A young man has found himself in a difficult situation after his mum demanded that he share the inheritance he got from his dad, with his step brothers and sisters
As tragic as it is when someone we love passes away, discovering that they have left an inheritance to remember them by and perhaps help in the future can help to ease the pain. However, vast sums of money or property can also rip families apart as they squabble over who gets what with greed bringing out the worst in people.
One teenager has revealed how he’s found himself in a difficult situation after discovering that his father had left him a fortune in his will. The 17-year-old was stunned to learn how much he had been bequeathed, hinting that it was enough to allow him to live a very comfortable life.
He explained that because he has to wait until he is 19 before he can access the funds, his mum was also made aware of the stash and is urging him to share it with his stepbrothers and stepsisters.
Feeling conflicted, he took to social media to ask for advice. He wrote: “My dad had a trust set up before he came into most of the money but when he found out his cancer was incurable, he decided to put it all aside for me once all medical bills were paid off for him. My parents were separated but not legally divorced when my dad was sick/died. But they weren’t living together or a couple for years.
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“When my mum learned about the money she told her husband and suddenly the money became a very touchy subject. I can’t touch it until I’m 19 with the way my dad set it up. So I have some time to deal with this but my mum and her husband want me to share the money with my stepsiblings (14, 8, and 7).
“The money is enough where even if I pay for college and buy a house I would have money left. The way the trust works I was told it’s also getting interest. Which my dad had intentionally set up.”
The 17-year-old revealed that his mum and stepdad have struggled financially for years, which he is well aware of, and between everything that has happened, the family lives paycheck to paycheck. He added: “I work to make my own life a little more comfortable. But we had no college savings or anything before this. My mum and her husband drained their own bank account to keep a roof over our heads.”
He admitted that all the sacrifices his mum and stepdad have made over the years have been retold to him, with his mother making it clear that she feels he should split the money between himself and his stepsiblings.
The young man continued: “She said we are a family and that this family has been through so much together and we have struggled for so long, that it would be so good and generous for me to do this. I told her it’s not like I can access the money now. She said no, but when I do, I should set up accounts for my three stepsiblings so they have a better chance at college and if not college, the chance to have a help start in life.”
However, after lots of consideration, the teenager told his mum and stepfather that he would not be sharing his inheritance with his stepsiblings. He finished: “My mum was so mad. But it was nothing compared to how mad her husband was. They told me to quit being selfish and start acting with compassion.”
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People reading the Reddit post were torn as many felt conflicted realising that the teenager had no impartial adults to talk to and help him. One person advised: “Get the hell out of that house. Invest every cent of that money, though. Talk to a financial advisor. Also, make sure to keep your birth certificate, driver’s license, and any other IDs and documents where they can’t hold them over your head.”
And someone else offered: “They are struggling to keep their roof over their head, yours included. Perhaps work out a sum for your upbringing to them. Can you get a lawyer to work this out? But you don’t need to share with the step-siblings.”
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