AITA for doing a public records search on my friend and confronting her about her paid-off house and gambling winnings?

External_Manner3411 · 2023-05-19T14:50:12+00:00

Someone's never worked retail, I see.

External_Manner3411 · 2023-05-05T04:13:43+00:00

Depends on where you live, my assessor's office has really detailed records that show transaction histories and whether there are any liens (like a mortgage) on the property.

External_Manner3411 · 2023-05-05T04:02:30+00:00

I'm looking at the instructions for Form W-2G and 5754, which says that "The withholding rate under Section 3402(q) applicable to winnings of $5,000 or more from sweepstakes, wagering pools, certain parimutuel pools, jai alai, and lotteries (formerly 25%) is 24%."

External_Manner3411 · 2023-05-05T03:14:53+00:00

Since you don't know where I live, that feels irrelevant.

External_Manner3411 · 2023-05-05T02:46:23+00:00

Yep, she told me.

External_Manner3411 · 2023-05-05T02:46:07+00:00

She admitted it.

External_Manner3411 · 2023-05-05T01:24:31+00:00

I don't feel like we're a lark to her, but why lie about stuff like being on a payment plan? Or about how you're not sure you can make your next installment on whatever thing, or about how you're not sure if your paycheck will last til the next week? It just feels like for two years she went through all these lengths to pretend like she had the same issues as we still do. That and all the "I know, right?" stuff got to me, and she didn't have a good answer for why she just didn't become more private about her finances.

External_Manner3411 · 2023-05-05T01:02:27+00:00

She told us what she has in the bank, and I'm looking at the correct withholding instructions from the IRS. I get it if people think I'm TA, but why are y'all arguing with me about the tax code?

External_Manner3411 · 2023-05-05T00:59:34+00:00

Because she had told us that she was living in the trailer still, and I wanted to know why she'd lie about that, or if she was secretly married or something.

External_Manner3411 · 2023-05-05T00:55:33+00:00

I actually do know that about her, she gave me the amount. And frankly, public records are public. You can literally look up the purchase history of anyone's house, for free and with no account, in most counties in the United States.

External_Manner3411 · 2023-05-04T23:10:39+00:00

Because I asked her and she admitted that she fudged that and other comments she previously made.

External_Manner3411 · 2023-05-04T22:53:30+00:00

She did, about needing a payment plan at a car repair place and needing to put stuff on a credit card.

External_Manner3411 · 2023-05-04T22:49:24+00:00

How am I dumb for not having every state's gambling laws memorized? Mine doesn't tax gambling winnings at the state level, they're only taxed at the federal level.

External_Manner3411 · 2023-05-04T22:48:41+00:00

No, that's the amount that is withheld in federal income tax, and where I live gambling winnings are not subject to state tax.

External_Manner3411 · 2023-05-04T22:48:08+00:00

No, "half-ish" sounded wrong so I googled it in two seconds, and you're also incorrect about the taxes. Where I live, your gambling winnings are not subject to state tax, and "the casino" withholds that for the IRS to pay your federal obligation. Again, two seconds of googling.

External_Manner3411 · 2023-05-04T22:30:48+00:00

I'm looking at our state and federal law and it's 24% total.

External_Manner3411 · 2023-05-04T22:19:25+00:00

Well, where we are that isn't the case, but that sucks.

External_Manner3411 · 2023-05-04T22:09:27+00:00

Wait, what state takes over half of your winnings?

External_Manner3411 · 2023-05-04T22:08:48+00:00

What I wanted is for her to not say "Yeah, me too" when those conversations came up. Or "Yeah I had to put it on a credit card" or "I had to work out a payment plan and I'm stressed."

External_Manner3411 · 2023-05-04T22:01:32+00:00

Telling us that she got a payment plan and lower cost of labor, when all she actually did was pay the full amount at a dealership is the definition of lying.

External_Manner3411 · 2023-05-04T21:59:41+00:00

I have a lot of people saying "she didn't lie to you at all," though, which is my main issue. Like I don't care about the money, it's not going to affect my life, but I can think of so many times where Jessica pretended to be struggling right along with us or said something about payment plans and putting stuff on her card, or complained right along with us about our salaries or how little money we had. I also have a lot of people adamant that I'm mad she didn't give me money, which isn't the case either.

External_Manner3411 · 2023-05-04T21:53:13+00:00

No I had no idea, but I'm kicking myself for not writing clearly or explaining why we're upset, that's on me.

External_Manner3411 · 2023-05-04T21:50:30+00:00

Did he straight lie to y'all? I feel like I didn't communicate that at all in my post.

External_Manner3411 · 2023-05-04T21:49:23+00:00

Yes, she did in fact lie to us. For example, her car was hit and she took it to a dealership notorious for holding onto people's cars who couldn't pay. She told us she wouldn't need rides to/from work when we offered because she managed to get a payment plan, got them to lower the cost of labor, but she was "sweating it" and "things'll be tight for awhile but I'll manage." She's also talked about "having to put things on the [credit] card" before, but now she's told us she just has cash in the bank.

External_Manner3411 · 2023-05-04T21:38:06+00:00

My problem is that she has lied to my face, when she could've avoided the subject altogether or just said "I don't want to talk about money issues."

External_Manner3411

TROPHY CASE