A teenager from New Jersey sued her parents for allegedly abandoning her financially when she turned 18.
Rachel Canning claimed that her parents asked her to leave their family home and stopped supporting her financially once she became a legal adult. However, her parents denied the accusation, saying their daughter decided to move out of their home voluntarily because she refused to abide by their rules.
"We love our child and miss her," Rachel's father, Sean Canning, told the Daily Record. "This is terrible. It's killing me and my wife. We have a child we want home. We're not Draconian and now we're getting hauled into court. She's demanding that we pay her bills but she doesn't want to live at home, and she's saying, 'I don't want to live under your rules.'"
According to Sean, the rules included reconsidering her relationship with her boyfriend, being respectful and following her curfew.
On Tuesday, Rachel lost in the first round of the hearing, according to Reuters. A family court judge did not approve a request by the teenager to have her parents temporarily resume paying for her tuition and pertinent living expenses. A second hearing is set for next month.
Rachel's attorney, Tanya Helfand told the court, "They left her high and dry because they didn't want to pay. Now at the age of the 18 is not the point to do this."
Judge Peter Bogaard rejected Rachel's request for a temporary payout of approximately $600 a month as a means to support her tuition and living expenses.
On Monday, Sean Canning told WCBS-TV that he is "dumbfounded" that one of his three daughters is suing him. He also called Rachel "rebellious" and confirmed that her college fund is intact.
