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intheflow

(28,927 posts)
Wed Nov 2, 2022, 11:17 AM Nov 2022

Hi Everyone. I don't usually talk about my mental health problems here but today

is a bad day. I'm fighting with my son who is also my landlord to get over here and fix 5 or 6 little things that he's literally put off for years. I finally told him I need him to get over here and do it. He is incredibly responsive to other tenants, but when I ask he always puts it off, and today he told me I was free to move if I didn't like him as my landlord. I pay him rent. I'm not a demanding tenant. But YEARS?! He's a great landlord to everyone else and is shitty to me.

Now he's being snarky suggesting I don't care about seeing my granddaughter, but FFS, I work full-time and he was just planning to come over any have me babysit while he worked on the apartment at in the evening, without asking if I was up to watching her. I just want to be asked if I have the bandwidth to babysit instead of him assuming I'm in a mental state to do so.

We have a strained relationship due to the fact that I had him when I was 17. I was traumatized by getting pregnant, marrying my high school sweetheart (who turned into an abusive alcoholic), and moving from the 'burbs I was raised in to the projects. We moved a lot and I wasn't the best mother, but I was in no way the worst. I moved away for grad school when he was 19 but he views it as I abandoned him when he was a child. Meanwhile, when he was little, his father was murdered by my ex-SIL's husband, but he is absolutely devoted to said ex-SIL.

I also have PTSD from working Hurricane Katrina recovery for two years. And I am among all of us who have trauma around the past... six years, living under 45, the pandemic, and the ongoing existentialist dread around climate change.

I'm afraid he'll deny me seeing my grandchildren. I'm afraid he'll evict me if I don't pay rent to force him to do the work (we don't have a written lease). I have moved over 65 times in my 58 years and do not want to move again. Today is just a hard day for me.

13 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Hi Everyone. I don't usually talk about my mental health problems here but today (Original Post) intheflow Nov 2022 OP
Sending you love and energy! MLAA Nov 2022 #1
I'm so sorry that you are having a bad day. vlyons Nov 2022 #2
I am very sorry for this. Tetrachloride Nov 2022 #3
Sorry for all this crap, wish I had an answer other than to say I hope things get better Hugh_Lebowski Nov 2022 #4
Ex-SIL could be her ex-husband's sister. N/T Big Blue Marble Nov 2022 #6
I edited at the same time, finally figured it out Hugh_Lebowski Nov 2022 #7
Ex-SIL husband intheflow Nov 2022 #9
Yeah, I edited my post when I figured it out Hugh_Lebowski Nov 2022 #10
As much as you do not want hear this, Big Blue Marble Nov 2022 #5
Make Yourself Your Priority Me. Nov 2022 #8
So sorry to hear of your troubles. I hear this a lot; folks who ASSUME child care is not work! Ziggysmom Nov 2022 #11
My heart goes out to you, intheflow. JudyM Nov 2022 #12
Thank you, Everyone, for the support. intheflow Nov 2022 #13

vlyons

(10,252 posts)
2. I'm so sorry that you are having a bad day.
Wed Nov 2, 2022, 11:26 AM
Nov 2022

Ask him if you can hire a handy man to make the repairs and then deduct the expense from your rent. Maybe he would go for that. Worrying about what MIGHT happen in the future won't make anything better.

Tetrachloride

(8,447 posts)
3. I am very sorry for this.
Wed Nov 2, 2022, 11:40 AM
Nov 2022

I believe it’s time for a lawyer.

Your son will delay forever because he will need to save face unless confronted by a judge or dramatic financial loss.

Vylons suggestion seems very reasonable. but i still suggest a lawyer

 

Hugh_Lebowski

(33,643 posts)
4. Sorry for all this crap, wish I had an answer other than to say I hope things get better
Wed Nov 2, 2022, 11:44 AM
Nov 2022


I was, however, trying to figure out the scenario where one's 'Ex-SIL's Husband' is anyone but ... your brother?

I'm probably missing something, but ... who exactly is that?

Edit ... now I figured it out. Your ex-husbands sister's husband ... killed your ex-husband (and father of your son/landlord).

Nevermind.
 

Hugh_Lebowski

(33,643 posts)
7. I edited at the same time, finally figured it out
Wed Nov 2, 2022, 11:50 AM
Nov 2022

So, this was the son's aunt-by-marriage while OP was married to sons father.

I think.

intheflow

(28,927 posts)
9. Ex-SIL husband
Wed Nov 2, 2022, 11:56 AM
Nov 2022

I divorced my son's father in 1990, he was murdered two years later by his sister's husband. Not my brother, my ex's brother in law. I know it's confusing!

Big Blue Marble

(5,453 posts)
5. As much as you do not want hear this,
Wed Nov 2, 2022, 11:47 AM
Nov 2022

your best option is to move or at least pay someone to do your repairs. You are in a
power struggle with your son and he is committing elder abuse. He will only get worse
as you age. Remove your dependency on him to protect yourself.

Me.

(35,454 posts)
8. Make Yourself Your Priority
Wed Nov 2, 2022, 11:55 AM
Nov 2022

Don't worry about what others might or might not do. You need peace of mind. What can you do that will bring that change into your life? I can tell you that letting go can be very freeing.

Ziggysmom

(3,571 posts)
11. So sorry to hear of your troubles. I hear this a lot; folks who ASSUME child care is not work!
Wed Nov 2, 2022, 05:58 PM
Nov 2022

It is a lot of work! I had to put my foot down and stop watching friends and relatives kids for free whenever they felt like dropping them off. Lost a few friends in the process, but regained my sanity! Good luck to you

JudyM

(29,517 posts)
12. My heart goes out to you, intheflow.
Thu Nov 3, 2022, 12:56 AM
Nov 2022

You are justified in setting some boundaries to sustain yourself. Things change, my mother always says, and I hope your son will come to see that you do care about him and your granddaughter and that he will see you as a good person. Maybe for the sake of peace you could figure out how to get the repairs done another way, since they’re little?
Good luck, stay strong.

intheflow

(28,927 posts)
13. Thank you, Everyone, for the support.
Thu Nov 3, 2022, 07:23 AM
Nov 2022
Today is better. My son isn’t ready to talk to me, but he’s acknowledged it’s his baggage and it runs deep. He says he’ll be over today to fix stuff while I’m at work. We shall see, but if the first step to solving a problem is acknowledging it, there’s hope for us yet.
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