A Reddit user says their parents painted nearly an entire house the user is planning to buy without consulting them first. The user, who posts as u/BlueberryOk1614, shared the dispute on the r/AmItheAsshole subreddit.

As first highlighted by The Daily Dot, the post has garnered thousands of upvotes and hundreds of comments. According to the user, the house was passed down to them by their grandfather after other family members declined it. Their parents offered to help paint and re-carpet the property, which the user said they welcomed. However, the user claims their parents went well beyond what they had agreed to.

“My mum initially messaged me saying she was going over to do some cleaning, which was completely fine,” the user wrote. They said the plan was for them to take some days off work so they could paint the house together, but their parents instead painted “basically the entire house” without telling them.

When the user went to inspect the work, they said most of it was fine, but there were drips, excess paint, and uneven patches in the living room where their mother had used a spray gun. The user then messaged their parents asking them not to make any further changes without consulting them.

“I’m supposed to be buying this house and I need to have a say in what happens to it,” they wrote. The user added that if changes kept being made without them, they would have to reconsider the situation. According to the user, their parents called them “selfish and ungrateful” and said they needed help or therapy. The parents allegedly argued that because the property was being sold at a discount and they were working for free, the user should be grateful and “just get over it.”

Several Reddit users defended the user, with some suggesting firmer boundaries once the house is officially in their name, including changing the locks. Others pointed out the difference between accepting help and handing over decisions about a property. The post spread amid another viral account from a woman whose date kept mentioning his ex.

Some commenters noted that because the house had not yet officially changed ownership, the parents technically still had control over the property. Other family members reportedly sided with the parents.

When family members sell a property to one another below market value, the arrangement is often handled as a gift of equity. According to Rocket Mortgage, the seller gifts a portion of their equity to the buyer, which can serve as a down payment and requires documentation such as a gift of equity letter and an appraisal.

Attack of the Fanboy was unable to independently verify the account, as it is based solely on u/BlueberryOk1614’s post, and the parents’ side of the story is not known.

Attack of the Fanboy is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy