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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Bank of Mum and Dad and disrespect - request they finance their own.

258 replies

Mumofadultkid · 04/06/2025 00:45

Please bear with me there is a lot to this, and please be gentle with your comments - this has put me into a tailspin and I am crying every day.

We have helped our DD and her partner into a house, by releasing equity from our home and getting a revolving mortgage on their behalf. It was a significant amount and has put us years back in clearing our own mortgage. (We are fast approaching retirement!) They agreed to pay a certain amount each month to clear it, but they have defaulted on this 3 times already. The house is a movable house (not a caravan but movable) and is on our land. They use our services but only pay a small amount towards utilities such as electricity.

In the past, we have bought her two cars, one we agreed to pay for and the other we got the loan in our name for her to pay us back as she couldn't secure a loan at the time and I said its cheaper this way than paying all that interest. The second car loan, she paid a couple of payments, barely anything - then she started again with the attacks and said "it's all about the money with you", as a result of that - we said it's not about the money - keep the car! (On reflection, I now know this was the wrong thing to do)

She is always combative and looks for anything to have a go at us with, it really is anything - a post I may have put up, she interprets it as an attack on her, if I say something (even nothing to do with her) she interprets as an attack on her. If we don't respond in a way that she wants - "we were not excited enough", or we don't support her, or we are abusive, toxic narcissists. I noticed this as a young teen, where she claimed to her friends that a teacher had looked her up and down, funnily judging her outfit - she didn't! There was no looking up and down. The teacher said hi, Where are the others and that was it! Its been going on for years.

She can't maintain friendships, and has actually been quite nasty to some of them - pointing out "their toxic traits" - she has had three jobs never longer than a year, all of which have ended because she feels she is better than everyone, everyone is stupid and doesn't know what they are doing, and she is quite rightly (in her mind) pointing out everything that is wrong with the organisation to her managers!

She recently left her job to start her own business which is not going very well!

Her partner had a great job, but due to her "interference", he has had to move teams. She went in with him to "talk to his managers" because of "bullying behaviour from the team". It wasn't. The team he worked with was warning him because in a short space of time, he had moved in with her, and is now fully supporting her financially. He has sold his car to fund her business, he has reduced his hours to be with her (resulting in a significant drop in salary) and no longer sees his friends - she actually said to his managers face, "It's bad management".!!!!

She came away quite smug, that "she told them what's what".

Her partner was so lovely, and still is - when he came on the scene, he really calmed her down, and we thought finally someone to help her see things a little bit more clearly and a different perspective. We had such a lovely time with him, but that soon changed! He even approached me to ask how to deal with her, and he said she's feisty!

We met his family, and his family sent a message to him telling him what lovely people my husband and I are as we were driving home - and I remember then grabbing the steering wheel tightly in panic (I was driving home) and thinking she is not going to like that! (DD)

Now, he has been turned against us and is sending us horrible messages as a result of a non-event again. Its clear that she is nudging him to say these things and I suspect she is using his account to get to us ( I had to mute/block her because of the vitriol she kept sending). He called my husband names and is accusing us of lying! (This was the discussion over payment of the mortgage - he said we are lying because they can pay what they want when they want, we advised them this is true, but that is not the agreement we had; they need to make regular payments as agreed.)

It feels like she is nice to get what she wants, but as soon as she gets it she looks for and creates drama to cut us out of her life. I admit that in the past, in panic, I have bowed down.

But this time, she attacked me in my workplace, sending emails to my boss and trying to make me look incompetent. Luckily for me, my boss just ignored them, but said that she (DD) was definitely trying to ruin my reputation.

We live in a very small town, she tells lies constantly, and I am lost. I don't know what to do. It feels like she twists everything to drive a narrative that she is the victim and we are the nasties. Its so heartbreaking.

We had a message that she no longer wishes to have a relationship with us, due to our toxic behaviour and emotional abuse - she ended it with " I wish you both well". Yet she is still living on our land, with a debt in our name and using our facilities.

