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OK. Do you have a wife or a husband? At different times, you have had both. That doesn't add up.
You never answered my question from earlier - if your brother owes for an electric bill; and your brother moves into your dad's house; how does that mean your dad's house is going to be without electric? That doesn't add up.
Why does your family know how much money you have?
You have four threads rehashing and rehashing and rehashing this same stuff. The advice has all been the same - but then you will go start a new thread. This isn't even real, is it?
OK. Do you have a wife or a husband? At different times, you have had both. That doesn't add up.
You never answered my question from earlier - if your brother owes for an electric bill; and your brother moves into your dad's house; how does that mean your dad's house is going to be without electric? That doesn't add up.
Why does your family know how much money you have?
You have four threads rehashing and rehashing and rehashing this same stuff. The advice has all been the same - but then you will go start a new thread. This isn't even real, is it?
Maybe in the rush of writing there was some confusion about what my husband does or thinks and how I think. (I am speaking from the women in the house's perspective)
There is no plan in the works for my brother to move in with my parents.
Open discussion during family events is pretty open about financial issues
.
As people have more comments I have more too.
My brother is in financial trouble and now he needs $3500 to turn the power back on in his home.
He had not paid the bill over the longest time and got a winter hardship while they could not shut off his power due to the cold weather law. With penalties it is now $3500 to turn the power back on.
Last time he got into financial trouble he nearly lost his only family car when the bank said he has a few hours to catch up on his payments or they would tow the car away.
Growing up I never had anything to do with this brother. Now as an adult he generally does not speak to me and he lives 400 miles away so we only see each other on Christmas. I don't remember ever having a real conversation with him.
When he borrowed money from me last time he stopped paying me after a few small payments and would not acknowledge me when I asked him about his debt.
Now that he needs even more money he is smart enough to not ask me directly, he has our father to do the dirty work. My father said I owe him help because he is desperate and I am the only person who has the money in the family to save his family of five from living in the dark.
Do I really owe it to him to bail him out again because he is family and my wife and I have money?
My father is desperate to get this taken care of because they plan to move the whole family into his home, a small 1950s era rambler. With the hot weather here living in a home without power is not to pleasant to say the least.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HumanNature
Maybe in the rush of writing there was some confusion about what my husband does or thinks and how I think. (I am speaking from the women in the house's perspective)
There is no plan in the works for my brother to move in with my parents.
The rule with family is to never loan money. Give it as a gift you genuinely want to and are able to, but never expect anything back.
That said, I think we're getting trolled a bit here given the OP's posting history.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cheryjohns
OK. Do you have a wife or a husband? At different times, you have had both. That doesn't add up.
You never answered my question from earlier - if your brother owes for an electric bill; and your brother moves into your dad's house; how does that mean your dad's house is going to be without electric? That doesn't add up.
Why does your family know how much money you have?
You have four threads rehashing and rehashing and rehashing this same stuff. The advice has all been the same - but then you will go start a new thread. This isn't even real, is it?
Sure starting to wonder...
Quote:
Originally Posted by HumanNature
UPDATE!
They overnighted the bill and shut off notice to us and it is interesting reading. Somehow they had not paid the bill for months without a shut off and then when they scheduled a shut off they were able to fight it back via a number of administrative and personal appeals. Then winter came and they got a cold weather delay due to State Law. Then when Spring came and the Electric Company wanted to shut down their power again, and cold do it legally, my brother submitted some fake paperwork saying there was an old elderly person living there who had health issues and that delayed it somewhat until they needed more proof. Finally the electric company just went ahead and cut the power.
My father is desperate to get this taken care of because they plan to move the whole family into his home, a small 1950s era rambler. With the hot weather here living in a home without power is not to pleasant to say the least.
We told them we are still thinking about it.
At least try to make the story believable.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HumanNature
Maybe you are right but what if my brother is a serious gambler and this will just let him gamble more money away? (People see him playing Blackjack all the time.)
Haven't you seen all the suggestions to contact the utility company yourself and take care it, if you feel so inclined? You haven't responded once to this idea.
Lots of questions left unanswered here, but without requiring anything more than the OP information, if I had the money, yes I would bail out a family member. In fact, I have, more than once. As others have said, I considered it a gift, with the agreement of my spouse.
In my eyes there is a difference between money earned by hard work, and a windfall due to inheritance. I'm not sure why the OP inherited over other family members either. But, I would share any good fortune without hesitation, as long as it was used to house a family member. All bets are off if it went towards gambling, alcoholism or drugs.
$3500??? That is a whole lot of months he must not have paid or he's extremely wasteful.
Even if i had lots of money, I wouldn't pay an electric bill this size for someone. With normal use which means lots of lights left on, an electric dryer, television going for hours, my electric bill with kids wasting plenty is $50 a month. $3500 divided by $50 would be 70 months. That would mean years that he never paid a bill.
$3500??? That is a whole lot of months he must not have paid or he's extremely wasteful.
Even if i had lots of money, I wouldn't pay an electric bill this size for someone. With normal use which means lots of lights left on, an electric dryer, television going for hours, my electric bill with kids wasting plenty is $50 a month. $3500 divided by $50 would be 70 months. That would mean years that he never paid a bill.
Here is what happened. He lives in a large old drafty house with an average electric bill of about $200 a month. He got behind and after a few months contacted the electric company and made arrangements for the overdue amount to be paid in installments. He eventually fell behind again on the installments and then the winter time came and he was able to fight off a electricity shut down due to a law that says the Utility can not shut down power over the cold weather months. Then Spring came and he sent them a letter from a doctor that said someone old and sick was living there, but that was denied due to lack of proof. All the while a variety of fees, fines and interest charges added to the amount and he did not pay anything.
There was discussion at one time to move in with Mom and Dad but that has stopped being an option. They would kill each other!
Here is what happened. He lives in a large old drafty house with an average electric bill of about $200 a month. He got behind and after a few months contacted the electric company and made arrangements for the overdue amount to be paid in installments. He eventually fell behind again on the installments and then the winter time came and he was able to fight off a electricity shut down due to a law that says the Utility can not shut down power over the cold weather months. Then Spring came and he sent them a letter from a doctor that said someone old and sick was living there, but that was denied due to lack of proof. All the while a variety of fees, fines and interest charges added to the amount and he did not pay anything.
There was discussion at one time to move in with Mom and Dad but that has stopped being an option. They would kill each other!
All the more reason not to pay it for him. He needs to move from an old drafty house that is heated by electricity into something a lot more affordable. Constantly bailing someone out is just enabling and doesn't improve them.
He could find a small mobile home or something with a cheaper source of heat. He would be better off living where you buy propane or heating oil that is paid for before you use it.
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