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A man has sparked debate online after revealing that his parents asked him to repay money they had previously given him as a gift toward a car purchase.
The situation was shared in a viral Reddit post by user u/Levi_Cooper9405 on Thursday. In the post, the man explained that his parents contributed $2,000 toward a used car two years ago and, according to him, made it clear at the time that the money was a gift.
The post was titled: “AITA [am I the a******] for telling my parents I’m not paying them back for a gift they gave me?”
Explaining the circumstances, the Redditor wrote: “My parents gave me $2,000 two years ago toward a used car, no strings attached at the time I asked, they said ‘don’t worry about it, it’s a gift.’ I thanked them, bought the car, moved on.”
The situation took an unexpected turn recently when the man’s younger brother, 22, needed help covering a security deposit. According to the post, the parents said they were unable to help because of financial difficulties.
A few days later, his mother raised the subject of the car money. The man said she suggested that, because he is now in a better financial position, it would be “nice” if he repaid some of the $2,000 so the money could be used to assist his brother.
“I told her that’s not how it works it was a gift, not a loan, and if they want to help my brother that’s a separate conversation between them and him,” he wrote.
The disagreement appears to have escalated. According to the Redditor, his mother became quiet after the discussion, while his father later sent him a text message, “saying I was being ‘selfish’ and ‘forgetting everything they’ve done for me,’” the post said.
The man admitted the situation left him conflicted. While he felt guilty about his parents’ financial concerns and his brother’s need for help, he also believed the original agreement was being changed after the fact.
“I feel guilty but also feel like they’re rewriting history to guilt me into paying for something I never agreed to owe,” he wrote.
He ended the post by asking other Reddit users whether he was wrong for refusing to return the money.
The family dispute quickly drew attention online. As of Tuesday, the post had received more than 1,500 upvotes and 365 comments.
One user, Lihzee, commented: “NTA [not the a******]. If they need help, they should stop being so proud and ask you for help instead of pretending that this wasn’t a gift and was actually a loan they expected to be repaid.”
Calminthedark said: “NTA [not the a******]. But, take your parents out of your thought process. Ask yourself, can I afford to help my brother? Do I want to help my brother? Would it be the right thing to do? If the answer to can I afford it is no, no need to go further. You don’t have the money to help is the answer. If you have the money, then you need to sit with the other questions for a bit and make a decision you can live with. But take your parents out of the middle and decide based on your relationship with your brother. That makes this is a favor being asked by your brother and not a guilt trip based on past help from your parents…”
MLMLW added: “NTA [not the a******]. It was a gift, which means there is no obligation for you to pay it back and they should never ask for you to pay it back. Don’t feel guilty. The deal between them and what your brother is asking of them are two different things and you shouldn’t even be involved in that.”
Newsweek reached out to u/Levi_Cooper9405 for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case.
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Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Kara Dolman and Gray R. Thomas
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