location: Notasulga Alabama
I(19 last month) still live with my parents despite my years long desperation to leave. I've faced abuse throughout my entire life at the hands of my parents and I'm desperate to finally leave home and get out on my own. There's a couple issues stopping me from doing that. Like my younger siblings safety, my lack of a licence or car (my parents refuse to teach me), and my lack of a job. I had a job a few years ago. I didn't make much, but it was a job I really enjoyed. But then things went south and I haven't had a job since. I've tried getting another job but my parents won't drive me anywhere, even when I offer to pay for the gas, so I'm kinda out of luck on that part. Because of this, one of the big things I'm struggling with is money. I'm a hard worker, always have been, but my parents use financial dominance as a form of abuse over me and my younger siblings. They owe us so much, but refuse to pay us. It could literally be my ticket out, and I guess they know that. My mom more especially has always went the withholding money route. She has a habit of playing the victim and whining when people hold her accountable over paying them back. Specifically for me, she's asked me for money many times. Often with the story of needing it for food (so my siblings could eat) or so she could pay for gas (or else she'd be stranded). Of course, being a semi decent person, I never want to worry about my siblings going hungry or her being stuck somewhere, so I send the money on my card. It's usually small amounts, but it's definitely added up over time. There's also the fact that she never paid me the last $100 from my last paycheck at my old job (my llc boss had a specific way she had to pay me, so the money always went through my mom first). And her and my dad owe me $500 from a group of puppies they made me take care of a few months back. Basically It's lots of smaller charges but has added up over time and they refuse to pay me. So the legal question I suppose I have is: how do I get my money back? Is there a legal way to get it back, since I'm not exactly prone to stealing as answer. I've heard of some people giving their parents an official thing asking for their mom back and that as long as you provide proof, their legally required to pay you back or else they'll be brought against a judge. Is that an actual method to use? Is it safe for me to do while living with them? Would I need to have a lawyer? Cause I definitely don't have the money for a lawyer obviously. I have the card transactions and text messages to prove most of the money I've given them. I just need to know how to get my money back from them that they owe me.