My regular readers know that my mother passed away in early December. She left a mess of things by not keeping her will up to date. I told my brother, who was taking point on this, that he needed to hire a lawyer to handle the estate. He poo-pooed my advice and said that no lawyers were open during the Christmas holidays, and he would take care of it after the New Year. He was busy trying to track down Mom’s assets.
He paid a retainer to a lawyer in mid January, and had his first meeting during the following week.
That wasn’t what my mother’s widower and his daughter did. It turns out that they knew where all of Mom’s assets were. They hired a lawyer less than a week after mom died. By the time of my brother’s meeting, the hearings had already been finalized, and all of Mom’s assets had already been distributed.
My brother dropped the ball. Even worse is that Mom’s husband has dementia. All of this was orchestrated by the man’s daughter and ex-wife. I am sure that Dad, when he left Mom all of his assets, did not intend for all of that money to go to that man’s daughter and ex-wife. We aren’t even sure how much they wound up getting. We know it was at least $150k.
Even worse, this is the first time in more than 2 decades that my mother didn’t call me on my birthday at the exact time I was born to wish me a happy birthday.
11 Comments
Anonymous · February 25, 2024 at 6:19 am
Stolen money tastes like honey, but it turns to gravel in your mouth. They will stand before the judgment seat of God with this on their ledger, and the price they will pay for eternity. You are doing well; don’t let the evil of evil people get you down. In fact, it is much better to be you than them; they have a dirt that doesn’t wash off. The best revenge is to live a happy life in spite of them.
Anonymous · February 25, 2024 at 7:35 am
Happy birthday, DM. Appreciate you and the many things you are sharing here. Sorry for your loss.
Jen · February 25, 2024 at 7:55 am
I’m so sorry!
Anonymous · February 25, 2024 at 8:47 am
That sucks. Courts are a legal system, not a justice system. Sorry for your loss of your mom and rightful inheretence
Xzebek · February 25, 2024 at 10:41 am
I miss those phone calls from my mother too.
Exile1981 · February 25, 2024 at 7:27 pm
Sorry to hear that.
Dirty Dingus McGee · February 25, 2024 at 11:22 am
By the way you had previously described the way events were going, I’m not surprised to hear of this outcome.
Sucks what some people will do for a few pieces of silver. Perhaps during the upcoming hard times, karma will bite them in the ass.
SoCoRuss · February 25, 2024 at 1:08 pm
Man, your family has way more dumb mistakes people problems than mine. I don’t feel so bad now sad to say. If my brother had pulled that shit, he would be seeing my lawyer for my share of the money. And your sister and family, you have the patience of a saint. I get that your mom royally screwed up and caused most of this. And its a BIG message for kids to have talks with their parents about wills and inheritance and such, it doesn’t matter who gets what. You have to force the issue or suffer the consequences. I’m talking from personal experience. My wife was asked to be my in laws trustee. I knew this could turn into a shit show real quick so if she was trustee it would be a fully open process. She mandated she knew where everything was and how much and who it goes to and got all the monthly statement fro advisors, man they hated our guts before too long when questioned about their financial recommendations. The parents balked at first then came round finally. FYI, a lot of older people hide valuables around, in and under their homes, find out where before they forget. I had to disassemble the HVAC ducts and attic and basement areas to find multiple hidden things. So she had meetings to tell her 2 siblings how any funds left at death would be divided between bloodline siblings only, no husbands and then to grandkids if sibling was dead. There was no saying how much to expect, just how it was going to happen. Then if any complaints bring it up now and get it settled or fuck off later. After that it went reasonably well after their deaths. Of course she had Estate lawyers and govt offices trying to get a larger cut and trying to talk the siblings into their own trust, fuck that.. As a note, from my experience helping her with the trust. I just don’t see that they are worth much unless you have mega money and like to give lawyers and financial advisors a percentage every year just so they can find ways to generate fees. There are other ways to setup for inheritances. My father in law paid ten of thousands of dollars in fees over the years to these people for something that could be done cheaper, easier and just as safe. I understand some peoples families either aren’t bright or are down right petty criminals so your situationmay require a different approach.
jimmyPx · February 25, 2024 at 1:51 pm
That bitch of an ex step sister was planning all of this before your Mom died.
In the end I’m sorry to say that this all happened because your Mom first married a guy as a senior citizen which legally is a HORRIBLE idea. Next, she did not have her plans all set legally and verbally.
EVERYONE should have a will and everything set in case of their death especially if you are over 55. I’m sorry that you went through this and I’d be super pissed that your brother dropped the ball and some sorry ass bitch not related to you stole over 6 figures worth of your father’s hard earned money.
You could sue but that would cost a fortune and take forever. You could also wait and someday “explain the error of her ways to her”.
TCK · February 26, 2024 at 2:38 am
Any chance that the lack of up to date will was ‘arranged’ by the bitches?
Skyler the Weird · February 26, 2024 at 12:12 pm
I guess your brother couldn’t find a Jewish Attorney who doesn’t celebrate Christmas?
My grandmother put me in charge of a small inheritance she received from her brother. When she died I divided the $7200 3 ways between my sisters and myself. I also told the younger sister who was living in my Grandmother’s house rent free to pay the property taxes and she’d be fine staying there (the older sister was living in my parents house rent free next door and I’d told her the same thing.).
My younger sister got it in her head since I was the executor, I should pay the property taxes since she was a ‘single mother on her own’. She never paid the tax though I warned her and the county sold it out from under us for non payment of taxes. She has blamed me ever since.
Inheritance issues can be a family killer.
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