I’m a young guy and I recently did some work for my parents over the summer. The whole summer, 10 hour days sometimes even 14. The payment promised was a truck that needs a new engine but it would be mine. Since it was family work I didn’t think twice no papers or anything I just got to work. Summertime ends and I’m trying to get money together to fix this truck when all of a sudden my dad starts acting as if he never said that he would give me the truck. Now almost a full year later I still have not received a vehicle, payment, or the money that was supposed to buy the new engine for the truck that was mine aswell. I bring it up to my mom today saying that the truck is supposed to be mine. Now here’s what I think is fucking crazy. She’s telling me to drop it and that “it happened” and that “idk why ur still bringing that shit up” even though that summer I was supposed to work somewhere else to buy a vehicle now I’m looking for a new job and I don’t have a vehicle to drive there and back. Ofc I’m mad, ofc I’m going to bring it up, AITA?
So that whole summer you could’ve been working somewhere else and actually getting paid for it? NTA you were robbed. Do your parents have a history of not following through on promises?
NTA. Maybe they wanted some free labor and could get away with the promise because they’re your parents.
I’d bring it up every hour of every day, until they were so sick of my bitching that they finally paid me or gave me the vehicle. If they get tired enough of hearing about it, maybe they’ll honor their agreement. If not, go no contact and be done with them!
I don’t know nuthin, but is it possible to put a lien on the house?
NTA as a parent with a kid who is probably your age, I can’t understand why they would make that agreement and then walk it back and make you feel like a prick for bringing it up. If I did this to my son, I would expect him to sit me down and explain to me the situation and then ask me what changed. Put me in a position to explain myself and make me accountable for my promise.
I dont think a broken down vehicle is worth destroying the trust my child and I have, and also ruining our relationship. Heck, I would do everything I could to help fix the truck with my son (which, ironically enough, I am actually in the process of doing).
NTA
It sounds like you have been swindled by your own parents. Unless you have texts or something that can serve as proof, that you could take to court, you just have to move forward from where you are now.
I’d say you want to sit down with your parents and say to them:
“*We had a deal that I would work last summer in exchange for that truck and money for an engine. I worked willingly and enthusiastically every day. It never occurred to me that my own parents’ word cannot be trusted. You have broken my trust; I hope that truck and that money was worth it to you.*
*I’ll mention the truck whenever I want because it is something you both are actively choosing to not make right. And when I don’t mention it, understand that doesn’t mean I have forgotten or forgiven you.*”
Then, honestly, mention it when it makes sense to you, but don’t expend your own energy working to keep an anger in your heart or this hurt on your mind. It’s there, but you don’t have to feed it fuel. That just eats away at you. Instead, focus on how you can get a job and the means to travel to/from there.
It’s not clear to me if you live with your parents or not. If not, then you can be done helping them. If you do live with them, that is a more difficult line to balance. But just keep working toward more independence.
NTA
NTA for bringing it up but you now know that you cannot trust your family so start working on another plan and refuse to do anything for them moving forward without written document and payment up front.