This Redditor was left with over a million dollars after his grandfather’s death. However, he got himself tangled up in a sticky situation when his aunt and her children wanted a cut of his fortune!
He Lived a Full Life
OP’s (Original Poster) grandfather died in January, the year this story was posted. He shared that he had been closing in on 90 and “lived a very full life.”
Fortunately, he died peacefully at home, fulfilling his grandfather’s wish.
A Frugal and Content Lifestyle
He shared that his grandfather lived in a “cheap tract house” and was frugal. His hobbies were only woodworking and caring for his garden.
A Big Surprise
So, you can imagine OP’s surprise when he was named the sole heir of his grandfather’s estate. OP said he was left with “life-changing money.”
He wrote, “With the house, everything in it, and cash, his estate was valued at a little over a million dollars.”
Start of His Sticky Situation
OP’s mom had passed away six years before this story was posted—years before his grandfather died! She had one sister, OP’s aunt, whom he was pretty close to; he also had three cousins.
He doesn’t know every nitty gritty detail of the story; he just knew his aunt was estranged from his grandfather. All his mom ever told him was that “it’s between the two of them.”
Mixed Relationship
OP can’t say he has a good relationship with his cousins, mainly because their mom, his aunt, was estranged from his grandpa.
He shared, “They never had a nice word to say about him, and I don’t know if they ever met him.”
Missing Presence
He said that not one of his three cousins got the chance to get to know his grandfather as he did. His aunt and cousins didn’t even attend the “very small” funeral he had set up for his grandfather.
Their Nonstop Demands
However, after everything was settled, OP’s aunt and cousins called him nonstop. They are begging OP and demanding he gives them money.
They insist he should split the estate five ways!
Two Lawyers
Fortunately, OP has two lawyers helping him figure out what to do. They both advised him that, no matter what, he should never split the estate five ways.
If he decides to be incredibly generous, the estate should be split evenly in half, and his aunt and cousins can divide the 50% however they like. However, both attorneys advised against this because it was not in OP’s best interests.
Uncontestable Amount
Another route OP had was to write 4 $5,000 out of the estate so he could get them to “go away.” This was an option one of his attorneys strongly advised him to do.
He shared, “Five thousand dollars in our state’s probate system is generally seen as ‘enough’ of an inheritance to be essentially uncontestable, and my aunt and cousins will have no further claim on my grandpa’s estate or none that a judge would be willing to hear.”
Don’t Do Anything
As advised by his second lawyer, another option OP can go for is to do absolutely nothing.
He wrote, “I do nothing. I am carrying out my grandpa’s wishes to the letter, and that is my responsibility and also my benefit for staying close to him in his lifetime.”
Legality Versus Morality
However, though both “legal” routes are to OP’s advantage, he noted that his issue was not about the legality of the situation. He said it was about what he “should” do and if he would be the a**hole if he kept the entire estate to himself.
Life-Changing Amount
The $1,000,000 he received was clearly enough for him to improve his quality of life.
OP wrote, “Just over a million dollars is enough money for me to finally fund a retirement account, have a down payment on a decent house, and actually save some money. I have no designs on a big blowout, but maybe updating my car would be nice. I could do all of that with $500,000, but that number sure looks different than $1,000,000.”
The Community’s Suggestions
For the community, OP shouldn’t have to bend to his aunt’s or cousin’s wishes.
One said, “Not the a**hole. It was the last will of your grandpa; he decided that you should get everything, and I don’t think you have any moral obligation to share against his will. So I’d either go with the $5,000 checks—to avoid legal troubles—or just give them nothing. That’s something your attorneys should figure out.”
It’s All About the Money
Redditors also noted how selfish it was of OP’s aunt and cousins not to show up to the funeral and then all of a sudden hound him for his inheritance.
“They couldn’t even be a**ed to show up to his funeral, and now they got wind of the fact there’s a bunch of cash involved, they’re turning into hyenas? They can get bent,” wrote one user. Another said, “Cut ties with your aunt and cousins; they don’t deserve it!”
Protect Your Peace of Mind
Some users also suggested OP follow through with one of his lawyers’ advice of writing off $5,000 checks.
One said, “This is a small price to pay for peace of mind, knowing you’re being the good guy. You also don’t know what happened between them. And as your mother said, it is between them. It is not for you to give his possessions and life’s work to someone he didn’t choose.” Another shared, “I’m all for no contact, but that $20,000 payoff to squash the legal issues seems like a very small price to pay and a huge headache-saver. Even if you go to court in a dispute and win, you are probably paying more than that in legal fees.”
What do you think OP should do? Do you agree with just giving them $5,000 each?
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This post first appeared as He Refused to Split the $1,000,000 Inheritance His Late Grandfather Left Him With His Manipulative Aunt and Estranged Cousins. Now They’re Hounding Him for the Money Nonstop! on Quote Ambition.
