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I'm $20,000 dollars in debt because of my parents, is there anything I can do?

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M

Megalosaro

Banned
When I turned 18, my parents suggested I sign up for credit cards and let them use them, so they could build my credit for me while I was in college.

I've since graduated college, I'm looking to move out on my own and I only recently discovered that my credit was utter shit. I confronted my parents about it and they're like "Oh, yeah we stopped making payments on your cards." My total debt is just under 19k. Apparently every card I had is in collections. This is on top of my student loan debt of 13k.

I'm having a hard time getting an apartment and buying a car. Is there anything I can do, or am I fucked because I was the one who signed up for those cards.
 
G

GK86

Homeland Security Fail
I might be wrong, but unless you have proof, you might be fucked. What a shitty thing to do.
 
C

Chinner

Banned
conned by your own parents, horrible.

sounds like a genuine case of disconnecting yourself from the family if you ask me.
 
P

phazedplasma

Member
Nightmare scenario. Maybe you can get the debt transfered to them if they own up? I have no idea how this stuff works. That sucks reallllly bad though.
 
S

Syf

Banned
That's unbelievable. I'd talk to a lawyer or someone at the bank. Explain the situation and hope that something can be done aside from declaring bankruptcy.
 
K

kswiston

Member
Do your parents have problems with drugs or gambling or something? Did you accumulate any of that $19k in debt?

Unfortunately, you are going to be on the hook for the debt, but I would probably consider cutting ties for awhile if my family had done that to me.
 
S

Skel1ingt0n

I can't *believe* these lazy developers keep making file sizes so damn large. Btw, how does technology work?
Wow.... really?! Surely there's more to that story - there has to be. If not, I would cut off communication with your parents indefinitely; that's freaking terrible.

I don't know how successful you'd be, since you had to grant them permission to use the cards, but... you could try suing them?

Just a thought - it's pretty hard to gather $19K worth of credit lines when you're 18-22 years old and in school. It sounds like they may have had to co-sign, which would push responsibility to them. Have you looked into that?
 
M

Megalosaro

Banned
sangreal said:
You're pretty fucked, and I really don't understand how you or your parents thought this was a good idea.
Click to expand...

I thought I could trust my parents? It seemed logical at the time.

Instead, my parents like living outside their means. When I confronted them about it, they got upset and said it's not like I didn't take advantage of them, living low rent during college. That I mooched off them.
 
D

Devil Theory

Member
Well, on top of having the least responsible parents ever, I don't know of anything you could do since they're in your name, and you openly approved your parents to use them. So besides suing them, and somehow claiming that they kept using them beyond your control or knowledge, I think you may just want to seek credit counseling.
 
K

Kentpaul

When keepin it real goes wrong. Very, very wrong.
Move town and only work cash in hand jobs. I respect you for not breaking your fathers jaw, a lesser man would have done it.
 
K

Ken Masters

Banned
Megalosaro said:
When I turned 18, my parents suggested I sign up for credit cards and let them use them, so they could build my credit for me while I was in college.

I've since graduated college, I'm looking to move out on my own and I only recently discovered that my credit was utter shit. I confronted my parents about it and they're like "Oh, yeah we stopped making payments on your cards." My total debt is just under 19k. Apparently every card I had is in collections. This is on top of my student loan debt of 13k.

I'm having a hard time getting an apartment and buying a car. Is there anything I can do, or am I fucked because I was the one who signed up for those cards.
Click to expand...



uuuhhh


you're fucked for life and I'm honestly not joking unless you have a very high paying job lined up in the future
 
G

GhaleonEB

Member
Megalosaro said:
When I turned 18, my parents suggested I sign up for credit cards and let them use them, so they could build my credit for me while I was in college.

I've since graduated college, I'm looking to move out on my own and I only recently discovered that my credit was utter shit. I confronted my parents about it and they're like "Oh, yeah we stopped making payments on your cards." My total debt is just under 19k. Apparently every card I had is in collections. This is on top of my student loan debt of 13k.

I'm having a hard time getting an apartment and buying a car. Is there anything I can do, or am I fucked because I was the one who signed up for those cards.
Click to expand...

You are probably fucked, but I have to ask, if you signed up for them how in all those years were you never billed or ever heard from collections, since it was your name on the cards? Curious about the arrangements.
 
O

OpinionatedCyborg

Member
Kill parents, realize their life insurance plan doesn't have you as the benficiary, seduce beneficiary, marry beneficiary, have children with beneficiary, fake your own death and have parents beneficiary as yours, kill beneficiary to take money from both life insurance plans, reveal to your children that ... Eh you know what to do next
 
M

MThanded

I Was There! Official L Receiver 2/12/2016
Megalosaro said:
When I turned 18, my parents suggested I sign up for credit cards and let them use them, so they could build my credit for me while I was in college.

I've since graduated college, I'm looking to move out on my own and I only recently discovered that my credit was utter shit. I confronted my parents about it and they're like "Oh, yeah we stopped making payments on your cards." My total debt is just under 19k. Apparently every card I had is in collections. This is on top of my student loan debt of 13k.

I'm having a hard time getting an apartment and buying a car. Is there anything I can do, or am I fucked because I was the one who signed up for those cards.
Click to expand...
9Gvi4aL.png


Seriously what a shitty thing to do to your children. They started you off on the wrong foot. I would be pissed. Did they show any remorse at all?
 
