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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

In cutting my sister-in-law off completely?

53 replies

Fortitudine · 23/07/2016 15:07

I've never got on with my sister-in-law. Her and DH are chalk and cheese, and are not close. She is money obsessed, snobbish and generally unpleasant. Although she and her husband both have well paid jobs and expensive hobbies (5 horses do not come cheap!), she is always crying the poor tale, and shamelessly guilt trips her parents into "lending" her money, she is not above threatening for them not to see the grandchildren if she doesn't get her own way. Her idea of "lending" isn't the same as mine, either - she never pays her loans back.

I've tolerated her for the sake of my parents in law and nieces, but that's it. She's never visited my house, not for want of being invited.

Myself and DH are older than her, and some years ago my father died. No condolences from SIL, no card, nor anything when I saw her face to face about a month later. She did, however, sidle up to me and say how lucky I was that I'm an only child as I'll inherit everything when my mum dies. I'm not often speechless but I was then - I was staggered by her inappropriateness and insensitivity.

Fast forward ten years and my mother died. As SIL so tactfully pointed out, I inherited the entire estate, apart from some amounts to some of my cousins. My mother had also very generously gifted money over the years to me and my two children. We were comfortably off before this, but this inheritance is quite a substantial amount - not millions, but house prices in the south east meant that the estate had increased dramatically.

Again, after this bereavement, no card from SIL, but I never expected one - I've barely exchanged more than a dozen sentences with her in ten years. However, two months ago I received an email from her asking for a loan of £15,000. (She got my email address from my mother-in-law - she's never had cause to email me in the past).

I actually laughed out loud when I read it. She's spun a real sob story about needing to set up a business and how it would be an investment. Big nope from me though! I was tempted to reply telling her to go f*%! herself, but instead just said that I am not in a position to lend money to people, and she should approach a bank. I was truly outraged though. How dare she? I want nothing to do with her at all now, not even for the sake of the rest of the family. Please tell me this is not unreasonable?

OP posts:
Foffyouwanker · 23/07/2016 16:23

Response: fuck off you money grabbing bitch!

blitheringbuzzards1234 · 23/07/2016 16:23

YANBU. She sounds like the type of person who the more you give, the more she takes. You are much better off (no pun intended) without her. Just be as polite as you need to be, no more.

derxa · 23/07/2016 16:24

Does it need to be so dramatic? Just say no and then carry on. She won't change.

OurBlanche · 23/07/2016 16:28

Dramatic? In real life? no... Here? Why not? Tis all a good way to vent and make it silly rather than irritating.

MadamDeathstare · 23/07/2016 16:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LauderSyme · 23/07/2016 16:30

Yanbu to have nothing more to do with her.
It sounds like you and DH can do that very easily without any official fanfare, iykwim, if that's how you'd like to play it.
Her behaviour is unfathomable, so rude, greedy and self-absorbed.

SeaEagleFeather · 23/07/2016 16:37

"Thank you but since we have seen how you repay loans, we will be declining this investment opportunity"

no not really, but it's the first answer that comes to mind having read her cheek!

GerdaLovesLili · 23/07/2016 16:39

YANBU. But if you want to annoy her do some micro loans on her behalf to developing world start ups and email her with their progress, stressing how you hope she's proud of them doing so well.
www.kiva.org/

Hobbes8 · 23/07/2016 16:40

She owns 5 houses and you're supposed to believe she can't raise £15k? I borrowed £15k last year to do some home improvements (to my one and only perfectly ordinary house) and it took about 5 minutes on the banking app on my phone.

I did have to pay it back though...

KeemaNaanAndCurryOn · 23/07/2016 16:46

You're totally not being U. You'd never see that money again.

Fortitudine · 23/07/2016 16:48

Horses, not houses, but having been a pony mad child I know how expensive they are to keep!

OP posts:
Hobbes8 · 23/07/2016 16:59

Ah! My mistake. I still reckon she could get her mitts on £15k without bothering a recently bereaved relative though.

blankmind · 23/07/2016 17:02

Reply to her email in a very concerned way Halo saying it's obvious her account's been hacked by scammers because you know she'd never ask you for money and she should check her bank account, cards etc. for fraudulent action.

