Landlord's Reason for Evicting Family With Terminally Ill Child Dragged

No parent wants to think about their child dying before them, but this family has been told their 5-year-old son has a terminal illness. And to add to the stress, a landlord has given them a few months to move out of their home.

In a now-viral post, u/Unique_Jaguar9688 explained he inherited the house 11 years ago and a family has rented the property for five years. But recently, a buyer has given him an offer he cannot refuse so he has decided to sell the house. However, the family has pleaded for more time as they haven't got the funds or time to move out.

Redditors are outraged by the 47-year-old landlord's post but Mia Sophia Melle, the owner of a real estate brokerage, has backed the original poster.

Speaking to Newsweek, Melle said: "No one wants to put a family on the street, it's extremely unfair and even manipulative to burden someone with your personal issues regardless of how severe or sad they are.

"If the tables were turned, and the landlord was in a situation that negatively affected the family to where repairs couldn't be made or he was losing the house to foreclosure, the probability of the tenant pitching in to assist or even understand is unlikely."

Explaining his story, the man states a buyer has offered $60,000 over the market price because of the property's location.

"This was an opportunity I couldn't pass up," he wrote.

The family's tenancy agreement is until the middle of March and usually, they renew it. But this time, the landlord isn't willing to go ahead as he has decided to sell it.

"I contacted the husband, Michael, and let him know I would not be renewing this time. To say that he was upset was an understatement. It turns out that he and his wife are currently in hospice with their son who has a terminal heart condition. The doctors have given him a month or two to live. I knew the boy was sick but I never knew it was so serious," he wrote.

The Redditor explained Michael said there is "no way" they can pack up the house as they are spending most of their time at the hospice, which is three hours away.

"He thinks it's terribly unfair that I expect him to sacrifice any of the time he has left with their son in order to move. He called me a heartless sociopath," explained the landlord.

The original poster (OP) points out he suggested they ask a family member to help with packing or a moving company. But Michael said it's not possible due to his income going on his son's medical expenses.

The landlord expressed his remorse but said it isn't his responsibility to take care of the tenants.

He concludes the post by stating his wife has suggested he uses some of the money to pay for a moving company and an Airbnb.

"I don't want to do this because it would cost me a big chunk of the profit from selling the house and again, their situation is not my responsibility. This is the risk people take when they rent. My wife is now giving me the cold shoulder," he said.

Melle, the founder of Modern Real Estate Shop in Claremont, California, exclusively spoke to Newsweek about the viral Reddit post that has received over 12,900 upvotes.

She said: "Every individual is responsible for themselves and needs to plan ahead for all circumstances that could affect their situation. If the father knew moving would be a huge hardship during this time, he should have attempted to secure his living accommodations by communicating with the landlord right away."

However, other users aren't as understanding and the landlord has been dubbed an a******.

The top comment has received 37,400 upvotes, it said: "It's a tough call. In terms of business, I get it. Greed is a thing. But you can't blame your wife for seeing you differently. You just showed her your true character. Going with my heart, YTA."

Another agreed: "Yep, OP will be known on his death bed as a man who evicted a dying child. That's his legacy. What do you want to be known as? YTA and abolish private landlords."

"YTA. You aren't 'making things harder for them' you are potentially making them miss time with a child who won't be here for long. You are well within your right to do so and probably won't give it another thought once the money hits your bank account. It sounds like your wife is a different kind of person, and good for her. Also, people aren't taking a 'risk' by renting, they probably just haven't inherited homes from their rich daddies," said another person.

Newsweek reached out to u/Unique_Jaguar9688 for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.

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