Mark and Christina Rotondo are the parents who had to go to court in order to get their 30-year-old-son to leave their house. It was in the town of Camillus, about 10 miles west of Syracuse, where a judge ruled in favour of the parents. According to USA Today, the parents sent Michael Rotondo five notices in February in order to notify him of his impending eviction. The letters asked the son to move out, get a job and get his broken-down Volkswagen off the family driveway.
YouTube / ABC News 7 / Fox News
In an article from CNN, one-note which was dated February 2, read: ‘after a discussion with your Mother, we have decided you must leave this house immediately. You have 14 days to vacate. You will not be allowed to return. We will take whatever actions are necessary to enforce this decision.’ Later after that first notice, the parents went to find legal counsel in order to serve him another notice, nearly two weeks later, which informed him he had 30 days to leave.
According to CNN, Michael had a room at his parent’s for the past eight years and refused to get a job or perform any household chores. While Michael has told HLN that he doesn’t like living there, he has also stated that he doesn’t have the means right now to move out. In that interview, he said: ‘I’m getting together the means to do that. With my parents, they want me out right away, and they’re not really interested in providing reasonable time, and the court is siding with them, as it seems.’
His parents even offered him money to fix his car and find a place to live. In the CNN article, the Rotondo couple even offered to give Michael $1,100 to find a new place to live. Another note was served to Michael: ‘Some advice: 1) Organize the things you need for work and to manage an apartment. Note: You will need stuff at (redacted). You must arrange the date and time through your Father so he can set it up with the tenant. 2) Sell the other things you have that have any significant value, (e.g. stereo, some tools etc.). This is especially true for any weapons you may have. You need the money and will have no place for the stuff. 3) There are jobs available even for those with a poor work history like you. Get one – you have to work! 4) If you want help finding a place your Mother has offered to help you.’
In an interview with WSTM, Michael contends that he was never asked to pay rent before and that it is his right to be given six months’ notice before being forced to leave. Michael claims that he ‘has never been expected to contribute to household expenses, or assisted with chores and the maintenance of the premises, and claims that this is simply a component of his living agreement.’ In a Business Insider article, Michael explained that he failed to get a job because he was forced to focus on parenting although he lost his visitation rights to that child.
In an interview with Business Insider, Michael said: ‘I’ve been a father for the past few years. That’s what I’ve been doing. I really haven’t been pursuing a career. I was an excellent father, I was a great father, and [the child] needed me in their life. That’s why I’m not the CEO of a big company, that’s why I’m living with my parents still.’
In court, where Michael and the State Supreme Court Justice Donald Greenwood had a thirty-minute conversation, Michael asked for another six months at his parents’ house. According to Syracuse.com, Donald Greenwood called that request ‘outrageous’ and asked Michael to address his parents directly, which he refused to do. Eventually, the State Supreme Court Justice said: ‘there are jobs available even for those with a poor work history like you. Get one.’
