18 yr old is suing parents for college education

[Burnedout]

The government has decried that your parents are expected help pay for your college. Your financial aid is based on your parents income. It is almost impossible to be declared an independent student anymore . so if the student can't get aid based on her parents then the parents should pay.

It is very difficult for these students. My DD has a friend whose parents are doing this. They make too much for financial aid but won't give their son anything so he can't get any aid except for the 7,500 fed loan all students can get. He also can't declare himself independent. It is a mess.


I did not read the article so I'm just responding to the title of the post.

I know a boy in a similar situation. He is screwed. Not "entitled"

 

[pryncess527]

She's not just demanding college, she's insisting she attend a school which costs $50,000 per year. I don't care if her parents are the biggest control freaks on the world, I don't see how they should be required to send her to such an expensive school. If she wanted to be responsible, she'd be using for emancipation so that she could apply for aid as an independent instead of insisting that she does not want that because she'd be stuck with the loans.

 

[jcano]

I think she should join the military and get the tuition from the GI Bill. That might solve more problems than tuition costs.

 

[EMom]

I think she should join the military and get the tuition from the GI Bill. That might solve more problems than tuition costs.

I'd love to see her tell a drill sergeant to "get over himself" or that she wants to crap in his face.

She wants $654 a WEEK in child support? There are entire families that live on less than that per week. I read every document. She throws everything but the kitchen sink at both parents, trying to make herself a victim. She truly has a bee in her bonnet that her dad had a government job "funded by taxpayers." What's her beef with that? She's very eager to take whatever she can get of that "taxpayer money."

For an honor student, she seems clueless as to the proper use of commas.

Her yearbook photo needs to read "Most Likely to Sue" or "Most Entitled."

 

[Sevenfifty]

A New Jersey family court judge ruled today that Rachel Canning's parents do not have to pay her high school tuition after she sued them to cover her schooling and living costs.

The judge delayed a ruling on whether the parents must pay the 18-year-old student's college tuition while asking lawyers to consider whether it's wise to "establish precedent where parents live in fear of establishing rules of the house?"

The judge also denied her request for weekly allowance and additional financial support including attorney fees.

The next hearing is scheduled for April 22.

 

[kidshop]

I don't think reading that does anything to help the daughter's case. After reading it, I'm definitely siding with the parents on this one.

Yeah....the part where she doesn't want to take out loans b/c she doesn't want to be in extreme debt!? And that her patents should support her until she can stand on her own two feet!! What maybe when she is 40?

Not happening honey.

 

[EMode]

I'd love to see her tell a drill sergeant to "get over himself" or that she wants to crap in his face.

She wants $654 a WEEK in child support? There are entire families that live on less than that per week. I read every document. She throws everything but the kitchen sink at both parents, trying to make herself a victim. She truly has a bee in her bonnet that her dad had a government job "funded by taxpayers." What's her beef with that? She's very eager to take whatever she can get of that "taxpayer money."

For an honor student, she seems clueless as to the proper use of commas.

Her yearbook photo needs to read "Most Likely to Sue" or "Most Entitled."

 

[RitaE]

The judge in his courtroom remarks mentioned the dangers of setting a unwanted precedent and mentioned an email sent by Rachel to her Father where she admits to her misbehavior and expresses a desire to change her behavior.

I don't think much will come of this.

About the only reasonable complication I can see is if the parents deposited what Rachel is calling "Her college money" in some sort of UGMA/UTMA account in which case it is possible that the money is legally tied to Rachel and ownership will eventually pass to her. There's nothing to indicate that however. Just accusations that they took away her college money after the fights and school suspensions. UGMAs were much more popular in pre-529 plan days and the danger was always that you were making some sort of irrevocable transfer to a child and hoping that they wouldn't make you regret it.

 

[4luv2cdisney]

Why am I not seeing the documents provided by the daughter? I see the copies of the emails and voicemail transcript the parents submitted, but not all the documents the daughter submitted....

I'm on my cell phone, am I skipping past them or are they missing?

 

[Miz Diz]

Yes, it can be both ways. You kick someone out, tell them to never darken your doorstep again. But then you regret it, and ask them to return.

Do you have inside information, that you know for a fact social services didn't seek support for her? Or, if they didn't seek support, why?

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

Pretty sure the "can't have it both ways" comment was the contradiction of the girl saying she was kicked out, but in the suit saying she left because advised by school not to return home. So which was it because it could not be both.

