Permission To Move Out

[Unregistered]

I'm 15 and my dad has told me multiple times to move in with my grandparents. They live on the same property, my grandparents own my parents house. I have him on recording telling me to. If he has told me multiple times already, can I go? I'll still attend school, but living with my parents has been horrible for the past 3 years I suffer from depression due to their mental and emotional abuse. Can they revoke their consent for me to move out? Should I just go?

[ccsmod0]

Re: Permission to Move Out

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out tonight and sharing a bit of your story with us. It sounds like you’re going through a lot with your parents. You don’t deserve to be treated that way at all. It’s got to be exhausting to live in a place where you feel so disrespected. It was smart of you to reach out and ask your questions. So let’s see how we can help you out.

We aren’t legal experts here, but we are able to speak generally. In general if you are under 18 and you leave home or are anywhere where your parents don’t give you permission to be, your parents have the right to file a runaway report with the police. Even though they gave you permission and you have it on record, they can change their mind immediately. Even if they signed something, unfortunately if they are still your legal guardians, then they have the right to decide where you live.
If you left, it seems like they might come and find you and try to make you come back. It also seems like if you stayed at home, then you would have to continue to deal with the emotional toll that they place on you. So either decision you mean (leaving or staying) would come with potential consequences or outcomes. Making a list of these risks might be a good next step for you.

We are here to support you through this time. If you’d like to talk through anything else, please feel free to call us 24 hours a day at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). Or you can chat with us through our website (www.1800runaway.org) from 4.30pm-11.30pm central time.

We look forward to your call or chat.

Best of luck to you,

NRS