At a family meeting, I dared to say I could take care of myself. My parents were offended by my words and are now demanding that I move out of my father’s flat.

I never imagined that the day would come when my parents, my younger brother, and I would have to split up the family assets, with everyone shouting and trying to prove their point like some sort of heated row. Im quite a grown man now, wanting independence at twenty, but my brother is only fourteen. Honestly, what’s he need with a flat? Hes still at school, hardly old enough to stand on his own two feet.

My parents also treat him like a child, and in fact, thats exactly how they treat me as well, just because Im still at university and working part-time, even though Im living in the flat thats been in my fathers side of the family for generations. When I told them I wanted to move out and rent my own place, my dad offered me this flat to live in.

It was a generous gesture from my parents, and Ive even started to renovate the place bit by bit, hoping that one day it might be mine. The arguments and all the talk about dividing things up started after my dad and I had a row. I cant even remember what set it off, but I know it upset him when I told him that I could look after myself now.

Then they called a family meeting, and my parents said that if Im so independent, then Id have to move out of the flatthey were going to rent it out, and, anyway, I shouldnt be sorting out anything because my brother would need it too.

I dont see why its such an issue. I could take the flat Im in now, my brother could eventually get their place, and everyone would be sorted. But no, they’re insisting that both my brother and I ought to sell the flats with them, pocket the moneypossibly a good bit of poundsand then each buy our own places.

I completely disagree with this. Why go to all the trouble, paying estate agents, getting hit with taxes and making new arrangements, when we already have two decent flats that are perfectly liveable?

What really gets to me, though, is that my parents are apparently happy to throw me out for daring to be independent.

Maybe theyll change their minds and things will cool off, and I suppose we might make up before long. Still, Im not in any rush to be the first one to make peace. Their attitude seems daft, and my brother just goes along with whatever they say, because hes still so young. Its like theyre pushing the two of us into some future row, so they can have us sell both places in the end anyway.