17 and ready to leave home due to unfit/ unhealthy living conditions.

[Arielles03]

I have a friend who is 17 years old, turning 18 in 4-1/2 months, but is ready to leave home now for unfit / unhealthy living conditions. Her home is Roach / Spider / Black Mold infested and it is not a healthy environment. Her mother is a Disabled Veteran who feels that she is her "property". She has control over her savings account and won't even let me know the amount inside. She gets $500 a month from her father for Social Security but won't use it for the teens benefit; she uses it for her own expenses. The teenager has a full time job and will be gradating from the local community college with her AA in 1 month. She has no other biological family in town but ha adult friends who are willing to help her with living situations until she go to University in August. Is the emancipation process even worth it now or what else can she do?
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[cbg]

She can walk out the door and never come back...the very minute she turns 18. Until then, she lives where her parents say she lives unless the state removes her from the home. In which case she lives where the state says she lives.

 

[Arielles03]

She can walk out the door and never come back...the very minute she turns 18. Until then, she lives where her parents say she lives unless the state removes her from the home. In which case she lives where the state says she lives.

So I totally forgot to mention that she is in unfit living conditions. For example, the home is Roach, Spider, & Black mold Infested. This is the main reason she wants to leave. She is 17 and graduates with her AA Degree in May. Her mother feels that she is her "property".

 

[Taxing Matters]

So I totally forgot to mention that she is in unfit living conditions. For example, the home is Roach, Spider, & Black mold Infested. This is the main reason she wants to leave. She is 17 and graduates with her AA Degree in May. Her mother feels that she is her "property".

If the living conditions are truly unhealthy then report it to the child protection agency in her state. If the conditions are unsafe the state will remove the child from the home. But if she just walks out and moves in with someone else her mother will have the legal right to force her to return home. She has just 4 months before she turns 18. The moment she turns 18 she can leave and her mother cannot do anything about it in all states but two: Alabama and Nebraska. In those two states, the age of majority is 19.

 

[stealth2]

She has control over her savings account and won't even let me know the amount inside.

Why should she tell you anything?

 

[cbg]

The law does not say, she can leave at 18 unless there are roaches, spiders and black mold in the home. The law says she can leave at 18.

 

[LdiJ]

I am not sure that the OP or her friend are located in the US. There are nuances in the post that lead me to believe that they might be located elsewhere.

 

[stealth2]

I am not sure that the OP or her friend are located in the US. There are nuances in the post that lead me to believe that they might be located elsewhere.

I had the same thought.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

But the OP did write, "...She gets $500 a month from her father for Social Security...". Which doesn't mean she is in the US but does up the chances.

 

[stealth2]

But the OP did write, "...She gets $500 a month from her father for Social Security...". Which doesn't mean she is in the US but does up the chances.

I believe the UK also provides social security benefits, although I don't know the details.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

I believe the UK also provides social security benefits, although I don't know the details.

Maybe I have no idea but they don't pay them in $.

 

[cbg]

The age of majority in the UK and in the entire EU is 18 as well, so it may be a distinction without a difference.

 

[stealth2]

Maybe I have no idea but they don't pay them in $.

LOL Good point.

In any event, Mom is under no obligation to provide a bank account balance to OP...

 

[adjusterjack]

The phrase "go to University" seems to indicate non-US but the rest of it more closely relates to US.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

Where I'm from (Arkansas) it is just missing the article "the". Most of the people I graduated that went to the University of Arkansas would have answered the question, "What are you doing after High School?" with "Going to the University."