AITA For Not Paying My Friend Back his Money?

r/

Me and my best friend- lets call him Steve, went to a zoo. It was run by charity and the government so people don’t have to pay, and I’m in a tough financial situation so I decided not to, however Steve donated a ton of money to them and said I had to split it with him because it was “the right thing to do”. Now for some stupid reason it’s a big thing and he is pissed off at me saying im a “cheapskate who hates animals”.

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    Me and my best friend- lets call him Steve, went to a zoo. It was run by charity and the government so people don’t have to pay, and I’m in a tough financial situation so I decided not to, however Steve donated a ton of money to them and said I had to split it with him because it was “the right thing to do”. Now for some stupid reason it’s a big thing and he is pissed off at me saying im a “cheapskate who hates animals”.

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  2. Judgement_Bot_AITA Avatar

    Welcome to /r/AmITheAsshole. Please view our voting guide here, and remember to use only one judgement in your comment.

    OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:

    > I didnt pay my friend back for a donation he made to an optional paywall to a zoo. I might be the asshole because I dont want to give him the money

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  3. Exact_Cantaloupe_408 Avatar

    What the heck?!

    NTA! Your friend is so weird

  4. Tourettescatlady Avatar

    NTA. If you did not agree to pay or donate, and your friend decided to do so regardless, that’s on them. They need to learn boundaries.

  5. Ok-Practice838 Avatar

    NTA

    Your friend made the decision to make a donation, I’m assuming he knew your financial situation, and now he wants you to pay him back. When someone makes a DONATION that is out of the kindness of their heart and should not expect someone to pay them back, unless this was agreed upon before making the donation.

    It’s on him, not you. NTA

  6. Katiew84 Avatar

    NTA. He didn’t loan you money. He made a choice to donate on both of your behalf, which you did not agree to. You didn’t borrow money from him, therefore there is nothing to pay back. The “right thing to do” would’ve been for him to check with you before to deciding to donate money on your behalf.

    I wouldn’t give him a single cent. This is his own fault.

  7. Few_House_5201 Avatar

    NTA. from the title I was sure you’d be the Asshole here but def not. It was a voluntary decision to donate, he chose to give that amount. If he’d wanted to split it with you he’d have needed to clear this with you first.

  8. krazerush01 Avatar

    Your friend is the AH, he made the donation and will also benefit from it (can claim on taxes) but expects you to pay half when there was no agreement to.

    That’s not a friend, thats someone whom finds loopholes to benefit himself.

  9. blargblargblargadarg Avatar

    Tell Steve you’ll call up the zoo and explain the situation. I’m sure they’ll be happy to refund half of his donation once they understand what’s going on!

    NTA, he chose to make a donation, and it’s not your problem.

  10. esterday1708 Avatar

    NTA. Firstly, why is your friend making financial decisions for you unprovoked and secondly, why are they forcing you to care about their activism? Im all for activism but dont force others to participate if they choose not to.

  11. jme518 Avatar

    NTA this is insanity

  12. ortofon88 Avatar

    Tell him you just hate the giraffes so much you can’t bring yourself to donate

  13. deskbeetle Avatar

    Steve can’t donate your money. He is being stupid.

  14. wesmorgan1 Avatar

    If there’s no admission price, there’s no admission price.

    If he decided to donate, great, but he doesn’t get to decide that on your behalf or ask you to pay.

    You are absolutely NTA.

  15. Due_Passage8349 Avatar

    NTA. What’s wrong with him? He should’ve agreed with you on a set amount to pay if he had planned on splitting it with you in the first place

  16. Discount_Mithral Avatar

    NTA. Sounds like Steve isn’t a great friend. Tell him to write his donation off on his taxes and to stop griping about a donation you didn’t ask him to make.

  17. NotMelissa_Smith Avatar

    NTA, Steve needs to get out of your pockets and stop trying to count your money. MYOB Steve!!

  18. Broken-Ice-Cube Avatar

    NTA Steve donated his momey to look good now he’s trying to take yours

  19. Triple-OG- Avatar

    NTA – your friend is a clown. don’t give that idiot a single cent.

  20. Glittering_Focus_295 Avatar

    Did you agree to split the donation with him? If no, then NTA. Steve doesn’t get to decide what you will do with your money.

  21. Individual_Metal_983 Avatar

    NTA it was his choice to donate. He does not get to donate for you too.

  22. NopeNinjaSquirrel Avatar

    NTA if he decided to donate on your behalf and then expected you to reimburse him, but without even once asking you! Steve doesn’t sound like a very good friend…

  23. UnlikelyPistachio Avatar

    Those kind of things require agreement in advance. NTA

  24. LawrenceSpiveyR Avatar

    What an odd predicament. Steve can frig off.

  25. Infinite-Cat-Peep Avatar

    NTA. You are not obligated to pay for his choice. Tell Steve you are a cheapskate right now. That said, don’t go out drinking / doing social things that cost money with Steve unless you pay for some of his stuff. If you’re really in a tough financial situation, you don’t have money for non-free social things.

  26. PresentAd1233 Avatar

    I’m going to call bullshit on this post.

  27. goldenheartedlion Avatar

    If you give him say $3 and say that’s all you can afford and feel it’s worth there’s nothing he can say or do on a legal point of view. He can then shut up.