AITA for asking my parents to pay for my car’s registration this year?

r/

I (28) have had my license medically suspended for the 15 months. In that time, my parents have used my car to get to work, go do errands etc etc. i have not driven that car at all during these 15 months. I have a family of 7 adults living under the same roof, with only 4 cars. 2 belong to my parents, one belongs to my sister and the other one belongs to me.

I got my car registration bill a few weeks ago, and I asked my parents to pay for the registration this year because my car has essentially been theirs for a year.

It makes sense to me that they’d pay it. But when I brought it up, they scoffed and called me entitled. They said they were putting no money towards the payment whatsoever. They got really upset with me.

They do only drive it around town, so it’s not like they’ve gone on any day trips or anything. But my car has been a huge help for them. One of the main things is that it’s made it where my mom doesn’t have to be dropped off at 6am for her 8am shifts because of how everyone’s schedules work with jobs/school.

I’m genuinely surprised they got this mad at me. Is this something I shouldn’t expect my parents to do? I’m on a deducted salary while I figure this medical stuff out so it’s not like I want to pay 200 dollars for something I don’t even use.

Comments

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    I (28) have had my license medically suspended for the 15 months. In that time, my parents have used my car to get to work, go do errands etc etc. i have not driven that car at all during these 15 months. I have a family of 7 adults living under the same roof, with only 4 cars. 2 belong to my parents, one belongs to my sister and the other one belongs to me.

    I got my car registration bill a few weeks ago, and I asked my parents to pay for the registration this year because my car has essentially been theirs for a year.

    It makes sense to me that they’d pay it. But when I brought it up, they scoffed and called me entitled. They said they were putting no money towards the payment whatsoever. They got really upset with me.

    They do only drive it around town, so it’s not like they’ve gone on any day trips or anything. But my car has been a huge help for them. One of the main things is that it’s made it where my mom doesn’t have to be dropped off at 6am for her 8am shifts because of how everyone’s schedules work with jobs/school.

    I’m genuinely surprised they got this mad at me. Is this something I shouldn’t expect my parents to do? I’m on a deducted salary while I figure this medical stuff out so it’s not like I want to pay 200 dollars for something I don’t even use.

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    > I asked my parents to pay a car bill and insisted they do because they’ve driven my car for over a year while I’ve been medically unable to.

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  3. HowlPen Avatar

    Info: Are they paying for your housing and food while you figure out your medical situation? 

  4. TurbulentWalrus1222 Avatar

    How much rent and utilities do you pay to your parents every month? What else do you contribute financially to the household?

  5. sweadle Avatar

    Don’t pay it either, and make sure no one drives rhe car since it’s not registered.

  6. Beneficial-Way-8742 Avatar

    NTA for asking, it was a reasonable ask.  They are within their rights to say no.  And you are within your rights to take the keys back and charge them a rental fee (on top of gas) if they want to use it in the future, if they really want to get petty 

    You say there is a medical issue – were they driving the car for your errands or their personal use?

  7. flippflippflipp Avatar

    Register is as non operational so it’s not street legal and don’t give them the keys

  8. Strict-Educator-9313 Avatar

    NTA.

    If they don’t want to pay to use it, you might have an option to register it PNO or NonOp. Basically you pay a fee on time so its all good while being stored and easier to pay when its time to register it again. If its found driving (other than to/from a shop for an oil change/maintenance), its effectively not registered to be on the road and the person driving is responsible for the ticket.

  9. HappeeHousewives82 Avatar

    Uggggghh when I was younger my parents (unbeknownst to me) registered my much younger sibling’s cars under my name. They also put them on my insurance. I moved out at 18 and my next sibling is 8 years younger than me. When I got married my husband was like uhhhhhhh that’s not ok to do. I legitimately had no idea it was as bad as it was because I trusted my parents.

    Sure, they paid for my siblings insurance and registration/taxes etc BUT my brother and sister had multiple accidents, traffic violations and parking tickets that drove my premiums up AND their unpaid tickets got put ON MY NAME.

    I moved out of state after I got married and tried to register my car in my new state on my own and it turns out I had 1k in outstanding parking tickets I had no knowledge of until that very moment.

