AITA for throwing my sister out of my house after she billed me?
A Reddit user recounts a heated confrontation with their sister, who, after staying with them for a few months without a job or income, unexpectedly billed them for “services” rendered while living in their home. After her insistence on being compensated for tasks she had not been explicitly asked to do, the user decided to throw her out, feeling disgusted by her approach.
‘ AITA for throwing my sister out of my house after she billed me?’
My sister is a trainwreck. She needed a place to stay and I have a large enough home for an extra person. She has no job or income. I told her she has a few months to get her s**t together and leave. I give her about $100 a week to keep my house clean so she has some cash.
I gave my sister her $100 and she said I owed her more. I was confused. She said she did other “work” for me. I asked her what more did she do? She said she walks my dog in the afternoon. I walk my dog every morning and evening. But she takes him with her on her afternoon walks.
She said the going rate for a dogwalker is $25 per walk. 5 X $25 = $125 on top of the $100. Then she mentions she put together a scrapbook of personal letters and papers. According to her and Etsy, that job was easily another $75.
I told her I never gave her permission to do those things. Her argument is that those jobs fell under the umbrella of keeping the house clean and I was ripping her off.. So I threw her out. The money isn’t the issue. I have plenty of disposable income. I was disgusted how she came at me.
See what others had to share with OP:
spongebob_nopants − NTA. I would have countered with a bill for food, rent and utilities.
JustMeLurkingAround- − NTA. Do as she did. Bill her for rent according to local housing prices, her share of water, electricity, internet, groceries ect.
Tornado127 − NTA. put this in r/choosingbeggars. how she is actually begging: she got 100 bucks, remember that she is living in OP’s house, also she gets money every week and she wants 125+ more?. edit: Grammar and stuff
GiggleGoosey − NTA. My response? “You know what sister, you’re right. I do owe you for that time. So that’s $250 right? Now, for rent and utilities that’s (going to use my own figures) $750 monthly. Oh? That seems unfair? Well that’s half of my mortgage and half my utilities. You’re right, that is unfair.
That’s an additional $150 surcharge for the parking lot, HOA fees, and groceries, another $60 for internet. So what are we at now? Right, you owe me $960 and I owe you $250– why don’t I just take that out of what you owe me. So, $710 please.”
You were doing her a favour and she tried to turn it into a professional agreement. If that’s what she wants, the agreement of a employer/employee, then it comes with the stipulations that your living arrangement is now one of roommates, not sisters. Roommates pay rent, sisters get favours.
[Reddit User] − NTA. Your sister is basically getting payed for living at your house, which I understand since shes family, but asking for more money because she did stuff that you didnt ask her to do is fucked. Maybe you shouldnt have thrown her out but talk to her and stop giving her money. If she lives there, its normal she does chores.
ShiggnessKhan − NTA bill her for dog rental and craft therapy.
dan420 − Give her the extra $125 a week and tell her she owes you $250 a week for rent.
Korlat_Eleint − NTA. She was trying to take you for a ride and it backfired on her. Good riddance.
karmagrl31276 − If these “jobs” fall under the umbrella of house cleaning and you offered her $100 a week to clean house, then logically speaking, you paid her in full. The agreement was $100 a week to clean house, not $100 plus a bonus for extra work you didn’t even ask for. NTA.
NotAFlamingo − INFO: How long was she staying with you in the first place? Was she otherwise a good roommate? Was she actively looking for a job? Was this your first warning for her, or had you warned her otherwise? Your sister is definitely an AH for coming at you, demanding that you owed her more money for jobs she willingly chose to do. No question there.
I think throwing someone out– your own sister, no less– at the first argument is an a**hole move, though. I don’t know her past, so it makes some sense if she’s on thin ice anyway due to past transgressions, but this reads like you tossed her out after one argument that could have been solved with a mature conversation.
Was the user justified in their reaction to their sister’s unexpected billing, or could they have handled the situation differently? How do you draw the line between helping family and setting boundaries? Share your opinions below!
