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The original was posted on /r/AmItheAsshole by /u/TackleSignificant698 on 2023-07-29 13:32:24.

I have a home office and decided to have some light renovations done. I looked into hiring a professional contractor but my wife wanted me to hire her brother.

I was hesitant.

1st, he’s a handy man and not a contractor. 2nd, he doesn’t have insurance or even many of the tools required to do this job. All of the contractors I spoke to are insured and he had to borrow my tools. 3rd, I had to pay him money up front to cover the cost of materials while the contractors all have accounts with suppliers so they didn’t require any upfront money.

My wife talked me into it because he needs the money and has a family. We decided to take a vacation while he was going to do the work and came back to a mess. The carpet was soaked and moldy. Nothing was done. Materials were everywhere and it smelled like a swamp in our house.

Apparently when he drilled into the wall, he didn’t locate the water line and hit it. He only noticed the leaking when he came back from lunch and the carpet was soaked. He tried to find the shut off but couldn’t so he tore into the wall to try and stop the leaking which made it worse on top of which he couldn’t stop it there either. He panicked and called a coworker who came over hours later and found the shut off. Instead of calling us immediately, he left the house as it was and I guess it was out of sight, out of mind. The repair cost ended up being triple the original cost.

Since his family is living on section 8 housing and other government assistance, we decided last year to start saving to take them and her parents on a beach vacation this year in December as their Christmas gift. We told them about it a couple of months ago so everyone could get their calendar in order. I told me wife we should cancel the trip and apply that money to the cost of the repairs.

This is has caused an argument between us. My wife said it’s not fair to punish her nieces, nephews, and parents since they’ve been excited about the trip and they could never afford to go on their own. I argued we can’t afford to eat the cost without it affecting our budget. She loves her nieces and nephews and keeps on saying I’m unfairly punishing them.

We’re supposed to go to her parent’s for dinner tonight and she forbade me to cancel the trip or even bring up the subject. I don’t think I can look at her stupid brother without calling him stupid.