BalloonSlayer · 23/07/2016 17:07

You could say what a pity her email wasn't ten minutes early because you have just promised the last £15,000 to a lovely chap from Nigeria who assures you that you are really owed a million and he can get hold of it for you.

lljkk · 23/07/2016 17:38

Okay, this is MN, so when folk tell a bizarre story we will pick it apart. You do understand it's not personal.

She did, however, sidle up to me and say how lucky I was that I'm an only child as I'll inherit everything when my mum dies.... Fast forward ten years and my mother died. ... I've barely exchanged more than a dozen sentences with her in ten years. ...two months ago I received an email from her asking for a loan of £15,000.

You're saying that your SIL has been plotting this for 10+ yrs? She barely speaks with you (barely more than one sentence a year, so how did she get a chance to ever sidle up to you anywhere?), and she wastes one of those sentences by telegraphing a plan to chase for money? Anyway, why tap you: why not ask her brother, why does she think you're the soft touch?

OurBlanche · 23/07/2016 17:47

lljkk see your post is full of that stuff called logical thinking.

My BIL and PoisonousSIL waited for 16 years to ask us for money. They heard, through the grapevine, that we were house hunting... so obviously made the assumption we had at least a deposit saved. We hadn't spoken to them at all since 6 months after DH/BILs mum died (they had £30K off her too).

My own dad's response to hearing we were waiting to exchange was to ask us for £5K towards a car... he has money tucked away just didn't want to release any of it. He would rather we chanced losing our house... we had no money left after completion, something he knew as I had dropped it into a conversation - he has been known to be very angry with himself for missing an opportunity to grab someone elses money!

So, yes, your note of caution is what normal people would think. Sadly, because of family on both sides, I am no longer 'normal' and tend to believe stories like OPs, as it has happened to me!

Fortitudine · 23/07/2016 17:49

I agree it's ridiculous. She really is obsessed with money. She resents her brother for the fact he will eventually inherit half of her parents' estate, and has pestered them fairly regularly to grant her lasting power of attorney (what she doesn't know is that DH has that, for in the event of needing it, because her parents don't trust her when it comes to money). My parents-in-law were horrified that she had approached me for money.

OP posts:
AppleSetsSail · 23/07/2016 17:52

Why not just keep your distance? You don't need to exercise the nuclear option.

lljkk · 23/07/2016 17:53

Guess I should be grateful for my sheltered background.

OurBlanche · 23/07/2016 18:04

Smile I'll give you a shout the next time DH gets a 3 line whip for a family do... as an outsider the relationships are just plain weird!

Thankfully we are almost 100% NC with them and very LC with mine!

EweAreHere · 23/07/2016 18:49

I hope your DH never has to use that Power of Attorney, as she will give him endless grief if that happens, but it is clearly the sound decision.

'No.' is a full sentence. Type type that if you must respond and push Send.

Fortitudine · 23/07/2016 19:53

She has form with other people's money - money that was meant to buy the grandchildren laptops went towards a horse box!

OP posts:
SeaEagleFeather · 23/07/2016 20:02

God poor kids

Fortitudine · 24/07/2016 14:52

The kids are refreshingly in materialistic and lovely. Perhaps because sister in law used to palm them off on her mother at the least opportunity!

OP posts:
Rainbunny · 24/07/2016 19:26

How does she know so much about your finances/inheritance? If your DH is hardly speaking to her is it your PILs who tell her things? I'd stay far away from her if I were you, she's not going to change her ways. I'd also ask your PILs nicely (if it was them who mentioned your inheritance etc...) to not talk about your financial business to her since she is the last person who should be privy to any details. Hell if you decide to buy a new house and move I wouldn't let her know.

Hopefully she's just cheeky about asking for money and not criminal. I've heard of parents taking out credit cards and loans in their young children's names, basically wrecking their credit and the kids only find out when they reach adulthood and get a nasty shock!

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