My SD18, is going to college next year, I have a D5. I needed to have someone at home with her over the summer until school starts. I asked SD15 to watch her but she couldn't. So SD18 said she would. So the agreement was she would watch D5 5 days a week 10-2, and she would be able to either find a part time job or not, I gave her a car. In exchange as I wasn't going to have to put up tuition to a Daycare I would pay $400 for her dorm room and $154 for her orientation. Well I paid the $400., the first week she was to come she said she couldnt and sent SD15, said she needed to get her transcripts from school (OK). Well, I find out the next week she came (not from her)that she had been putting in application in her area (almost 2hours). So she comes to take care of D5 and at the end of the week tells me she can't come the next week until Wed as she has a call back interview.

I feel she never intended to watch D5 and has not held up her end of the deal. So I put a stop payment on the $154 check, I couldn't do the $400 as it had cleared and she still has the car, (by the way I am seperated from her dad). I put the stop payment in place 1. because she reniged 2. I had to pay tuition for Daycare. Now I have her whole family calling and threatening me and calling me names. I was trying to be helpful, but I am not in a postion to pay all these extras for nothing. Am I or was I wrong to stop payment

Ok I am new here and haven't received any advice on my delimma.. I forgot to say that I was also paying her $80.00 per week for her services of watching her sister 5. Well now her unstable mother who has been in and out of mental hospitals and just last summer I had to go get the 2 girls becuase she had pulled a shotgun on them, and her Aunt who is just as unstable and her are threatening me. I am now going to take the threatening phone calls and the RO I have against her and her Mother and Aunt to the college if she doesn't stop with all this. Any suggestions.

You did the right thing! DB18 needs to learn responsibility and must pay for her actions. If the car is in you name, have it reposessed. Sit her down and explain why you have taken the actions that you did and that it was not a personal vendetta against her. She should have treated this as if it were a real job instead of getting over on stepmom. If she were a nanny, you would have to do the same thing. Money does not grow on trees. As for the other part of the family ( I am assuming they were extended family from your previous marriage) you do not have to deal with them. If they threaten you, record the instances call the police and get a restraining order. Don't let them stress you with their instabilities.

Its better off she's not watching your daughter anyway..If she can't keep her promise..then shes not responsible. You def do the right thing!

venus, I think you were put into a difficult position and she will have to accept the way you dealt with it. She certainly did not earn the money.

It sounds like the people involved have no business around your children. If you are being threatened, I personally think you should get a restraining order.

My first thought was to talk to your step-daughter and explain why you did it and how bad of a position she put you in. If there are threats and shot guns involved... I doubt that would be effective.

Good luck.. and be careful!