It’s tough enough when things we treasure are stolen, but when things are stolen in a way that could have been totally prevented?

It can really get under your skin.

OP has a cool (and expensive) electric scooter that he uses to commute and for fun. His nephew also thinks it’s cool, but OP has expressly forbidden him to use it, as it has been modified to go pretty fast.

Last year I bought an EMOVE Cruiser electric scooter which I’ve since modified to add more speed, a new handlebar and some other mods. The scooter itself was not cheap, at $1500, plus mods puts it over $2000.

My nephew has always asked me about my scooter and I told him that it isn’t for kids because it’s extremely fast and I’ve expressly forbidden him from riding it multiple times. His mother knows about this as well.

OP’s sister and nephew were house sitting while he was out of town, as they often did, as they enjoy the change of scenery. When OP returned, he learned his nephew had not only ridden the scooter, but had left it unattended long enough for it to be stolen.

I have a sister (43f) and a nephew (13m) who I always let house sit for me while I’m out of town on business. I have pets and plants that I need taken care of and they always welcome a change of scenery. So I had to go on a business trip last month for a week and let them house sit.

Well, I come back from my trip and my sister tells me that I’m going to be mad, but my nephew took my scooter out, left it unattended and had it stolen. I was f**king pissed and asked them to leave.

He wants them to replace it immediately. They say they can’t afford it, and the only way they could do it is to deplete their vacation fund.

I told them they’d have to replace it and my sister pleaded with me, they couldn’t afford it, it was a mistake and that he could do just do chores around my house to pay me back. I told her that it doesn’t replace my scooter.

She said that any money would have to come from their vacation fund. I said, tough s*%t.

OP says he doesn’t care. He thinks his nephew needs to learn a lesson, but their parents think he’s being too harsh.

Our parents have gotten involved and said that I’m taking it too far. They agree that my nephew should be punished and I should be paid back, but to take away their family vacation is just cruel and petty. They suggested a payment plan. I told them, hell no, that I use my scooter to commute to work often and that I wanted it back immediately. Furthermore, he was warned not to ride it since it’s dangerous.

Now that I’ve started to calm down here a little, I wonder if I’m being an Ahole here by being so demanding and potentially punishing everyone else for my nephew’s mistake.

Whose side is Reddit on? You know they’re about to tell us!

The top comment says that since OP is not asking his sister to give up any necessities, there is nothing wrong with his request.

And no one is buying that the mother is blameless on this one.

They say parents are responsible for their minor children’s mistakes.

This comment says one consequence should be no more house sitting.

This person suspects OP’s sister really doesn’t get it.

This is pretty yikes behavior from the sister.

The kid, too, but he’s 13 so he at least has an excuse.