    In any case, them driving YOUR car puts you at risk. Stop letting them drive it – especially if they are unwilling to pay. Also check if you any outstanding tickets now because they put interest and late fees on those.

  10. Still-Whereas-955 Avatar

    NTA. Tell them they are no longer able to use your car. Since you can’t use it, you’re putting it on non op for the time being until you can get your license back and drive it yourself. You’re paying rent and for your own groceries so they can’t hold that over you.

  11. Ok-Fun7759 Avatar

    Hide the keys. Today!

  12. allAmericanjedl Avatar

    It doesn’t matter how much he pays as long as he freaking pays his due diligence!!!
    But to your question after seeing how they are ungrateful and benefiting from your miss fortune. Use your miss fortune as to just let it lapse/expire so your not looking petty and causing childish repercussion if you try to repossess your car while you can’t use it but pretend to forget about it if they mention it.
    By having a fly by conversation hey you know your registration expired just be like oh I slipped my mind but I don’t have the money right now I guess we need to park it till I can work it in my budget and most likely they I’m magically come up with a payment!

  13. Tortietude0 Avatar

    Who’s paying the insurance?

  14. kswilson68 Avatar

    Well, I guess I’d be reporting it stollen and that they’re driving an unregistered vehicle… if it was me.

  15. NotMyMonkies31 Avatar

    Just sell the car and put the money in a savings account until you can drive again and then buy yourself a new car

  16. Intelligent_Car_4438 Avatar

    nta. next time sort out who’s paying beforehand. gl op, sounds like you are going to need it.

  17. Zealousideal_Fail946 Avatar

    OP – you seem to be picked on by quite a few evil people – would hate to date them or have them in my family.

    Your parents and anyone else using your car for free this past year and not contributing towards the registration are complete AHs. I bet birthdays and holidays with that lot is all As Seen On TV junk they pick up last minute at the corner drugstore.

    Log it in your memory banks and hopefully you can move away from them soon – before they assume you are rich in the medical field and leech off you for
    Eternity.

  18. SaveyK Avatar

    Info: who pays the insurance?

  19. Ok_Lettuce_3819 Avatar

    Have they paid for any repairs/maintenance (ie new tires, oil changes etc) during the 15 months? If they are covering the maintenance I could understand the resistance.

  20. morepics2024hw Avatar

    7 adults , four cars, two belonging to your parents. Your parents need to use their own cars. Your sister needs to use her car, and you need to ”loan” your car to whomever will pay for maintenance, upkeep, license and fees, and maybe even part of any payment.

    YNTA

  21. embopbopbopdoowop Avatar

    INFO: how are other household and car-related costs shared?

    And will you be able to use the car again?

  22. Whatsideofchange Avatar

    NTA. But who is paying the insurance and car payment if there is any. Unfortunately if they do not pay it you will have to to avoid the fine and penalties. Hope you are able to drive soon

  23. Rosie_Hymen Avatar

    NTA…wow. Id tell them that you can’t afford to keep a car operational if you’re not driving it while on half salary. I’d tell them you’d like to help them out, letting them continue to use the car. But that won’t be a possibility if they can’t help with the car expenses. Let them choose. Let them live with the choice.

  24. Infamous_Knowledge54 Avatar

    NTA, especially considering you pay rent and food for yourself.
    Let them know that since you are on limited salary right now, and can’t drive, you are going to register it non-operational until you can drive again, and no one will be able to drive it legally.
    Stress that this is a financial decision. You aren’t punishing them, this is just the decision you need to make for your own finances.

  25. Grump_Curmudgeon Avatar

    Since you say in comments that you are getting your license reinstated shortly, just go ahead and pay it. Otherwise, I’d advise selling the car.

    As counter-intuitive as it might seem, they’ve been doing you a favor by taking your car on multiple short trips. A car left undriven is a car that’s going to stop working quickly.

    I trust that they understand when your license is reinstated, treating your car as communal property is at an end. I would tell them that I appreciate that they realize that, and of course you will take care of the registration… and you’re very much looking forward to having the freedom of driving your car again whenever you want to. Your mom can look forward to her 6 a.m. dropoffs again. 😉

    Other people do have a point that if you’re benefiting from low rent and utilities in the household, you’re probably saving more money than the car registration overall. I wouldn’t nickel-and-dime at this point, trying to figure out exactly who owes what to whom. But what this does reveal is that they think of this as your car, which is frankly what you’d want as you’re getting ready to be its primary driver again.

