to think BIL is taking FIL for a fool?

[UniqueAndAmazing]

long story, and I've namechanged, sorry.

about 10 years ago, FIL decided to split his money between DH and BIL. he wantedto retire (family business - we own a farm) and the easiest way to do it was to give it to the two sons. anyway, BIL has always been a bit of a hothead and didn't want to settle down and help DH run the farm. so, they agreed (fil and dh and bil) that they would sell some of the farm property in order to give bil his share of "the money" and bil left town.
now, (I came on the scene after all this bit, about 8 years ago) fil didn't hear from bil again and he was distraught - he knew bil wasn't dead, but he felt like he was, or he could have been for all we knew.
Bil suddenly turned up about a month ago! he'd pissed all the money away, basically - he'd got involved in a business that went belly up, then drank a lot (he had had drink problems before all the mobey thing came about) and lost most of it. he came back almost broke. he'd even declared himself bankrupt.
FIL was over the moon when he came back! he's given him one of the farm properties, a car, thrown him a huge party, and I'm just convinced he's lapping it up.

bil swears he's changed and learned the error of his ways. I'm not so convinced and dh is furious.
he had a huge row with fil about it- ranted about the fact that we've sweated over the last years running the farm, whicb we've saved from bad management and kept it afloat, then this reprobate just turns up out of the blue!
what do you reckon? aibu to think that he's going to try to take more from the farm and ruin us as well?

I might not put "pissed away all the money" in the magazine!

yes, a job is a good idea- so he can show he means it

TBH, modern-day take on it

Solicitor would have been involved 10 years ago, would have advised FIL to pass ownership to sons to avoid inheritance tax (if he lived another 7 years, which he has). Your DH is therefore owner not manager, tells his dad to get a grip, the farm property is no longer his to give away. Tells his brother if he wants back he needs to work, if he won't then he can bugger off. Prodigal brother consults a no win no fee solicitor who takes a half-hearted look at the situation and decides there is no chance of prodigal winning any share as original solicitor did their job properly. Prodigal brother decides to knuckle under, does day-release in the local agricultural college and wins DH's trust and respect ...

ah yes, that's what I was hazy on.
that's why I added the bit about me comjng in later, but of course I would have known that if I were dw.
I like your modern day twist (might have to steal that bit)

I like Whereyouleftit's ending, I think you should work that bit in

I think you should help him up and tend to his wounds...wait, wrong story, stone the bastard!

I always thought the prodigal sons father was a sap and could never believe god really expected us to welcome the son back into the fold without some kind of serious penance and atonement. I mean, what is the moral of the story?

I always hated this story - it seemed so wrong for the sensible brother!

So I think he's had his share and doesn't deserve any more. But obviously if your FIL has been living on the farm her presumably has some pension sensibly invested and can divide that between his sons on his death. In the mean time, in the interests of good family relations, let him live rent free in the property (perhaps in return to doing maintanence) and if you can afford to employ him. If not he'll have to get a job elsewhere.

or you look at what has actually happened in RL to a very similar situation

3 brothers in business with father, one decided to leave to go and work elsewhere, asked for (and got) their share of their inheritance early and pissed off. father died and left in will that business was to sold and split between 3 sons (ignoring fact that one had been paid out)

all legal and above board - farm has been sold and split 3 ways and nothing can be done. so one son ended up being paid twice.

bitter - moi?

Who - i wonder whether the father actually intended it to mean that it was split 3 ways already and had assumed that the executor would take it that way, that the other two would get the money left at death?

but didn't understand the way he'd written it?

unfortunately he knew exactly what he was doing and the will was watertight

its taken 10 years of fighting and thousands if pounds in solicitors fees to get to this point.

the worst thing is the family is irreparably split with none if the brothers speaking.

(sorry for the hi-jack op )

I always thought the Mary and Martha story was most unfair: one dies all the cooking and washing up, and the other bats her eyelashes at Jesus and laughs at all his jokes. When she is asked to pull her finger out, Jesus gets all defensive he probably fancied her and says she was the better host!

:( Who

no, it's perfect actually - shows what would actually happen and how bad its consequences would be.
i'm guessing you don't agree with the parable in the bible then!

BOF i'm the lazy one, though. and whenever i have guests i'm always mindful of spending time with them, rather than hiding in the kitchen. on Come Dine with Me, the winner is usually the one that's provided the better entertainment :)