S

ShyGuy0504

Member
Wow. I wish I had some advice for you, but I'm not exactly knowledgeable when it comes to this stuff.

I can't believe your parents would do that to you. :/

Hopefully you can come out on top.
 
P

Plasmid

Member
OP wear a wire or recording device. Confront your parents until they slip up and say they got the cards to help your credit. Make them own up to it. Go to a lawyer. Ruin your parents credit and get millions.
 
F

Franklinator

Member
Wow, that's terrible. The only thing I can think of that you could do is claim identity fraud, but it would be a lie since you gave them permission. You just didn't know how much debt they were building. I hope this situation gets better for you.
 
Northeastmonk

Northeastmonk

Gold Member
Megalosaro said:
When I turned 18, my parents suggested I sign up for credit cards and let them use them, so they could build my credit for me while I was in college.

I've since graduated college, I'm looking to move out on my own and I only recently discovered that my credit was utter shit. I confronted my parents about it and they're like "Oh, yeah we stopped making payments on your cards." My total debt is just under 19k. Apparently every card I had is in collections. This is on top of my student loan debt of 13k.

I'm having a hard time getting an apartment and buying a car. Is there anything I can do, or am I fucked because I was the one who signed up for those cards.
Click to expand...

Is this true? Next to physically hurting someone, this is the worst possible thing someone could do to you.
 
M

Megalosaro

Banned
kswiston said:
Do your parents have problems with drugs or gambling or something? Did you accumulate any of that $19k in debt?

Unfortunately, you are going to be on the hook for the debt, but I would probably consider cutting ties for awhile if my family had done that to me.
Click to expand...

It's mostly for home gardening supplies and appliances and shit, as far as I can tell. A few years back they did a total make over of our yard and that shit ain't cheap
 
B

border

Member
How the hell did you get $20,000 in credit when you were only 18?

Are your parents usually such evil, under-handed assholes? It sounds like you're very much leaving something out here. Did they offer any kind of apology or explanation? Did they say they would start paying again in the future?
 
J

Joe Shlabotnik

Banned
I'd also recommend talking to a lawyer and seeing if it's at all possible to sue the holy fuck out of them and/or get your credit record expunged (which would be a miracle, honestly).

This is honestly one of the worst things I've ever heard parents do short of physical abuse. As mentioned above it's downright sociopathic.
 
M

mrkgoo

Member
Geez.

I was going to come in say, yeah, a lot of people like to blame someone else for their own irresponsibilities, but this...

I don't even know how you would fix this without having your parents pay it back, but judging from the story, it wouldn't seem they are all that responsible, so likelihood of them being involved in paying back....
 
P

Phreaker

Member
Wow, I can't believe parents would do such a thing. What a way for your kid to start out life on his own. Really sorry OP. Is there any way to get your parents to pay for it?
 
stufte

stufte

Member
Ken Masters said:
uuuhhh


you're fucked for life and I'm honestly not joking unless you have a very high paying job lined up in the future
Click to expand...

Might as well file for bankruptcy, it's not like it could get worse. And besides, every payment you made towards it would only remind you of how awful your parents were to you.
 
A

argon

Member
Have you ever used the cards? If you haven't (and none of the purchases benefited you), then you might have a case that they defrauded you.
 
R

robochimp

Member
stutte said:
Not sure it'd work, since he gave them permission to use the cards. Shitty situation, I'd fucking disown my parents of a stunt like that.
Click to expand...

That doesn't change the fact that they owe the money. He is responsible to the card issuers but his parents had the sole benefit of the 19k in credit and are responsible to him for that money.

This may even be a criminal case.
 
D

demon

I don't mean to alarm you but you have dogs on your face
I'm no expert in this but I wonder if there in fact is a way to sue your parents. I mean, if you can prove that the cards were used by them, and if it can't be proven that you gave them permission to use them, maybe you'd have a case? I dunno. I'd talk to a lawyer about it though. What scumbag parents.
 
M

MThanded

I Was There! Official L Receiver 2/12/2016
Megalosaro said:
It's mostly for home gardening supplies and appliances and shit, as far as I can tell. A few years back they did a total make over of our yard and that shit ain't cheap
Click to expand...
That's even worse. So they don't even have an addiction and they just ran the charges up like it was nothing.
 
S

Servbot24

Banned
Megalosaro said:
I thought I could trust my parents? It seemed logical at the time.

Instead, my parents like living outside their means. When I confronted them about it, they got upset and said it's not like I didn't take advantage of them, living low rent during college. That I mooched off them.
Click to expand...

No offense but they sound like self-centered pricks. They shouldn't have had a kid if they think that supporting him requires getting payback.
 
T

TheVampire

Banned
Wow talk about screwed.

So your parents wont pay back debt?

Maybe you should steal/take some of their own possesions like as to repossess them yourself
 
S

shuri

Banned
Please, humiliate them by making this fact known to everybody; and I mean, everybody they know. Just do a simple write up, include their pictures, mail a copy to everybody on their street, every family members on both sides, their workplaces (if they have jobs), friends, etc.

Make everybody know what they did to you.
 
M

Megalosaro

Banned
GhaleonEB said:
You are probably fucked, but I have to ask, if you signed up for them how in all those years were you never billed or ever heard from collections, since it was your name on the cards? Curious about the arrangements.
Click to expand...

I just handed all the bills straight to them. Never thought to open them myself. Stupid on my part, I'll admit.
 
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