 

[Miz Diz]

Her parents haven't paid her high school tuition. They told her to leave because they didn't like her boyfriend. I'm betting on the girl being truthful and the parents/father being a control freak. She's an honor student and a scholarship bound athlete. I'd also bet that daddy is abusive. His statements were so practiced. I've seen a few dads like him. My son is also a senior in high school. I saw a father throw his daughter against a fence once; he literally lifted her off her feet and threw her. He described himself as a 'loving father' when children services responded to the half dozen calls they received. He was also a police officer. I can not imagine what went on in that home. I have a very good friend who is a PO and he's wonderful but he doesn't deny that many of his brothers in blue are very difficult spouses and parents. He says it's something about not being able to draw a line between work and home.

The parents said the girl was suspended for cutting school, drinking and missing curfew, including school nights. Said the boyfriend's mom brought her home one school night at 3am.. If all this is true, I don't believe the abusive parent thing. She was also kicked off cheerleading and a club in school according to an article Inread.

 

[Miz Diz]

The government won't give you loans if your parents can afford to send you to college(according to their standards) and no bank is going to give an 18 year old a loan without a cosigner. And I don't remember the exact field of study she wants to pursue but I do remember it's not one that would allow someone to have a good enough job to be able to pay for the degree and still do well.
And you are going on the assumption that her parents are telling the truth. Seeing as she has her school and a friend's parent(who happens to be a lawyer himself) who is willing to not only take her in but also pay $12,000 to hire her a lawyer so she can sue her parents on her side I just have a hard time believing anything that comes out of their mouths.

My parents could well afford to pay for my college. I applied for a student loan and got it without a consigned. Payments don't start until 6 mos after graduation.

 

[Lorelei Lee]

Well, the judge made a preliminary ruling. He declined to order any support at this time, but did put the matter down for trial in April.

My interpretation, based on the media sound bites, is that he didn't feel she had a slam dunk, compelling case, but that there was enough factual information to suggest she may have a case that has to be resolved via an evidentiary hearing.


Pity he can't just order them into family therapy. They sound like they could use it.

 

[Miz Diz]

Wow! Page 61 with the email from Rachel to her mom. Unbelievable.

 

[RitaZ.]

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/03/04/nj-students-lawsuit-against-parents-headed-to-court/

I don't think this girl really gets the seriousness of the situation. In the video, her mom looks emotionally spent.

I think that the benefactors' (as they call themselves) motives are not entirely altruistic.

How sad for her parents, for her and her siblings.

 

[shortbun]

We'll see how this plays out. The judge merely refused to rule immediately and asked that the parties focus on reuniting. I hope they do but I saw the video and the dad faked some tears then sat like stone in the court. It looks like his daughter has inherited his genes. The mother looks like a battered wife to me and I've worked directly with battered women and daughters. She looked frightened and sad, not just sad. This was her first child. Did you hear the context of the last email she sent them before she moved out? Sounds like they/he refused to allow her to take the time to make amends....so who forced the move? Seems like it was daddy trying to prove a point. As parents of very young children, we ALL had to learn not to threaten consequences we were not prepared to deliver. This guy painted himself into a corner with his fury and has lost his daughter because of it.

 

[disykat]

It's amazing how people see things so differently. After reading the transcripts and watching the video it surprises me anyone is on the girl's side.

She's 18 and can leave her parents if she wants to, but why would she think they owe her money for doing so?

 

[EMom]

We'll see how this plays out. The judge merely refused to rule immediately and asked that the parties focus on reuniting. I hope they do but I saw the video and the dad faked some tears then sat like stone in the court. It looks like his daughter has inherited his genes. The mother looks like a battered wife to me and I've worked directly with battered women and daughters. She looked frightened and sad, not just sad. This was her first child. Did you hear the context of the last email she sent them before she moved out? Sounds like they/he refused to allow her to take the time to make amends....so who forced the move? Seems like it was daddy trying to prove a point. As parents of very young children, we ALL had to learn not to threaten consequences we were not prepared to deliver. This guy painted himself into a corner with his fury and has lost his daughter because of it.

Boy, you read a lot between the lines. It's as if we read two different groups of exhibits.

 

[Lorelei Lee]

The soundbites I saw on TV last night didn't include what the judge said to the family. I'm not surprised, though, that he told them to try to reconcile.


My experience in family court is very limited, but the family court judges. . . The good ones remember that they're not just dealing with legal issues, they're dealing with people's lives.

 

[Chin Chin]

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/03/04/nj-students-lawsuit-against-parents-headed-to-court/

I don't think this girl really gets the seriousness of the situation. In the video, her mom looks emotionally spent.

Looking at the video:

Mom looks spent. My heart breaks for her. She knows the family is broken.
Dad looks like he is done with the little brat.
And the teenaged daughter looks just like, well, a little brat.

You want to drink, skip school, come in at 3am? Prepare to suffer the consequences.