Most of us are only too happy to move out of our parents’ house as soon as possible. We want the freedom to put our feet up on the furniture, swear at the television, and leave dirty dishes on the side. Living at home means you’re living under your parents’ roof, which means you have to follow their rules.
By the time most of us are approaching adulthood we’re already keen to break free, but there’s a problem. Housing is super expensive, and we’re lucky if we can afford a measly shoebox-sized apartment. With the cost of moving out so high, many of us are forced to live with our parents for longer than we’d really want to.
It means that instead of starting our new lives in our own homes after college, we end up having to go back to living at mom and dad’s. These parents gave their son a roof over his head, but they had enough and resorted to something desperate to get rid of him as he refused to leave.
Forever home
Life for Michael Rotondo, 30, seemed perfect from a young age. He grew up as part of a middle-class family in Camillus, New York, and had the security of his loving parents to rely on every step of the way. Michael’s parents gave him the support in life to get by, something most parents would do for their kids.
They thought eventually he would fly the nest and make his own way in the world.
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College life
Michael got his first taste of freedom from his parents when he went to college. He seemed to enjoy living life on his own terms, and after he finished college, Michael wanted to keep the good times rolling. After college, Michael packed up all of his things and made his own way in the world, leaving the sanctuary of his parents’ home in the rearview mirror.
Most people in this situation would do everything they could to make sure they did not end up back at home. Michael went into the big wide world and realized it wasn’t for him.
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Back to mom and dad
When Michael left home, his parents must have thought they wouldn’t have to live with him again. Not that they would have minded, he is their son after all, but when people move out, they don’t tend to return. The world is a scary place, and it seemed as though Michael didn’t appear to enjoy the challenge of keeping his head above water on his own.
Luckily for him, he had two parents who would welcome him back with open arms. When he came back after a short period, Michael’s parents must have thought this would be a temporary arrangement.
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Hello again Michael
It might have been a surprise for Michael’s parents to see their son return home with all his belongings, but they let him come back. This wasn’t a case of Michael returning because he missed his parents’ company, he was really struggling to find work.
If you don’t have a job, then there’s a good chance you won’t be able to afford the rent and bills unless you’ve got some trust fund somewhere. Unfortunately for Michael, there was no infinite pool of money for him to use to get by, so he turned to the next best thing, his parents.
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Nationwide problem
Michael wasn’t the only college student of his generation that couldn’t find any long-term work. The job market was in a dire situation, and there were so many skilled workers fighting for scraps. It meant that overqualified people were taking any kind of job available just so they could pay the bills, so Michael ended up jobless.
When you add in the fact that the cost of housing was extortionate, those without jobs were not in a situation to live on their own. Instead, there were many people just like Michael who were forced to return home to their parents.
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Rent-free living
Most parents don’t want to see their children suffering, and Michael’s were no different. They could see their son was in a difficult situation due to the job market, so they welcomed him back to their home.
Michael was allowed to live in his parent’s house rent-free until he sorted out a new job and found somewhere else to live. His parents might have thought he’d be around for months, but he would leave eventually.
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Time passed by
Before Michael’s parents knew it, their son had been back home for years. He had seemed to lose all motivation to find a job and was apparently enjoying living rent-free at his parents’ house. It’s not like he didn’t have a reason to find a job and move out; Michael had fathered a child and had someone else to think about.
Despite his child’s needs, Michael remained living rent-free and jobless at his parents’ house.
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Taking advantage?
After seeing their son struggle, Michael’s parents wanted to help their boy any way they could. That meant putting a roof above his head once more, but they thought it would be a temporary solution. It wasn’t meant to be an arrangement forever, and Michael’s parents had their own lives to live without funding their son.
Their son’s insistence on staying at his parents’ house well into his adult life was quickly becoming a problem.
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Refusing employment
Life was so comfortable for Michael at his parents’ house that he seemed to be actively refusing employment. The least he could do was help out around the house, but even that seemed like too much to ask. Michael refused to do any chores to contribute to the running of the household and asking him to pay his way was out of the question.
This was getting ridiculous, but things would get worse for Michael.
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Michael’s kid
The lifestyle that Michael was leading had become a problem not just for him and his parents, but also his child. Michael lost visitation rights to see his son after living rent-free at his parents’ house for eight years since completing college.
This had been going on for too long, and Michael’s parents decided enough was enough. They were going to have to take drastic action to stop their son from squatting in their home.
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Trying to inspire him
Parents try teaching their kids lessons that will be practical to them in later life. Michael was already an adult, but his parents thought there was something they could do to give their son a fighting chance at life.
His parents weren’t going to be around to pay his way forever, so they had to do something to inspire him to stand on his own two feet. They had one last roll of the dice.
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“You’re out!”