We don't want to cut her off, we don't want to appear to be petty or reactive.

I want to tell them to get their own loan, to clear our loan and then get it moved off. But I don't think they can now.

I have blocked her socials and her emails to stop the onslaught - is that petty? Am I just as bad as her for behaving like this?

And I'm afraid this feeds into her narrative about us. I want a relationship with her, but this pattern is so draining and exhausting. We are constantly walking on eggshells around her - if we explain this to her, she then uses that against us and turns the narrative to say she is the one walking on eggshells. It feels like she is AI, she's learning all these things from us to then accuse us of what she is doing - if that makes sense?

I don't know what to do.

Am I right to block all contact and request they get their own finance and move their house - or will this just inflame the situation and prevent any way back.

OP posts:
EdithBond · 04/06/2025 19:09

This sounds dreadful.

It may help to separate out your financial situation from your relationship with your DD.

Suggest you seek financial and legal advice about clearing your debts (mortgage, car loan etc). It depends how much money you have, and how much you can take emotionally, whether you write off her debt to you or pursue her for it. Plus, the chances of success of pursuing her for it. If she argues she doesn’t have the money to pay, it may be difficult to enforce a claim.

Whatever you decide, the important thing is getting your own finances in order, especially if you’re heading for retirement. And that may mean financially planning on the presumption you may not get the money back from her. Doesn’t mean you don’t pursue her, but you’re not relying on her paying.

As for her continuing to live on your land, using your utilities, again it depends on how much this affects you and how difficult it’d be to remove her. You could leave her there, though obvs don’t lend her any more money. Or you could ask her to leave and evict her if she doesn’t. But that could be v distressing for you all and may make it more difficult to rebuild a relationship.

As a PP has suggested, a solution to many of your dilemmas could be to sell up and move elsewhere for your retirement, either mortgage-free or with a mortgage you can manage. You could use some of the proceeds to clear loans. She’ll then have to leave as it’ll no longer be your land.

Emotionally, it’s about setting firm boundaries. Make it clear her behaviour to you (e.g. contacting your employer, nasty messages, failing to honour agreements to repay money) is unacceptable. You’ll always be there for her, emotionally. But if she crosses boundaries, you’ll have to distance yourself. It sounds like she’s unclear about the boundaries of social norms and respectful behaviour, e.g. contacting other people’s employers, interfering in others’ lives or not being able to see things from other people’s pov. Hopefully, she can learn this as she matures and you can help show her this.

Her behaviour to her partner, and the decisions he makes in response, are IMHO absolutely none of your business, unless it directly affects you or you witness abuse in your presence, in which case you should call it out and remove yourself. It’d be difficult to teach her she should keep out of others’ lives (e.g. her partner’s employer) if you judge or interfere in hers.

yourefreetodowhatyouwanttodo · 04/06/2025 20:47

She has serious mental health problems

possibly bipolar and cannot function or manage anything

You most likely need to sell the home, get your money back, as that is going down a rabbit hole and you’re enabling her behaviojr

She needs help. Professional help
Perhaps and assessment for BPD and medication

Billybagpuss · 05/06/2025 06:26

Whose name is the mobile home in? If it’s your loan it should be in yours.

BlueMum16 · 05/06/2025 06:38

Who legally owns the accommodation? If it's you you need to sell it and cut your losses.

If it's in their name I really hope you have something legally in place so your money is protected and for them to pay you. From what's happened previously I doubt you have this.

BusyMum47 · 05/06/2025 06:51

@Mumofadultkid

You're in a coercive, controlling relationship with your own daughter- which you've enabled!

Take some legal advice ASAP. Get them off your property & untangle loans etc & try to recoup some of your money. Then, cut them off. And don't back down or give in to emotional blackmail - because that will definitely come!!

She will never change, sadly.

