/2020 13:52

YABU.

Sorry you’ve had a shit time with him, sounds like you’re well rid. But, 1) you agreed to pay it 2) your pet, you pay 3) poor vet doesn’t deserve shafted because some couple has split and it doesn’t sound much like your ex would pay him!

thirstyformore · 08/01/2020 13:53

Interesting that everyone has assumed it's a woman writing this. Not that the response would be any different, but I read this as though a man had written it.

With regards to the aibu, I would text back and say given that half of the lost holiday cost is more than the vet bill then the two cancel each other out.

Dandelion1993 · 08/01/2020 13:55

If its just his name and stuff on the bill then ignore him.

Motherofajuggernaut · 08/01/2020 13:56

You have the pet, you pay the bills. The rest is irrelevant. if you feel he still owes you money for something else then ask him about it

f00k · 08/01/2020 14:01

As Judge Judy would say, you had an agreement to pay the vet bill and you allowed him to live their rent free and making no contributions. It's only a problem now that you broke up. You should have kicked him out when you realised he was a cocklodger. I would pay because that's what the agreement was.

maisydaisy20 · 08/01/2020 14:03

Pay the vet. Never speak to the ex again. Move on with your life.

bibliomania · 08/01/2020 14:05

I read it as a male author too, thirsty.

Blueopal15 · 08/01/2020 14:07

It sucks - but it’s your pet , so it should be your bill . Deal with the Vet direct .

Then just block this ex and move on .

SoupDragon · 08/01/2020 14:07

They're your pets and you agreed to pay the bill. I'd pay it. Also, it will shut him up.

That said, I would then send him a bill for the holiday and other debts he owes you.

Frenchw1fe · 08/01/2020 14:11

All you people saying pay the vet I'm sure he / she will have been paid. Most vet's don't let you leave without paying.
It's more than 2 months ago.

SoupDragon · 08/01/2020 14:11

I read this as though a man had written it.

Reading it again, I think you're right. It is very, very carefully written to make it gender neutral but the OP seems to haveto arrange to see the DC which would usually (not always though!) be the case for the man.