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Do I have a fair financial arrangement with my roomate?

I've had the same roomate for a couple of years. About 2 years ago, they decided to go to college, and asked if it would be ok if I helped cover some of their finances while they quit their job and went to school, which I have been doing since that time. Here is the breakdown of our finances-

Rent- $950 / mo paid entirely by me

Water, gas, sewage and trash- $50 / mo paid entirely by me

Payments for my car- $175 / mo paid entirely by me

Payments for my roomate's car- $350 / mo paid entirely by me

Car insurance (both cars) $180 / mo paid entirely by me

We both pay for our own gasoline.

Electricity- $65 / mo paid entirely by me

Food- ~$500 / mo by me, $200 / mo by my roomate (if they eat when I'm not around, and chipping in on groceries from time to time)

Chores- I load the dishwasher, my roomate empties the dishwasher. I take out all of the trash. I do 60% to 80% of the cooking. My roomate does most of the miscellaneous cleaning around the house, and does the laundry.

My roomate is paying for their textbooks and tuition.

My roomate wants to quit being my roomate and move out, but we still have a few months left on the lease. Is it fair for me to expect them to

1) pay me back for all of the car payments I made for them

2) cover the fees of breaking lease early

3) cover the downpayment when I move into a new (smaller) apartment?

Ironically, although I'm the one actually signing checks, my roomate has a much better credit score than I do. Historically when we've had any kind of credit check done (getting a new apartment, getting loans for both of our cars, etc), my roomate gets us approved for the loan and then I actually pay the loan. This is why I think it's justified that they help me get set up at a new place.

Comments? Are my expectations out of line?

2 Answers

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  • Jo
    Lv 4
    8 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    No, you aren't justified in expecting that, unfortunately.

    Why? Because they obviously have no money and have been taking advantage of you for a long time.

    I wouldn't expect a dime from them.

    In the future, make arrangements that make sense with people who are reasonable.

    Also if you wanted the car payment money back, you should have made prior arrangements about this such as a signed contract so you could at least sue them.

  • 8 years ago

    Your expectations are reasonable, but although I don't know him, realize that your roommate isn't probably going to pay these things for you. I'm not sure if he was taking advantage of you, but he doesn't sound like he has money right now and I really doubt that he's going to pay you.

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