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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Settle my inheritance row!

677 replies

LetMeExplain · 05/04/2023 15:41

Long story short, my parents signed their house over to me 10+ years ago, under the caveat that they could live there until the end of their days. This house is my inheritance, as stated in their will.
My mum passed away and my dad can’t afford to stay in the house or manage its upkeep any more. He has a disastrous relationship with money and is basically destitute.
I agreed to sell the house and buy a flat for him, to live in rent free, all he has to pay is his cost. He now demands money from me as I am making a profit from the sale of the house. I don’t want to give him any, it’s my inheritance! AIBU?

OP posts:
UtterlyUnimaginativeUsername · 05/04/2023 15:42

It's not your inheritance till he dies. Keep your mitts off it.

TheGoodEnoughWife · 05/04/2023 15:43

You don't tend to get inheritance until someone dies. Your Dad is still alive. Why on earth should he bear the costs of moving?! Very money grabbing of you.

restisall · 05/04/2023 15:43

Did you actually buy the house from them or is this a deprivation of assets thing?

Rainbowshit · 05/04/2023 15:43

Can you clarify what you mean by sign the house over to you? Did you become the owner?

LisaD1 · 05/04/2023 15:44

I assume you did that to avoid any inheritance tax. It’s not inheritance until the person has died. I don’t know how you can see you mr grieving father with nothing but you do you

DoristheDuchess · 05/04/2023 15:44

So you've basically taken this old man's money and won't let him have access to it?

It's not your inheritance until he dies.

BeeCucumber · 05/04/2023 15:45

Who owns the house?

Rigsby2023 · 05/04/2023 15:46

You should be paying for him to stay in the house for the rest of his life! You should be paying all the maintenance and refurbishment costs.

You would be breaching your agreement if you deprived him of the right to live in the house. Not a flat, not some place cheaper, but the house!!

Itsbytheby · 05/04/2023 15:46

You don't inherit untill someone dies. And then you only get what is left.

I think you are being grabby here OP.

TattiePants · 05/04/2023 15:47

You'd better hope he doesn't need any care in the future as there's no time limit for deprivation of assets.

bellswithwhistles · 05/04/2023 15:47

You'd honesty insist that your Dad pays?! Seriously???

DoristheDuchess · 05/04/2023 15:48

There are also laws against this, its called elder abuse and involves the overt taking of Property under false pretences.

He could go to the Police. I would be advising him to contact Citizens Advice for legal support.

Rigsby2023 · 05/04/2023 15:48

BeeCucumber · 05/04/2023 15:45

Who owns the house?

OP does.

OP may have a large capital gains tax bill if they sold the house now, if the value has risen in the past 10 years. They wouldn’t have had this bill if the house had been kept by the parents.

I expect this was all about trying to evade any potential care home costs.

curlywillow · 05/04/2023 15:48

How has he "signed it over". Did they sell the house to you? Whose name is it registered under at the Land Registry?

KTheGrey · 05/04/2023 15:49

What do the legal papers say? Whose name is on the Deeds? Is there a written agreement that he can stay there until his death and does it make provision for him to move out if the house is too much for him? Is there any agreement about your landlord duties (ie maintaining the house)?

If your parents gave the house to you, he can stay there until he dies or take your offer to buy him another flat, unless there is a specific written arrangement about what to do in these exact circumstances.

GoldDustt · 05/04/2023 15:49

It's your inheritance, when they die. He's alive, therefore it's his until he dies. You are something else.

Bewilderedandhurt · 05/04/2023 15:50

Your father needs an affordable place to live. Inheritance is not yours until he has died.
Do the reasonable thing and set him up comfortably until his days are done.
You are being very money oriented, they signed to property over to you not knowing what the future holds, they have saved you a significant amount in tax in doing so stop be callous and do the right thing.

KTheGrey · 05/04/2023 15:50

You can't have the house in the will and own it before they die. It's one or the other.

Original poster
LetMeExplain · 05/04/2023 15:50

Rainbowshit · 05/04/2023 15:43

Can you clarify what you mean by sign the house over to you? Did you become the owner?

Yes, I became the owner of the house.

OP posts:
Aprilx · 05/04/2023 15:50

Your parents were not dead ten years ago, so it was not your inheritance, it was a gift. If the house is solely in your name, then I guess it is up to you what you do with the profit.

As an aside, unless your parents paid market rate rent to you for the last ten years, then the house will still be relevant for inheritance tax purposes.

Schmutter · 05/04/2023 15:51

You sound an absolute peach, OP. If you’re for real, I’m amazed to had the gall to post this.

earsup · 05/04/2023 15:51

If parents havent paid rent, there will be huge tax implications for this scenario, if you sign over house and continue to live in it, rent must be paid or its seen as a dodge !

knittingaddict · 05/04/2023 15:51

LisaD1 · 05/04/2023 15:44

I assume you did that to avoid any inheritance tax. It’s not inheritance until the person has died. I don’t know how you can see you mr grieving father with nothing but you do you

Care home fees too.

Not much sympathy for any of you.

Frozendaquiri · 05/04/2023 15:52

Disgusting, honestly. Your dad is destitute and you're so greedy that you won't give him any of his own money because you want it all for yourself.

BishopRock · 05/04/2023 15:52

Doesn't the OP own the house and the terms state her parents can live there till they die?

I don't see what the issue is with the OP selling the house and buying something for her father to live in more happily.

Since her parents signed over the house, it's not the OP's dad's house any more, and if OP's parents were happy with the arrangement at the time it was legally drawn up, that's that as far as the house goes.

Are you allowed to sell it OP under the terms of the legal arrangement?

I can see both sides of this, but what's the harm in giving your dad a lump sum? It's not as if you'll be much out of pocket as you'll still have a flat as an asset that will increase in value over time.