Am I going to get in legal trouble for child abandonment?

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My roommate had to go out of town to deal with a family issue. She asked me to watch her daughter while she was gone. At the time told her that I had a trip coming up with my bf so I could only watch her daughter until then. She understood so the plan was I would watch her daughter for four day.

While she was gone she asked if I would be okay if she extended her trip for a few more days. I reminded her about my trip. So she got a new plane ticket that would have had her arriving back today at 1pm. My bf and I also had plane ticket to leave for our trip today at 10am. So the new plan was my bf and I would drop her daughter off at school then head for the airport. Then my roommate would pick her daughter up from school as she would be home by then.

So my bf and I dropped her daughter off today like planned. While we were in line at airport security my roommate called me and told me her flight got cancelled because of weather and since she didn't know when she would get back she asked me to pick up her daughter. I told her I couldn't because I was already at the airport. She did seem a little surprised because she thought my flight was later tonight at 10pm, not 10am (even thought the text message said am). Anyway she said she would call some other people and hung up.

A while later as we are getting ready to board the plane my roommate calls again and says she could not find anyone to pick up and watch her daughter and asked me to cancel my trip and pick her up. This trip was very expensive though and my bf and I had to schedule a week off work. So I told her that she would have to find someone else and told her we were boarding and I had to go. So I hung up and put my phone in airplane mode and we boarded the plane.

My bf and I got to our hotel and I finally looked at my phone and it has a bunch of messages from my roommate. In them she talks about me committing child abandonment and since I was the last one in charge of her daughter I was responsible and she's going to tell the police. So now I'm freaked out. Am I going to get in trouble for this. I only agreed to watch her daughter until she got to school this morning. I do have text messages confirming my roommate knew that.

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@amsal,

A child isn't a disposable thing.

You do know that, correct?

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@amsal,

I don't think you are responsible. You agreed to a set time ahead of both of your flights. You looked after her for the four days. You then dropped her off as scheduled and agreed upon. You had plans with someone else. She is not your child or your responsibility. She is the mother and she is responsible.

What you did does sound a little heartless and maybe morally questionable, but ultimately, you are not responsible for her.

What if you hadn't answered your phone?

What eventually happened? I'm curious.

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@Mame,

Me too!

Really, some women should not be mothers! Terrible situation on the part of the mother. It's her fault to begin with, she wanted to extend her trip and didn't hold onto her part of the deal and then to threaten with police for child endangerment.

I would ask her to move out or if it's her apartment then you should move soon. This is a terrible situation for the child and having such an irresponsible mother, I would contact CPS myself to see that the child is taken care of. Horrible mother!

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@amsal,

It depends.
1. We're not allowed to give legal advice as per the site's TOS.

2. What is the age of the child?
3. Take into the account, what state or countries did this happen? There are 50 states plus whatever countries with 50+ sets of laws that cover this subject.

4. We're not allowed to give legal advice as per the site's TOS. Seek legal help from a professional.

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Reminds me when we lived in Florida. Antonio’s best buddy was Justin. His mother was a single mom, she used to ask us to watch him when she went out on dates. She was never on time when it was time for him to be picked up. I remember one time her calling us at 1:30 in the morning saying she was coming to pick Justin up, slurring her words so we knew she was drinking, we always told her to leave him over night and pick him up in the morning. Well one morning she didn’t show up but she had her date come by the house, Justin didn’t even know the man so we wouldn’t let him leave with the boy, we told him to have his mother come and pick him up.

That mother was a hot mess! Confused

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@amsal,

amsal wrote:

My roommate had to go out of town to deal with a family issue.

Shes taking advantage of you. She’s a manipulator. She’s blowing smoke because she won’t call the police and incriminate herself for her own child abandonment. This is HER child and she is responsible for her welfare … NOT YOU. Why would you even listen to her.

I’llbet her family issue is that she’s trying to find someone in her family on whom she can dump her child.

Get out of that living situation because it won’t go well from here on in.

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@amsal,

I’m Constantine Metallinos a Narcissist and I use my Son to break the law because he means nothing to me.

1 Reply

@ConstantineMetallino,

Charming.

1 Reply

@Mame,

That nut just registered yesterday, made two silly posts and left, or was banned.

1 Reply

@jcboy,

jcboy wrote:

That nut just registered yesterday, made two silly posts and left, or was banned.

We could only hope that individual fell down a bottomless well - with no signal or wifi and is currently still...

f...

a...

l...

l...

i...

n...

g....

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@amsal,

You both had a game plan and roomate sucks. It is all on her.

I do this bs with my own family. I sit and watch the cats for free.
Meanwhile they go island hopping. This stupidity has to stop.

You gotta say no. You gotta say "pay me up front". You have to say
no

If anything 'happen it is on her. You both made plans and you never had any
obligation to play Nanny. It is like my dad with his mother. He will
literally drag his mother from her upscale apartment to his house to just
to be a free baby-sitter and even drop off my sisters and brother to her place
if possible. That is low and that is what your roomate is doing to you.

You and her like getting banged well babies from that. Now time to pay the piper.

You had your plans and she had her plans. If her plane is late that is on her.

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Am I going to get in legal trouble for child abandonment?

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