Reader’s Digest Drama: The Case of the Unauthorized Cottage Crashers
Welcome, dear readers, to another thrilling episode from the wild world of Reddit, where unresolved family squabbles get the spotlight they absolutely deserve. Today’s juicy morsel involves a man, his wife, a second home, and a cousin who could single-handedly tank a home’s insurance faster than you can say ‘security camera alert.’
Our Protagonist and His Hard-Earned Castle
Meet our protagonist, a 60-something gentleman who we’ll call Joe. Joe’s been a working lad since he was a mere sprout of 15, never enjoying the lush life accessories many aspire to. No yachts, no fishing retreats—this man’s lived his life with the grindstone pressed firmly to his nose. Fast forward to two years ago: Joe and his missus finally achieved the American Dream of owning a second home. Let’s give them a round of applause, folks! 🎉
The Establishment of Ground Rules (or Lack Thereof?)
When they bought their little slice of heaven, Joe and his wife apparently agreed on one iron-clad rule: the house is strictly non-enabler territory for freeloaders. No entry without the king and queen being physically present. Sounds fair, right? Predictable as a Hallmark movie plot.
The Inevitable Villain: Her Ne’er-Do-Well Cousin
In walks the wildcard, the ne’er-do-well cousin and his motley crew of risk-magnets. This cousin isn’t your average mischievous family member. Oh no, he’s in a league of his own—complete with a fire-starting incident that could have been lifted straight from the annals of ‘How To Annoy Your Neighbors in One Easy Step’.
Surprise! Security Camera Drama
The drama unfolded when Joe, perhaps lounging in the breakroom at work, received an alert from the security system installed in the fortress of solitude. Curiosity piqued, Joe checked the feed only to find the cousin and his merry band frolicking like kids in a candy store. Imagine Joe’s reaction, which I assume included colorful language and facial expressions that could curdle milk.
The Big Blowout: Selfish vs. Sensible
What happens next, dear readers, is a classic bout of marital discord. Joe’s wife maintains that memory is a tricky thing and she distinctly recalls no such ‘no-entry’ agreement. She’s brandishing the gauntlet of “selfishness” at Joe, proclaiming he’s being miserly. Joe, naturally, is pulling the ‘it’s my roof, my rules’ card, arguing that he’s merely protecting their nest egg from these hellions.
Roger’s Razor-Sharp Divination
Let’s cut through the emotional fog, shall we? Joe is right to have concerns. We’re talking about a cousin who could set a house ablaze faster than Joe can file an insurance claim. Think of the pool filtered with who knows what and the walls possibly lined with more questionable activities than a shady speakeasy.
Ladies and gents, the real issue isn’t about selfishness or generosity. It’s about pragmatism in the face of wanton recklessness. Joe, blessed with decades of hard-fought wisdom, has every right to say no to unauthorized house parties. Your second home, while a place of relaxation, shouldn’t become a liability hotspot or a poor man’s country club.
My advice? They need a proper sit-down, maybe with an objective third party if things are really tense. Draw up a formal agreement. Think of it as a prenup for their country retreat. They’ll thank themselves later when the cousin’s next accidental arson doesn’t cause headlines and heartache.
Until next time, folks, keep your homes safe and your relatives on a need-to-know basis. And if you have a security system, maybe check those alerts sooner than later.
Sincerely sassy, Roger the Wise
Original story
AITA for requesting my wife not allow friends and cousins to use our second home when we’re not present? Backstory: I’m older (60ish m), started working at 15 y/o and have worked since.
Never had a boat, vacation home, fishing camp etc until 2 y ago when we bought a second home. At that time we discussed not allowing other people to use the house, pool etc unless we were physically present as I knew this would be a potential issue.
Now she wants her ne’er do well cousin and his friends to be able to use the place regardless of our presence there, and claims not to remember the discussion about us being there. I found this out when my security camera alerts triggered Mr cell phone one day while I was at work.
We’ve had a huge disagreement over this issue, as she believes I’m being selfish. I feel my house is not a country club and I’m just trying to protect my investment from potentially irresponsible people (he set fire to neighbor’s house burning trash).
I don’t invite my friends and family over to use the place nor have I ever had any friends put me in this situation.