Brotherly Confrontation Occurs When One Pockets Rent Money

Everyone has heard about sibling rivalry, and it’s generally impossible for brothers to get along every second of the day all the time. However, most siblings at the very least try to stay cordial and keep issues to a minimum. Sometimes, horrendous things happen, which can tear the family apart . There are also many siblings that spend every day together, so it really depends on the family’s situation. So what happened between these two specific brothers? One lived in the other’s home and had to pay rent. Did they clash with each other? They were certainly emotional, and the reason why is quite surprising. Here’s why one brother charged his brother rent money and pocketed it.

The Secret

Todd Burkemper was hiding something from his family. He had let his younger brother move into his home for the last two years, asking for rent money. His brother thought nothing of it, but Todd secretly saved the money, which confused everyone. Why did he do that, and why did their story bring them to The Kelly Clarkson Show?

Why Did He Do It?

Why did Todd want rent money from his brother only to pile it up and save it? It’s common to ask someone for compensation when they rent a house, but many were surprised that he decided to charge his brother. The property in question was located about 25 miles outside of St. Louis.

How It Began

Todd received his university degree in 2013 and settled down on a property he bought. When his younger brother, Alex, found himself without a place to live, Todd was there to help. In fact, his brother had to find a job before he could buy his own house.

Family Reunion

Alex couldn’t find a place to live and had just about given up. He was planning to ask his parents to move in with them, but Todd decided to step up, offering to let his brother live in his house. It was the perfect solution.

Settling Down

Alex accepted his brother’s offer, moving into the Wentzville house. However, he didn’t pay rent during those first six months. Todd didn’t ask for it at first, but then things changed. The brothers created new terms.

Pay to Stay

When the first six months were up, Todd asked for Alex to pay rent each month. This was fair, but Alex found it difficult because he was saving for his own home. Paying a monthly rent each month didn’t allow him to save much more, so he had to put off getting a dream house.

Financially Stable

Life is difficult once you leave your family’s house. Todd was lucky to quickly find a good job after getting his degree and settling on his property. Since he was an app designer and software developer, he was snatched up by Buildium, but he still had financial difficulties.

Burdened by Debt

Todd got a good job, but those first few years were difficult because he had student loans to pay off, which came out of his salary. With that much debt, he couldn’t be financially responsible and had to cut corners wherever possible to make ends meet.

Behind the Curtain

Though Todd had student loans, he’d also gotten a new car, so he made payments on that. Plus, he had this great house with a big mortgage. He’d found favorable terms, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t living paycheck to paycheck!

Built from Scratch

Todd didn’t search the area to find the best house on the market. Instead, he got a loan to hire a construction company to build the property from the ground up. That’s difficult enough, but he had other financial issues, as well!

Stronger Than Ever

Once he tackled all of his responsibilities, he was more experienced and strong. Struggles bring out the best in someone, but Alex was now on a similar path. Thankfully, he had Todd to help him get a roof over his head while he sorted things out.

Bros for Life

Todd helped his brother, which showed how close they were. The rent request was valid, and most people would say a family member as a tenant is better than a stranger. They could be around each other and help each other. Still, others would say that charging your brother rent money is a bit selfish. What do you think?

Free Trial

The relationship they had with each other was probably part of the reason Todd waited before collecting rent. He didn’t ask for it upfront, which allowed Alex to settle in. How much did Todd ask Alex to pay, though?

Rent Due

Todd and Alex were featured on the Kelly Clarkson Show, and he didn’t hide the rent amount. He asked for $350 each month, which is pretty low by today’s standards. It came out to roughly $4,200 per year, which seems to be a fair deal for both brothers.

Average Rent Rates

In 2020, rent averages in Missouri varied based on the property. Studio apartments cost about $500 to $600 per month, but a three-bedroom house was $1,000. Those who needed a four-bedroom house shelled out about $1,200.

Missouri Properties

Two-bedroom houses often got about $800 per month in rent, but those are averages. Overall, you need to consider where the property is located and whether or not the tenant and landlord know each other. Since Alex and Todd were brothers, things were different.

Lord of the Land

Adair County homes with two bedrooms were often rented for about $700 per month. However, when you go to Kansas City, you should expect to spend about $900. This is a huge difference, which shows you how uncertain such figures can be.

Brotherly Love

As the other figures indicate, Todd’s $350 request was reasonable. Since they were both struggling financially, he could have easily asked for more. However, Todd never put that cash in a bank account, choosing to hide it where no one could find it.

