Brother Pockets Rent Money That Leads to a Viral Confrontation

Many times, brothers don’t get along well and sibling rivalry takes over. However, most brothers generally try to be cordial and will usually only have minor problems with one another.

Sometimes, something horrendous occurs, which tears the family apart. In other cases, amazing things happen, which is what two brothers experienced once. They both lived together, and one paid rent. What made them clash with each other and then succumb to their emotions? The only way to learn about it is to continue reading. Find out about the quarrel these brothers what ended up happening.

The Secret

Todd Burkemper was keeping a secret from his family members. He let his brother live with him for two years, requiring the man to pay rent each month. His brother did so, but Todd actually saved the money and confused everyone for a while.

Why

Why did Todd ask his brother to pay rent money but pile it up? It’s normal to ask for compensation if you rent out a house. The location was nothing special; it was roughly 25 miles outside St. Louis, Missouri. However, we wonder why he hid the money.

How It Started

Todd received his degree in 2013 and settled down on his property. When Alex, his brother, finished school, he had nowhere to live. In fact, he was looking for a good-paying job, and Todd had the solution!

Family Reunion

Alex couldn’t find a place to live on his own and wondered if he should ask his parents to move in with them. Todd then reached out to him because he was family and needed help. He asked Alex to live with him and pay rent.

Settling Down

In the end, Alex accepted his brother’s offer, moving into that Wentzville house. Alex didn’t pay rent during that first six months, and Todd didn’t demand it. However, things changed suddenly, with Todd bringing in new terms.

Pay to Stay

After six months, Todd asked his brother to pay rent each month. This sounded fair, and Alex did so, but it was difficult. He wanted to save money to buy his own home, and the rent payment didn’t make that easy.

Financial Stability

Life is hard, but many people don’t realize it until they leave their parents’ house. Todd was lucky to get a good-paying job and settle down on his property. He was an application designer and a software developer, so he didn’t seem to have financial troubles.

Significant Debt

Todd had gotten a good-paying job, but he had student loans to pay off, so most of the salary went there. He was actually living on a much lower wage to make ends meet until he paid back the loans.

Behind the Curtain

Though Todd had student loans to deal with, he’d also purchased a car and was making payments. Now, he had a beautiful house, but how had he done all that after graduation? He found favorable terms then, which made his life difficult now.

Built from Scratch

Todd’s story has even more challenges. He didn’t search the area to find the best house. Instead, he built it from scratch, financing the construction through a bank. That’s hard to do if you have financial burdens, so Todd was in tough times.

Stronger than Ever

After dealing with his responsibilities, Todd was more experienced and stronger. Struggles bring out the best in people. Now, Alex was on a similar path, but he relied on Todd to help him have a place to live.

Bros for Life

Todd helped his brother, which showed how close they were to each other. While the rent request was valid, you also can’t deny how much better it is for your tenant to be your brother. Things are different with family, and they liked each other’s company.

Free Trial

Their loving relationship might have played into Todd waiting for six months to collect rent. He allowed his brother to settle in before paying. How much was his rent each month after that trial period ended?

Rent Due

Todd went onto the Kelly Clarkson Show, saying he asked for $350 each month. That wasn’t much, and it averaged about $4,200 each year, which is low by most accounts. Some wondered why he charged at all, but the rent had many factors.

Rent Rates

Statistics for Missouri’s rent average in 2020 varied based on the property. Studio apartments run about $600 per year, but a three-bedroom apartment or house is $1,000. It costs $1,200 for rent in a four-bedroom place.

Missouri Properties

Two-bedroom houses go for about $800 in rent each month, but those are the averages. You also have to consider the property location and the tenant/landlord situation. Since they were brothers, Todd charged less.

Lord of the Land

Most houses located in Adair County with two bedrooms get $700 in rent each month. However, in Kansas City, the price jumps to $900 for something similar. That’s a huge difference and also shows you how uncertain the numbers can be.

Brotherly Love

Overall, Todd’s request was quite reasonable compared to the standard rent rates in Missouri. Since he was dealing with his own financial issues, he could have demanded more. However, that money didn’t go to a bank account. It was hidden!

Ulterior Motives

Todd explained while on the Kelly Clarkson Show that he’d stashed the rent money Alex gave him for 2.5 years. Alex didn’t know his brother’s intentions during that time, but Todd had a good idea and wanted to help his brother in more ways than one.

