A man in New Jersey made a thoughtful gesture for his son by purchasing a four-bedroom house in Pennsylvania when the son decided to settle there after completing college.
The man, John, saw it as an investment and a way to maintain a close connection with his son, Mark, especially as he frequently commuted from New Jersey to Manhattan for work.
Initially, the arrangement worked well, with John covering the house’s expenses like taxes, services, and maintenance, while Mark was responsible for the rest. Life was smooth until Mark met the love of his life, Lisa, and decided to make the Pennsylvania house their shared home.
The young couple appeared to blend seamlessly into each other’s families, and everything was going swimmingly until they got engaged and the topic of their wedding came up.
The drama starts
A “get to know you” barbecue was held at the Pennsylvania house so that both families could properly meet and celebrate the engagement. The event initially seemed to be going splendidly, with everyone getting along.
However, the situation took a turn for the worse when the John’s wife, daughter, the bride-to-be’s mother and sisters, and Mark all entered the house together.
Soon after they stepped inside, the John’s wife and daughter emerged looking visibly upset and announced that they would be leaving immediately to head back to New Jersey, refusing to reveal why they were suddenly so distressed.
Rather than pressing the issue further, John decided to drive his wife and daughter back to New Jersey, as explained in his Reddit post. Once they had an opportunity to collect themselves, he learned the reason behind their hasty exit.
It turned out that while inside the house, the bride-to-be’s family had informed John’s wife and daughter that they were not “their kind of people” and, as a result, had uninvited them from the wedding.
Horrified by this revelation, John contacted Mark to discuss the matter. His son conveyed that Lisa’s family believed that his family wasn’t of the same social standing and might embarrass them at the wedding, hence the uninvitation.
After some time to cool off, John drove from New Jersey to Pennsylvania to talk with Mark in person. To his surprise and dismay, he discovered an unexpected situation upon arrival.
John’s unwelcome surprise
Upon reaching his Pennsylvania house, John was shocked to find Lisa and her family occupying the residence. It appeared they had moved in without notifying Mark or seeking his permission.
When Lisa’s family asked the man why he was there, he explained his purpose — to speak with his son about the wedding situation. In response, they insisted he leave the house, which led the man to make a significant decision. He recounted:
“I lost it and told them that they had 30 days to get out. Tell my son I’m selling the house, and he could find somewhere else to live with all of you. I go to a realtor in town and list the house for sale.”
This was done while Mark wasn’t present. In fact, Lisa decided to call Mark at work, informing him of the situation. She believed that the house belonged to him, not his father.
Upon hearing the news, Mark phoned his father, inquiring about the house sale. John explained that since his son had chosen to distance himself from the family, he was to be out of the house, given that he was living there rent-free.
John’s perspective was that in-laws had taken over and his family was no longer a priority. Subsequently, John gave the Mark, Lisa, and Lisa’s family a 30-day notice to vacate the property, warning that a lawyer would be involved if necessary.
Many people on Reddit took John’s side, saying that kicking Mark and Lisa, as well as Lisa’s rude family, out of the house was definitely the right thing to do.