Toootss · 05/06/2025 06:57

‘Helping’ family isn’t always the best thing.
My DB was a pain always asking for help, always money issues he blamed on others, this was partly due to DM and we spent hours,days ,weeks of our lives fretting over his problems.
Once DM passed away we somehow stepped away fromn all the complaining and fuss, established a much better friendlier relationship of equals.
So sad it didn’t happen earlier.
you could be doing Dd a favour stepping back.

ThePoshUns · 05/06/2025 07:19

It’s a shame the OP hasn’t returned as there is some really good advice in here.

Blondeshavemorefun · 05/06/2025 07:26

So you brought her a car and then a loan on another car which she didn’t pay

why on Earth did you do the same agaib bit on a bigger scale for a house /home - which in turn means you are not mortgage free now and have added expense

she is not going to change

she didn’t care that you are paying both your and her home /house

I would give her an intimation. Start paying the loan or you will sell the property and move it off your land

I know it’s hard as she’s your dd and blood but she is taking the piss at literally your expense

Mumofadultkid · 05/06/2025 23:13

Its in mine and my husbands name.

OP posts:
bigbreakfastclub · 05/06/2025 23:16

Does she know this

Mumofadultkid · 05/06/2025 23:18

Thank you all for your words, I think deep down I do know everything you have said, but it's having the confidence to follow through. We are going to ask them to clear the loan (they can get their own finance) and give them time to move it off the land.

I suppose in some way I am hoping they will come to their senses, I don't want to lose DD, but I don't want this stress either - I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Your comments have given me ( and hub) the confidence that we are not being unreasonable, or petty or reactive - but it's the right thing to do.

Even my hub was reading them all and nodding - so thank you all for that. I don't feel as alone in this situation anymore.

OP posts:
bigbreakfastclub · 05/06/2025 23:21

I’m so sorry your both in this position I hope you have the strength to follow through for your own physical and mental health ❤️

Blondeshavemorefun · 06/06/2025 00:38

Mumofadultkid · 05/06/2025 23:18

Thank you all for your words, I think deep down I do know everything you have said, but it's having the confidence to follow through. We are going to ask them to clear the loan (they can get their own finance) and give them time to move it off the land.

I suppose in some way I am hoping they will come to their senses, I don't want to lose DD, but I don't want this stress either - I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Your comments have given me ( and hub) the confidence that we are not being unreasonable, or petty or reactive - but it's the right thing to do.

Even my hub was reading them all and nodding - so thank you all for that. I don't feel as alone in this situation anymore.

It’s always harder when someone you love

Equally if she loves you and dh they would be moving heaven and earth to pay you

Billybagpuss · 06/06/2025 06:19

Oh op this is so hard.

I think unfortunately the damage is done. The generosity you have shown her at your own expense is limiting your own ability to plan for your retirement.

You are going to need to make contact to inform them that as they have broken the terms of the agreement to pay regular loan repayments and maintenance you are not in a position to be able to service the mortgage in light of your upcoming retirement and will therefore need to make alternative arrangements with the property.

Give them options if you want to, ie they recommence payments on a regular monthly basis of £x amount and make up the arrears of £y amount by a certain date, or they vacate the property.

maybe end the contact with something along the lines of ‘we are sorry you feel you no longer wish to have any contact with us, as our daughter we are always here for you and we love you dearly and we will always be happy to spend time with you. Unfortunately we are sorry but we are no longer in a position to be able to help financially with your home’

Mumofadultkid · 06/06/2025 06:41

Yes she does, but I think she thinks we will just hand it over like the car.

OP posts:
abracadabra1980 · 06/06/2025 06:58

This is a heartbreaking thread to read but I do think you and your DH have been way too soft with her. She's needed boundaries for a long time. After the car incidents there is no way I would have funded a home for her (and yes I've done this for both of my children but had they ever been disrespectful that where the deal would have ended).
You say you want a relationship with DD but you don't have one now, and seemingly haven't had one for years, so you have nothing to lose by chucking them off your land. Her treatment of you is absolutely appalling.