    NTA for asking but don’t be pressed about it.

  26. Vita-vi Avatar

    YTA. I’d hate to be your family member.

    1. The biggest AH move here is that you didn’t ask them in advance if this was an agreeable arrangement. You didn’t ask them if they would be willing to pay your registration in exchange for free use of the car. You sprung this on them at the end when they thought that it is just a convenient workaround. I mean, seriously, they’re letting you stay at their house for a below market rent, and you’re going to hound them for 200 bucks?

    2.Your car is registered under you. That means, whether you use it or not, you should pay for it. If your parents used it at their convenience, that’s great and all, but they can pay for gas or any maintenance fees incurred during use. The car is still OWNED by you primarily. I guess you could just not pay for registration if you weren’t going to use it, but then your car is collecting dust in your parents’ garage.

    1. I don’t know what your relationship with your parents is, but usually family isn’t so transactional. If I had a medical diagnosis that prevented me from using my car anyway, I would have no qualms having my family use my car for their convenience. I’m not sure if that’s just the general culture of your family, but I mean, you still lose in terms of transaction with your lowered rent payment.
  27. 00tainttickler Avatar

    But they have 2 of their own cars why driver yours?

  28. effinnxrighttt Avatar

    NTA. You are contributing towards rent, paying for your own groceries and they are using your car 80% of the time for their own purposes without paying for it. Paying the renewal for the registration is a bare minimum ask. They are getting all of the benefits from a second car without having to pay for the registration, insurance and loan for one.

    And sure, they may be doing you a favor by giving you discounted rent(although $400-$500/month as 1 of 7 in the house is more than fair in my opinion) that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t pay for the registration to keep using the car.

  29. Trick_Few Avatar

    NTA Personally, I would let the registration expire until you can drive it again.

  30. Recent_Gas4203 Avatar

    What is the story with your living situation? Is it your house, or are you living in their house? And if you’re living in their house do you pay for your own expenses? If they are supporting you financially in other ways, then yeah it’s pretty entitled to say that they should pay. If on the other hand you are paying rent in your own expenses then it’s perfectly reasonable to expect that they contribute to the wear and tear and increased mileage on your car.

    If you are paying your own way, then sell the car. And if you don’t want to sell it in case you want to drive it later, take the he’s back or put it up on blocks and store the tires until you’re ready to use it again.

    I suspect however that you are not paying your own way or I think you would have mentioned it in the story.

  31. Sea_Yesterday_8888 Avatar

    Are they driving you anywhere in it? Who pays insurance and gas? Have you thought of selling it?

  32. Dramatic_Sundae_9127 Avatar

    So for me the conversation shifts when you say there are two brothers and their gfs using your parents’ second car. That means your parents are allowing your brothers and their gfs to have the added benefit of a car plus I imagine the same rent as you? So your mom using your car has allowed your brothers access to a vehicle. Sounds to me like your brothers owe you that registration money and if they don’t then your parents should pay on their behalf.

    What are your parents requiring of your brothers for using that car? If nothing that’s not your problem but if they are then by extension you are afforded the same. Your parents may be great but they are your parents and so they should be helping you overcome this medical disability. It’s not like you’re a screw up who needs their bailout to get back on your feet. Them giving you a place to live is the bare minimum in my opinion as a mother of three. I would never charge my kids rent if they needed help while they overcame something medical… or really anything. Let alone expect them to let me use their only asset freely and without contribution. So yeah I see why you feel slighted. NTA and I hope you’re doing better soon.

  33. JeffroBagman666 Avatar

    Information: Who owns the house? If not you, are you paying rent?

  34. Decent-Bear334 Avatar

    Sell the car. Use Uber.
    NTA.

  35. lakas76 Avatar

    I suppose the question would be, do you pay rent? If you pay bills at your house, then yes, they should pay. If you don’t and live there rent free, then no, they shouldn’t pay.

    That’s my opinion anyways. But then, I pay for both my kid’s insurance and one’s registration (the one that still lives with me), so, I’d pay for the registration anyways.

