AITA for not being excited? Partner’s grandmother bought us a house (with some HUGE strings)
My partner (27) and I (26) have been together for 5 years. I’m in my first trimester with our first child. Their grandmother purchased us a house (that honestly should have been condemned- the previous owners were animal hoarders, black mold, failing roof, the works) as a surprise and is renovating it and giving it to us on the condition that half be converted to suit my mil (B47).
There are several reasons I have a problem with this.
The physical condition of the property is actually something off a horror set. We swung by once to see it, and I literally couldn’t enter due to the fumes. The front door was open and you could smell it out in the yard. Like I mentioned, the previous owners had a home zoo- cats, dogs, gerbils, some parakeets, indoor and outdoor chickens, a snake, a turtle, you name it. Feces everywhere. A 10 years past replacement roof and water damage as a result. Due to this I’ve only seen inside via a video walkthrough. And our “half” is the most damaged part. The layout also makes absolutely zero sense, there is a ton of wasted space and virtually no privacy. A “brand new” fridge, mold encrusted and surrounded by trash and sitting unplugged and full of rotting food for at least two years. GM refuses to replace this, claiming it can be cleaned. Not in a way I can ever eat from, let alone store my breast milk in safely. Every suggestion I’ve made has been shot down. Financially there is almost no hope of renovation later on, once this house is “finished,” we’re stuck with it. I’m afraid it will never be livable, let alone ready before my child is born.
Now onto my issue with my MIL. “B” is a recovering H addict and although on her longest sober streak yet, demonstrates poor judgement that I do not trust near my child. She’s a vaccine conspiracy theorist She badmouths her daughter’s parenting skills, which makes me worry what she’d say about me behind my back. She has a lifelong habit of bringing home “strays,” one of whom (harmed) my partner as a child. She denies it to this day. She has a history of pathological lying and has put her children and grandchildren in dangerous positions innumerous times. Recent example- claimed her (rightfully ostracized) brother has “5 different allegations against him from children”, yet she snuck her daughter’s youngest child over to his house to meet him at least twice. Which to me proves that whatever the truth may be, she is not a safe adult AT ALL. I do not want her to have such close proximity to my kid.
Literally no one other than my partner will hold this woman accountable for fear of her relapsing, and so she gets away with everything. She is self centered and plays the victim card constantly.
We also don’t have the choice not to move. We cannot stay in the housing we’re currently in, it’s not big enough for a child and it’s also in very bad shape. I can’t move back home, because my own mother / conditions aren’t much better.
AITA for not being excited about this house?
Posted Aug 13, 2025, 11:38 PM UTC