Drastic action was needed to spark some life back into Michael, and that’s what his parents took. His parents drew up an eviction notice and handed it to their son. The letter said Michael had just two weeks to vacate his room, and he: “Will not be allowed to return.”
It was a bold step from Michael’s parents, but they had to do something to show their son he couldn’t just keep drifting through life.
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Rattling Michael
This letter must have been a huge shock to Michael’s system. His parents were looking to inspire their son, and it seemed to have worked, but not in the way they were probably hoping it would. Michael was very much rattled, and now he was all about taking action.
He found that fight inside him his parents hadn’t seen for almost a decade, and their son was ready and willing to get things in order.
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Digging his heels in
Michael was inspired by his parents’ eviction letter, but he was inspired to keep living on the lifestyle he had chosen. The days were counting down, and Michael had decided not to pack up any of his things.
It looked as though Michael was digging his heels in, and if his parents wanted to rid of him, they were going to need more than a piece of paper. His parents gave him three more letters.
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A big surprise
His parents must have thought Michael would get the message, but instead of agreeing to move out, he sued them. Michael couldn’t afford a lawyer, so he began studying his own case and represented himself in court.
He wanted to remain at home without paying his way and even had to hitch a ride with his parents on the way to the courthouse. It was probably a very awkward journey for everyone in the case.
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The end of the road
The judge ruled in favor of Michael’s parents and told him he needed to leave the property.
Michael was only permitted to stay at his parents until their lawyers had drawn up a contract for his eviction.
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Thirty Days
He did plead that he be given 30 days to find a new place to live, and Michael’s parents agreed.
The clock was ticking, and Michael was going to have to take responsibility for himself in one month.
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Fighting back
The verdict was in, but that didn’t mean Michael agreed with what the judge ruled.
He began to claim he was being treated unfairly and had an off-the-wall explanation for why his parents wanted to get rid of him.
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No Responsibility
Michael thought his parents wanted rid of him because he was stopping them from seeing their grandchild.
It seemed as though Michael was looking for someone other than himself to blame for how things turned out.
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Seen as a freeloader
The media discovered Michael’s story, and it began to gain interest. He gave interviews to several outlets, but most people didn’t agree with him.
The majority of people thought Michael’s parents were right in evicting him, and he was seen by most people as a freeloader.
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What Could They Do?
Life can be tough, and we all need some help in getting by, but for Michael’s parents, their son had gone too far and needed to learn a lesson.
They both felt as though they couldn’t do anything more. They had tried to reason with him and now he had pushed them to their absolute limits. They needed help.
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A helping hand
Michael found himself on Infowars, the conspiracy theory news vehicle and the host, Alex Jones, even raised $3,000 for his downtrodden guest.
That money was aimed at getting Michael on his own two feet, but he chose to use the cash to sue his former employers, Best Buy.
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Pushing The Blame
The case was thrown out, despite Michael’s huge demands for $300,000. Michael was allegedly dismissed because he refused to work Saturdays, in a retail job.
Michael seemed to have a knack for causing himself problems and then blaming them on everyone else. First, it was his own parents and then his employers.
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Time to leave
Finally, it was time for Michael to move out of his parent’s house. It wasn’t the end of his dispute with his parents though, as he forgot a box of Lego.
His father refused to let Michael back in the house to get the box, so the police were called.
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Lego Love
Michael was able to retrieve his precious Lego bricks with a police escort before driving off, never to return or speak to his parents again.
The lego pieces were so precious to him as he planned on selling them and he did not want his parents to get the same idea and make any money.
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Renting life
After leaving his parents’ house, Michael was reportedly living in an Airbnb in Syracuse. He had been using the money he earned from his media appearances following the interest in his and his parents’ case.
This wasn’t going to be a permanent solution, however, and it was thought that Michael had intentions on moving in with a cousin.
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Relationship Ties
Michael’s cousin would have to be careful not to fall into the same trap his parents did. This was a case that shocked many around the country. Most children will do anything for their parents and vice versa.
The case put a huge strain on Michael’s parents and the relationship seems as though it may be unrepairable forever.
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Poor Michael Rotondo
Michael’s actions were affecting more than just himself and his parents. Another man named Michael Rotondo was feeling the force of people’s frustrations toward his namesake’s freeloading antics.
This other Michael was living in upstate New York, and he was commonly being mistaken for the 30-year-old guy who took his parents to court. It seemed as though Michael’s attitude toward working and paying rent inadvertently put anyone with the same name in the firing line.
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A close escape
Although it took them eight years, Michael’s parents were finally able to say goodbye to their son and use their basement again. Things might not have ended on good terms, but it was important that Michael learned how to stand up for himself in life.
It was a life lesson for their son, and in the long run, it will do him good to look out for himself instead of leaving that to his parents.