Vacation?...Why Do I Feel MORE Stressed?

[tropicsgoddess]

Forget boarding and military school, that kid needs BOOT CAMP! SIL needs to find her spine and start showing him who's boss. I absolutely can't stand spoiled brats. As for the puppy thing, that was a bad idea...epic fail to bring it when she was told about the policy change and with the fact that it was not house trained at all! I think it would be pretty easy for the owners to find the stuff the puppy tore up and peed on. Unless you use good stain removers, the smell and stains will still be there.

[Seraph]

I see suck on the owner's part too - changing to "no pets" with an effective date BEFORE a pre-booked rental to someone who paid the pet deposit (and therefore would presumably be bringing a pet). How did SIL see the change in policy - did she look back at the website (plausible deniability), or did owner send her a letter with the change listed (clearly notified of change), and if the latter, why didn't owner refund the pet deposit (since it would not be applicable in a "no pets" rental) and offer her the chance to cancel with no penalty (since someone who paid a pet deposit is likely to want to re-book somewhere that allows pets, rather than stay at the same place which has suddenly become "no pets")?

As for the table, why does SIL think the owner won't check the place between rentals (simple cure for "it was damaged when we arrived/it was good when we left - they must have wrecked it and tried to blame us")? Sure SIL will be long gone, but owner will still have her contact info - enough to file a suit in small claims court.

I'm not sure why they changed it, or how she knew. I think, I *think* she was notified about the change before we went. Knowing her though, she probably just ignored it.

I have no idea, they also just surface cleaned the pee spots. You couldn't see them at first, but stepping in the area, you got a squish. So the owners will find those eventually as well. =/

[wolfie]

Except, the house we rented apparently just did a big overhaul, to nicen things up. Revamped the furniture, deep cleaned the carpets, new floor mats, added some pretty wicker tables, stuff like that. They also changed the policy to no pets.

Sister in law, having put the rental in her name (we all sent her checks for our share), had reserved it a month before the change. Paid the pet waiver, and didn't contact the company after she saw the change in policy. As she put it "I paid the waiver, their own fault, they can suck it up."
And brought her brand new puppy. Who is not housetrained.

So anyways, puppy, besides the peeing, and pooping, chewed on everything. Remember that wicker table I mentioned? She tore it UP. SIL turned the table around and said "they won't ever notice, by the time they do we'll be long gone."

I see suck on the owner's part too - changing to "no pets" with an effective date BEFORE a pre-booked rental to someone who paid the pet deposit (and therefore would presumably be bringing a pet). How did SIL see the change in policy - did she look back at the website (plausible deniability), or did owner send her a letter with the change listed (clearly notified of change), and if the latter, why didn't owner refund the pet deposit (since it would not be applicable in a "no pets" rental) and offer her the chance to cancel with no penalty (since someone who paid a pet deposit is likely to want to re-book somewhere that allows pets, rather than stay at the same place which has suddenly become "no pets")?

As for the table, why does SIL think the owner won't check the place between rentals (simple cure for "it was damaged when we arrived/it was good when we left - they must have wrecked it and tried to blame us")? Sure SIL will be long gone, but owner will still have her contact info - enough to file a suit in small claims court.

[Seraph]

If it were me, I'd have just up and left, written it off as a bad idea, and had a staycation for the rest of the weekend.

Eight hour drive back, plus already dropped $400 for our share of the house.

Agreed on both counts. Unfortunately, I've seen this behavior in other kids. If he doesn't get some sort of discipline now, he's got a great chance of getting it behind bars. I hate to say it, but it's unfortunately likely.

Sadly, you're very correct.

I would have found the password to the router (if possible, that is) and changed the security code. First time Bratly gets on and can't connect, he would have been informed that this is a vacation with family and needs to mingle with family. At the end of the day, the password "might" be changed back. Depends on how he behaved.

Yeah, my BIL also was miffed I didn't steal the cord and battery pack, and hide them in various places. =/

[Nurian]

I would have found the password to the router (if possible, that is) and changed the security code. First time Bratly gets on and can't connect, he would have been informed that this is a vacation with family and needs to mingle with family. At the end of the day, the password "might" be changed back. Depends on how he behaved.

[Crossbow]

I agree with the above, that the kid needs Military school, and his mother needs a backbone.

Agreed on both counts. Unfortunately, I've seen this behavior in other kids. If he doesn't get some sort of discipline now, he's got a great chance of getting it behind bars. I hate to say it, but it's unfortunately likely.

[Jetfire]

Ugh, after the first day of Runescape instead of helping out, the house would have had "Internet problems" for the rest of the week. (And possibly TV problems too if needed)

I agree with the above, that the kid needs Military school, and his mother needs a backbone.

Hope you can squeeze out a few quiet days to recover before work hits you again.

[RayvenQ]

That kid needs a week at Seraph school with no witnesses!

Sounds like a guy that was in my corp in EVE online ... he was seriously spoiled until he ran into someone who had something he wanted, and wouldn't put up with his crap and kept calling him on it, and refusing to let him walk all over herself ...

Ho boy, if he pulled some of the crap like that with the people I know in Eve, He'd have been ganked to tears by his own corp mates.

[RealUnimportant]

I'd rather go on holiday with the puppy that the nephew tbh! At least the dog is too young to know better...

I'm generally an easy-going guy, but I'd have found the nearest rope & tied him down until he behaved himself - and if that meant he stayed tied up all week, so be it!

[AccountingDrone]

Sounds like a guy that was in my corp in EVE online ... he was seriously spoiled until he ran into someone who had something he wanted, and wouldn't put up with his crap and kept calling him on it, and refusing to let him walk all over herself ...

Got him to realize that he couldn't pull spoiled brat stuff with people online. He purportedly behaves in real life now ... We will see - this september he leaves to go to college 1500 miles from home.

[Sunshine]

Wow. Sis in law needs to find her backbone pdq

[Jay 2K Winger]

Man, is Nephew going to get his butt whupped when he gets to higher education. As pushy and snotty and bratty as he is, I guarantee you he's going to run into a teacher who won't put up with that crap (and hopefully an administration that backs the teacher up).

I was going to add that he'll end up at college without SIL to do stuff for him, but then it occurred that may not happen, either because he just won't go to college, or he will but SIL will keep doing stuff for him because she never says no.

We can all hope for the best, however, and that a massive Reality Check gets delivered to him one of these days. Hopefully soon.

[TheSHAD0W]

I'm sorry, Seraph, but I think you handled the entire vacation wrong.

If it were me, I'd have just up and left, written it off as a bad idea, and had a staycation for the rest of the weekend.

Eff that, not worth the headache.

[Seraph]

Fixed it for you.

I love you so much right now, Myt. I cracked up.

[Mytical]

You know, I don't normally advocate for this sort of thing, but that kid needs some time at a military school. He needs to be away from his mother entirely so that he can't abuse her into doing things for him, and away from his sister so that she can have some peace to grow into a decent young woman.

I'm just glad that your name isn't on the rental paperwork.

^-.-^

Fixed it for you.