Son sued his parents for ‘squatting’ in his home after they called his existence a mistake. The judge’s decision caught them off guard
'We weren't supposed to have you,' Aaron recalled his parents' words.
Parents and adult children don't always see eye to eye, but very few take their issues to court. 24-year-old Aaron Harris brought his 45-year-old father, Lewis Harris II, and mother, Felicity Sanders, before Judge Eboni K. Williams. Aaron and his parents had been estranged for five years, but one day, when he came home after a work trip, he saw his dad's truck in front of the house. When he got inside the house, it was worse than he imagined. The video was shared on Justice Central TV's (@justicecentraltv) YouTube channel on March 13, 2024. The video garnered over 67,000 views, 760 likes, and 130 comments.
Potential rent money
When Aaron came home from his two-week work trip, he was surprised to see his father's truck outside his house. When he went inside, he was shocked to see his parents squatting in the secondary bedroom, which was also his father's childhood bedroom. Aaron left home when he was 18 years old, and the only parental figure he had was his grandfather. He told Judge Williams that his grandpa sold him the house at a third of the price. Lewis and Felicity had no clue about the transfer of ownership because they had been estranged from both their son and Lewis' father for five years.
Aaron's bitterness towards his parents came from a troubling childhood. He revealed to the judge that his parents made him feel unwanted while he was growing up. They even made comments about how he wasn't planned and that he was an accident. Aaron recalled his parents' words: "We weren't supposed to have you." Judge Williams asked Lewis and Felicity if it was true, and they did not deny it. Coming back to the present, Aaron sued his parents for illegally squatting in his home and for the $10,000 in rental income he said he could have earned.
A costly stay
Aaron filed an eviction notice to remove his parents from his house. The process took two months. In addition to the $10,000, Aaron also sued them for the eviction notice fees ($450) and lawyer fees, which were about $2,500. At the end of the hearing, Judge Williams ruled that Aaron would be getting his attorney fees back. Because Aaron could not prove the full $10,000 in claimed lost rent, Judge Williams awarded him $5,000 instead.
Family fallout
As mentioned, it is rare for an individual to sue another family member. Console & Associates conducted a survey in 2020 and found that almost half (47.74%) of the respondents said, "No, I would never sue a family member or friend." But 1.22% admitted they have sued a family member in the past. As for being estranged from family members, a Harris Poll survey conducted from November 8 - 11, 2024, found that 41% of respondents said they were estranged from another family member because of a specific action taken by the latter. 39% blamed their family dynamics for the wedge between them, and 68% of respondents reported ending all personal communication with the estranged family member. Similarly, Aaron attributed the estrangement to how he said his parents had treated him growing up. He told the court that comments about his birth had made him feel unwanted.
Undermining parents
Netizens supported Aaron in the comment section and criticized the parents for their lack of love and nurture towards Aaron. @TheGreyGhoul pointed out, "The way the parents were talking down to him and trying to undermine him says enough." @tanikakonyani3156 added, "The parents are wrong here. Haven't spoken to Grandad for years and just turned up at his house and moved in when they weren't on speaking terms."
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