Dear Prudence,
I own a 1-bedroom condo that I often sublease when I am out of the country. My half-sister got pregnant once in high school and again in college. She ended up dropping out and has been living with random relatives ever since. She and her mother fight like cats and dogs, so my sister and her kids never stay with our parents long.
I made the mistake of letting her and the kids move in for a month after my tenant left early. I came home to find my home completely trashed. Markers on the walls, stains on my couch, carpet and my mattress, missing dishes, and somehow broken tiles in my bathroom. My sister claimed that it was all the fault of my former tenant and refused to pay for any repairs (my tenant sent me pictures of them leaving the place in good condition). I ended up having to spend over $2,000 in order to get the place back up to snuff.
I was very vocal with my family and friends about my displeasure—so now that my sister is on the outs again with her mother, she blames me for no one wanting to take her and the kids in. I love my sister and her kids, but she has burnt every bridge she comes across and it is always someone else’s fault. Is there anything to do here?
—Big Mess