  36. ThisAdvertising8976 Avatar

    NTA, but I would suck up every penny I could to make that payment. Might even mention to your brothers that they’ve had more use of your parents’ car while mom is using yours and suggest they split half the cost. Don’t react if they refuse, but make sure if mom isn’t using the car that you have the keys put away.

    Someone asked earlier if the driver(s) have kept your car maintained. Definitely something to check as it should have had the oil changed at least three times in 15 months. Tires are also going to be an expense in the not too distant future. Definitely need to start a sinking fund for that.

  37. ItsJoanNotJoAnn Avatar

    Confiscate all the keys. Just don’t make it available to them.

  38. Alarming_Tie_9873 Avatar

    Nah. Just don’t register it. It will have to stay parked.

  39. ZoomZoomDiva Avatar

    Info: Are you paying rent to live there?

  40. breezywanderer Avatar

    NTA.

    If they’re the ones driving it, they should be the ones to pay for it tbh.

  41. BookLuvr7 Avatar

    They’re within their rights to say no. You’re within your rights to let the registration lapse bc you’re not using the car, and to fix it when you’re ready to drive again. If they want to use it, they’ll get ticketed.
    Honestly they’re the ones being entitled. You’d also be within your rights to take their keys.
    NTA

  42. Jumba11 Avatar

    NAH. You said the car has been relatively lightly used, and leaving a car sitting unused for long periods of time can leave you with some expensive repair bills. Little critters absolutely love to make their homes inside unused cars. At best, they’ll probably just build a nest that might clog up your air vents, or it might catch on fire when you start up the car again. Or, an even worse case is when they start chewing through the wires.

    When your ability to drive was suspended, you made the conscious choice to keep your car around, and permitted it to be used by your family to help them out. And that was a very kind and helpful thing for you to do, but it was still your choice to keep the car. Part of that choice is paying for the registration, so that one is on you.

  43. Jemstone70 Avatar

    Your parents need to use their own cars and you need to keep yours to yourself. If they want to use it they need to either pay to use or buy it off you and then pay for it. It sounds like you are a contributing member of this household and not mooching so you have every right to have these boundaries. They are fully responsible.

    NTA, your parents-and many others need to start understanding that when their children reach a certain age and become mostly if not entirely self sufficient the relationship shifts into one of peer to peer where respect should be mutual and boundaries can and should be followed.

  44. niagaragagarafalls Avatar

    YTA

    How much have you put in towards the household bills? You didn’t mention anything like that so I assume the amount is zero. Asking them to pay when you’ve been sponging off them is a dick move.

  45. Efficient-Emu Avatar

    So just out of curiosity, do you pay rent, buy groceries, pay electricity, water, etc? If not, I can see why they might have felt it was entitled of you to ask.

  46. MotherOfShoggoth Avatar

    Hide the keys. They don’t need to use the car. Mom is going back to work 2 hrs early.

  47. Relative-Coach6711 Avatar

    You would’ve had to pay that whether they drove it or not.. It would’ve cost you more to cancel and reinstate it

  48. Jenos00 Avatar

    NTA. If you can’t drive let them know you are going to Non Op the car so to save money and it won’t be useable. If they want to use it they can then offer to pay for insurance and registration.

  49. blackcat218 Avatar

    If you cant use the car and not having it registered doesnt affect you then just dont pay it. Simple. If your parents want to keep using the car then they pay it.

  50. Substantial-Rip-6207 Avatar

    That sucks. Id take the keys back but if you do that they might retaliate. Are you living in their house and paying rent to them ?

  51. crittercorral Avatar

    They own two cars. Why are they using yours?

  52. Reuk- Avatar

    Since you won’t be driving it, and you don’t want to pay for the registration, then let the registration lapse and no one will be able to drive it. Although your request when looked at in black and white is reasonable, there maybe some grey areas that add to the situation. Are you helping you parents pay the rent, utilities, internet/cable etc? If not maybe paying the registration for our care the family uses is just part of the household cost that you are contributing to. But again, neither you or your parents have to renew the registration, just pull it off in the driveway and wait till you have your medical issues settled.

  53. Softkitty1984 Avatar

    Nta. They have been using the car since you cannot. So it makes sense that they pay the car registration. It’s extremely reasonable