SandyMaloneCamillus, NY – A judge sided with parents who were desperate to kick their layabout 30-year-old son out of the upstate New York home, and took him to court to make it happen.
Mark and Christina Rotondo have been trying to get their entitled millennial son to move out of their home for a long time, but Michael Rotondo has refused to leave, The Washington Post reported.
Finally, Christina filed a lawsuit against their son in Onondaga County Supreme Court seeking to evict him, the New York Post reported.
“I’m not a burden to them in the home. They don’t provide laundry or food,” Michael told State Supreme Court Justice Donald Greenwood on Tuesday.
He battled the lawsuit with the argument he was entitled to six months’ notice prior to ejection because he was a family member.
His parents provided the judge with proof that they’ve served their son with five different written notices asking him to leave their house, and he ignored them all.
“You have heretofore been our guest and there is no lease or agreement that gives you any right to stay here without our consent,” read a notice given to Michael by Mark and Christina on Feb. 13 which stated their son was “hereby evicted… effectively immediately,” the New York Post reported.
Michael’s parents even gave him $1,100 on Feb. 18 to put towards moving, but he used that money to pay his bills rather than to move out.
“I just want a reasonable amount of time to vacate with consideration of the fact that I was not really prepared to support myself at the time I was served these notices,” Michael told reporters on his way into the courtroom.
“It’s really unfair to me and really outrageous,” Michael told the New York Post.
“I really don’t want to stay there,” he said.
“I’ve been trying to leave there for a long time. They stopped feeding me, they cut me off the family phone plan,” Michael complained to the New York Post.
He said he didn’t consider his parents’ actions “tough love.”
“I don’t think trying to destroy somebody is tough love,” he complained.
Michael represented himself in court, and tried to turn the event into a media circus, according to KRON.
He sparred with the judge, refused to try to work it out directly with his parents when Greenwood requested it, and literally tried to carry the podium up to the bench when the judge called him forward to talk, pointing out the media microphones were attached to it, KRON reported.
The judge complimented Michael’s legal research but ruled against him and said his request to live in his parents’ house for another six months was “outrageous,” the Syracuse Post-Standard reported.
Greenwood told the parents’ attorney, Anthony Adorante, to draft an eviction notice for him to sign, and pointed their son to an appellate court decision ruling that family members don’t get special treatment absent rare circumstances.
After the hearing, Michael called out to the media present to meet him outside for a press conference.
“I don’t see why the judge wants to throw people out on the street,” Michael complained after the judge’s ruling.
He claimed his parents’ eviction lawsuit was a retaliatory action because he hadn’t let them see his child before he lost custody of it.
Michael told reporters after the proceedings that he isn’t ready to move out of his parents’ home, The Washington Post reported.
He said there hadn’t been any incidents or altercations with his parents, but that he did not speak to them.
Michael, who claimed to be an entrepreneur, told reporters he supported himself, but refused to reveal what he does for a living to earn income, The Washington Post reported.
He announced his intention to appeal the judge’s ruling at the end of the hearing, and said he needed at least 30 days to make arrangements.
The judge suggested Michael investigate Airbnb to find a place to stay on short notice, The Washington Post reported.