Surprises

The overall plan was to save the money so that Alex could buy his own house. Todd didn’t use the cash for himself; he wanted to help his brother. However, he told his parents, asking them to keep it quiet so that they didn’t ruin the surprise.

Motherly Love

Barbara Burkemper, the mother of these brothers, was happy to hear Todd’s idea. She talked to Alex all the time about his dreams of home ownership. No one wants to continue being a tenant, and he needed to be out on his own.

Property for Sale

Why didn’t Alex simply get a bank loan to pay for a property? His mother had told him not to. She knew Todd’s plan, and that would ruin his surprise. Plus, she was worried  Alex might have bad credit or take on too much.

Living the Dream

Barbara didn’t know how long she could stall Alex from moving on. She wanted her son to be a homeowner, and it was tough to stop him. Finally, he was ready in May 2020; it had been three years, and it was time to branch out.

Spilling the Beans

Alex was impatient, and his parents knew it was time for Todd to surprise his brother. The moment had arrived. Finally, Alex learned the family secret on May 27, 2020. Todd told his brother the good news.

Surprise of a Lifetime

Todd invited Alex and their parents to the Wentzville home, bringing his camera to record the event. The video ended up going viral, and Todd showed the phone screen to Alex. The accumulated balance of the rent money was shown, and Todd simply said, “It’s yours.”

Brotherly Present

Alex was shocked, asking why. Todd reminded him about paying rent a few years ago, and Todd said he’d saved the money for his brother to buy his own place. However, he had also added in some of his own to help his brother!

Proud Parents

The surprise sent Alex and his parents on a rollercoaster of emotion. His dreams were finally coming true. Todd said he hadn’t wanted his brother to struggle, and the pair hugged. Everything was caught on video as a beautiful memory!

In the Spotlight

Barbara uploaded that video to her Facebook page, and it went viral soon after. People were touched at how much Todd loved his brother and enjoyed seeing the heartwarming and emotional outburst.

Comments, Likes, and Shares

After Barbara uploaded that video, it had jumped to 180 likes and 130 comments. She saw the positive response and wanted to reach more people. Therefore, she sent it and an explanation of it to the Good News Network.

Power of Social Media

Barbara was proud of her sons and believed the story could inspire countless others. She read each of the responses the post got that night and felt a wider audience needed to see it, and she was right!

Good News

The Good News Network heard about the story and wanted the world to know of Todd’s good deed. It published a website article and the original video, which was watched over 100,000 times on YouTube. The Evening Standard, LADbible, and Epoch Times also picked it up.

Kelly’s List

Everyone loved the heartwarming story, and the brothers were satisfied. However, it soared to bigger heights. A celebrity contacted the brothers in August 2020. Kelly Clarkson heard about them and wanted them to be on her show!

Be Inspired

Kelly asked about the inspiration, and Todd said that his mother gave him the idea to help his brother. Barbara executed it all. In fact, her parents did something similar, but he was the one who decided to add his own money to the pot.

Cherry on Top

Todd put about $150 of his own money in each month to make the monthly amount of $500. In 2.5 years, it grew to about $14,000. Alex would have spent years saving all of that himself, but now he didn’t have to!

How Alex Felt

You’ve only focused on what Todd and the parents thought, but Alex was emotional, too. Kelly got his side of the story. In fact, he had no idea what they had planned, but he said on The Kelly Clarkson Show that it changed his life and helped him achieve his dream.

Emotional Pride

Alex was joyful, shocked, and delighted during the reveal. He started crying, and no one could blame him. Most people don’t get $14,000 gifted to them, and he was dumbfounded by the love he saw in front of him.

Forever Generous

Alex claimed that his brother was generous, and he appreciated him even more. He was giving and tried to outdo himself all the time. Still, Alex said that Todd would never top that gift.

The Next Step

Kelly uploaded that interview to her YouTube channel, which got many positive comments and about 6,000 views. The story continues inspiring others, but what happened after that? Did Alex use the money to buy a house?

Dreams Come True

Barbara updated her Facebook followers with a photo showing Alex in front of a house in June 2020. He had a smile on his face and held a key that read “sold” at the top. His dreams came true, and they happened sooner because of Todd.

New Beginnings

In the caption part, Barbara congratulated her son on owning a home at a young age, saying that she and his dad were very proud. That post received tons of comments and 150 likes. Now, the brothers live separately in Wentzville, but their hearts are linked by love.