Real Family Fight Stories

Thieving Uncle Steals Everything

I heard you on a late night talk show. Bless you for trying to help families avoid ugly fights over money and things. We need more lawyers like you! I’d like to share a little of the greed that has gone down in my own family.

My great grandmother died in the 1940’s. She had six children, all living. She left a great deal of money in her house as she didn’t believe in banks. I was told it was $90,000. She had promised my mother that she would be able to buy a home with the money she was leaving her. After her death one of her sons went to the house and took all the money and whatever written statements my great grandmother had left about the distribution of the money. He, of course, denied it and no one ever saw a penny of it again, nor could anyone prove he had taken it.

Many years later, my great grandmother’s daughter, my grandmother, owned a summer home with six lots of land  She gave one lot with a house on it to her only son when he married and the other lots were to be given to her three daughters upon her death. In the meantime, her son, my uncle, asked to see the deed to the properties. His wife believed the oldest son should inherit everything. He went to the bank and forged my grandmother’s name and turned all the properties over to himself. My loving grandmother was always one to avoid family fights and she let him get away with it, believing in her naivete that the land wasn’t worth very much.

It is sad when families choose greed over relationships. My uncle was the only greedy person in my family. I feel blessed to be part of a very loving, generous, warmhearted family. They have been my support and strength all of my life and when my much loved grandmother died there wasn’t a bit of squabbling over any remaining money or belongings. But my uncle did show up to ask if there was anything left for him!!