Woman Backed for Evicting Ex's New Girlfriend From Shared Apartment

Members of a popular internet forum were quick to defend one woman who removed her ex-husband's new girlfriend from an apartment she partially owns.

In a viral Reddit post published on r/AmITheA**hole, Redditor u/panda930 (otherwise referred to as the original poster, or OP) said the former couple's divorce is nearly complete but described her shock at discovering somebody else living in their shared apartment.

Titled, "[Am I the a**hole] for letting myself into my ex's apartment while his girlfriend was there and having her kicked out?" the post has received nearly 8,500 upvotes and 1,000 comments in the last 11 hours.

"I own an apartment with my ex," OP began. "And until our divorce is [finalized] it's both of ours."

Continuing to explain that she left "a lot of stuff" at the apartment when she first moved out, the original poster said she had no desire to be around the property or her ex-husband, but still needed to retrieve her belongings.

So when her ex-husband was traveling abroad, the original poster stopped by, but was met by an unfamiliar enemy.

"I let myself in and I wasn't expecting anybody to be there but his girlfriend was," OP wrote. "She freaked out when she saw me and started threatening to have me kicked out and accused me of breaking in.

"She wouldn't calm down or let me get my things even after I pointed out this was my apartment too," OP continued. "I had her kicked out because she wouldn't let me get my stuff and was irritating me."

For separated couples, the division of property can be a major point of contention, especially as laws differ across state lines.

But while many marital assets are sure to spark heated debate, nothing moves the needle like a shared apartment or house.

When married couples separate, shared homes often face one of three fates: one partner leaves while the other stays, both partners move out and the property is sold or both partners stay and learn to coexist peacefully—or not—until a better arrangement is possible.

In cases where one partner leaves and the other stays, online legal resource HG.org reports that the departing partner may lose legal access to the marital home and be prevented from reentering without explicit permission from the remaining partner.

Fortunately for the original poster, she had permission to retrieve her belongings from the apartment but was unaware that anybody else would be there, much less her ex-husband's new girlfriend.

And in the face of breaking and entering accusations, the original poster said she was left no choice but to have the woman removed, much to the dismay of the new couple.

"My ex called me the day after to ask why I had kicked his girlfriend out and said I wasn't being very nice," OP wrote. "We ended up fighting because he was being condescending."

Throughout the viral post's comment section, Redditors were adamant that the original poster was within her rights to enter the apartment she still owns part of and backed up her decision to evict her ex's partner.

"[Not the a**hole]," Redditor u/RoyallyOakie wrote in the post's top comment, which has received nearly 13,000 upvotes. "It IS your apartment."

"Your ex didn't bother to mention that another woman would be there, which makes me wonder if he wanted this altercation to take place," they added.

Redditor u/Astra_Bear, whose comment has received more than 3,000 upvotes, echoed that sentiment.

"[Not the a**hole]," they wrote. "But your ex is.

"Why wouldn't he tell her you were coming by to pick up your stuff?" they questioned. "Why wouldn't he tell you she would be there[?]"

In a separate comment, which has received nearly 2,000 upvotes, also placed all of the blame on the original poster's ex-husband.

"[Not the a**hole] but I wouldn't say his [girlfriend] necessarily is either," they wrote. "She may very well not have known you owned the apartment and...may have genuinely been totally freaked out.

"Your ex is the [the a**hole] for likely not informing her you'd be by to get your stuff," they added.

Newsweek reached out to u/panda930 for comment.