Ulterior Motives

Todd told everyone on the Kelly Clarkson Show that he’d stashed the rent money Alex gave him for 2.5 years. Alex didn’t know this was happening or what his brother’s intentions were. Why did Todd do that?

Surprises

In the end, it turns out that Todd was saving all of that money so that Alex could use it to buy a house when he was ready. Todd didn’t use the funds for personal gains; he hoped to help his brother. Todd actually told his parents, but they kept it from Alex to keep it a surprise.

Motherly Love

Barbara Burkemper was happy for both of her sons. She was proud of Todd for doing that, and she boosted Alex up about his dream of homeownership. No one wants to stay a tenant forever, and he wished to get out and be on his own.

Property for Sale

You might wonder why Alex didn’t get a loan to fund the purchase. His mother actually persuaded him not to do that. She knew of Todd’s plan and didn’t want to ruin that surprise. Plus, she didn’t want Alex to have bad credit if he got in over his head.

Living the Dream

Barbara was only one person and didn’t know how long she could keep her son from finding a place. She wanted him to fulfill his dreams, and it was hard to stop him. In May 2020, he decided it was time to move after three years.

Spilling the Beans

Alex was growing impatient, so his parents spoke to Todd, telling him it was time for the surprise. The moment was ready to happen! On May 27, Alex found out what his parents and brother had been planning. What did he do?

Full Surprise

Barbara and her husband joined Todd and Alex at their Wentzville home and took a camera to film everything. The video soon went viral, and you can see Todd showing Alex his phone’s screen. It showed the balance in the account, and Todd claimed it was Alex’s.

Brotherly Present

Alex asked why, but Todd reminded him of the rent payments, saying he’d saved up the money and added it to a savings account. Then, he said he’d put in some of his own cash, which surprised his parents, as well!

Proud Parents

The surprise brought out all the emotions in his parents and Alex. Todd didn’t want his brother to struggle, and this caused Alex to cry and hug his brother. His parents caught the whole thing on video, which made a beautiful memory.

In the Spotlight

Barbara put the video on Facebook, and it touched the hearts of everyone who saw it. Soon, people were sharing it all across the platform because they were happy that Todd loved his brother so much.

Likes and Shares

Once Barbara uploaded that video, it received about 180 likes and 130 comments. She saw the positive response it had gotten, wanting to reach more people. Therefore, she sent it on to the Good News Network, explaining the story and why it needed recognition.

Power of Social Media

Barbara was so proud of her sons and thought the story could inspire countless others. She spoke in an interview, saying that she’d read all of the responses that evening and was compelled to share their love with a wider audience.

Good News

When the Good News Network learned of the story, it published an article with the original video. Over 100,000 people watched on YouTube, and it raked in the reviews. Finally, Evening Standard, Epoch Times, and LADbible showcased it as well.

Kelly’s List

Everyone loved the heartwarming story, and it wasn’t finished yet. In fact, a celebrity called the brothers in August 2020. Kelly Clarkson learned about it and wanted them to appear on her show.

Be Inspired

Todd explained that his mother had given him the idea. He wished to help his brother buy a property, but she started the plan. In fact, her parents had done a similar thing for her, but he also went on to say that he added his own money for an extra surprise.

Cherry on Top

Todd put about $150 of his own money in each month to make the monthly rent payment $500. In 2.5 years, it grew to about $14,000. Alex would have taken a few decades to save all of that by himself.

How Alex Felt

You’ve probably wondered what Alex thought of it all. He was quite emotional, and Kelly got his side of the story. In fact, he said he didn’t suspect anything, but it was life-changing and helped him make his dreams come true.

Emotional Pride

Alex was filled with joy yet shocked about the reveal. He started crying on camera, and no one could blame him for that. You rarely get $14,000 just handed to you. He was dumbfounded, and it was a beautiful moment.

Forever Generous

Alex then said that his brother had always been generous, and it made him appreciate the man more. He was giving and always tried to outdo himself on holidays and birthdays, but he would never top this one.

The Next

Step

Kelly uploaded the interview to YouTube, which received about 6,000 views and many positive comments. The story is still inspiring people to this day. You might wonder what happened after all that. Did Alex find a house?

Dream Come True

Barbara updated her Facebook profile in June 2020, showing a picture of Alex in front of a house. He had a smile on his face and held up a key with the word “sold” printed on it. His dreams came true because of his family.

New Beginnings

Barbara used the caption area to congratulate Alex on becoming a homeowner at a young age. She said that they were proud of him, and that post received many comments and likes. Plus, both brothers live in Wentzville, so they’re still close!