Cleaningtroubles2 · 06/06/2025 06:58

Mumofadultkid · 06/06/2025 06:41

Yes she does, but I think she thinks we will just hand it over like the car.

She is banking on you giving in. As you have done before. She is rinsing you for every penny you have.
Next it willl be a wedding, childcare. subsidising her income. She will be a god awful mother and will off load on you constantly, whilst weaponising the fact she can take your grandchildren away from you at any moment.

Honestly op I don’t envy you.
I would be moving house, putting some distance between you.

A distant, civil relationship would serve you better. Protect you and your dh. I wouldn’t want to get old anywhere near her.

Cleaningtroubles2 · 06/06/2025 07:14

I know how much you love her, but this has prevented you from insisting on respect, boundaries and any effort on her part. She is calling all of the shots. With your money!

If she is so willing to cut you off anyway on a whim, what do you have to lose? You sound like lovely lovely parents that have given your all, it’s sad to read how she/they have taken advantage of your good nature.

You can make some changes gently and kindly op.

’We love you dd, but we can not afford to continue funding the loans, we will need to do x,y and z as a result’

‘We care for you and your future, and we have done all we can to support you, the loan now needs to be repaid in full’

You don’t need to go in all guns blazing. You can tell her gently, but stay firm, this is what is happening, and this time follow through.

Your dd is never ever going to permanently cut you off, she just uses it to frighten you. So ignore it, do the best thing for everyone here and start putting down some red lines.

zaxxon · 06/06/2025 07:54

Best of luck OP. You and your DH shouldn't be hard on yourselves. It's an impossible situation and my heart goes out to you.

diddl · 06/06/2025 08:41

I don't want to lose DD,

It sounds to me as if you already have.

She takes, takes takes in in return-what?

She badmouths you & tells you that she doesn't want a relationship.

Whilst living on your land in a dwelling you own that it hooked up to your utilities?

There's no respect there for you!

If they won't take over the loan-what then?

Livingthedream1978 · 06/06/2025 08:41

The responses must have been really hard for your and your husband to read @Mumofadultkid but I do agree with them.

She is at best totally manipulating and taking advantage of your good nature and the fact you are scared to upset her and at worst actually abusing you.

This situation isn’t going to change no matter how much you want it to as she seems completely convinced she is doing nothing wrong. You do need to set some very strict boundaries about the money and if she doesn’t start to pay then evicting her and selling it is the only option.

Time to get strict and take back some control. She doesn’t want the relationship with you that you desire and has made that perfectly clear on many occasions. What do you actually get out of the relationship apart from worry, stress and upset? Sometimes it’s better to step away no matter how hard that seems. Sending love as it is a really really tough thing to do but I think if you do you may actually feel some relief.

Hankunamatata · 06/06/2025 08:49

Tbh I'd send them a solicitors letter with a warning to stop with the harassment of your job and clear terms to the house - the payments must be made on x date each moth, first missed payment then the property will be sold.

Make that your starting point

Mumofadultkid · 06/06/2025 09:11

I haven’t thought about what we get out of the relationship, we are constantly walking on eggshells and must admit since she’s gone quiet things seems really peaceful and so calm - this is a huge mike drop moment for us.

OP posts:
AutumnLover1989 · 06/06/2025 09:13

Mumofadultkid · 06/06/2025 09:11

I haven’t thought about what we get out of the relationship, we are constantly walking on eggshells and must admit since she’s gone quiet things seems really peaceful and so calm - this is a huge mike drop moment for us.

Wishing you lots of strength. You need to live your life now free from stress.

Livingthedream1978 · 06/06/2025 09:21

Mumofadultkid · 06/06/2025 09:11

I haven’t thought about what we get out of the relationship, we are constantly walking on eggshells and must admit since she’s gone quiet things seems really peaceful and so calm - this is a huge mike drop moment for us.

It’s probably because you are so focused on keeping her happy that you have forgotten to think about what you need.

Im glad you are getting some peace for now.