Free work

[Sunshinemomma3]

My husband works full time in law but also runs a furniture making business where he takes commissions.

A while back he said that his uncle wanted him to restore a massive wooden box that had belonged to my husband's grandfather.

The uncle says they have no room to store the box and jokes that this is the price we pay for having such a big house.

There is no where for this box to go in our house.

The uncle wants my husband to restore it free of charge and be the 'caretaker' of it until he passes it on to his children someday.

I had voiced my concerns about this plan but today the uncle turns up with the box on our daughter's birthday and blocks off 3/4 of the entrance hall so all our guests have to squeeze by to get out.

My issues are:

• just because we have a big house, doesn't mean we are a storage facility for extended family.

• just because my husband takes woodwork commissions, doesn't mean he can be asked to do work for free. All his time working on projects is time away from our children at weekends and evenings.

• I just feel it's rude to ask my husband to go to all this effort for something that won't end up being left to him.

My husband thinks I'm being unreasonable. Please help me see the light one way or the other. You lot always know what's what.

If the uncle wants to it keep in the family and to pass it onto HIS kids then he should store it himself! What a cheek. I’m sure you and your husband work hard to have the large home you have and have the right to furnish it how YOU wish. Different if it was something small but I would be very put out and totally agree with you.

With regards to the restoration, then if your husband has the skills and room (workshop?) to do it and there’s no time it has to be done by, then it’s not unreasonable to ask him to do it, slowly. I’d be annoyed with the automatic assumption though.

I think it's between your DH and his uncle. If he's happy to do it and then find somewhere to keep it then it's fine. If he isn't then he can tell his uncle that. I don't think you really need to get involved.

Unless your DH is a hoarder and your house is already full of his stuff and you literally can't fit this box in. If you can make space for it and your husband wants it, then it's fine.

You send DU a estimate and storage fees for the local climate control self store.
Dh will get a call
Tell your DH to inform DU and any other relations that you are his business manager.
on the call DH says ring you.
DU pays the estimate or you have a bonfire.....

(We both know that DH had tapdanced around and ended up saying yes)

YANBU

It’s your husband’s house too, and his time.

If he wants to do this, don’t interfere.

I think it's lovely to use his skill to restore an heirloom for a family member. It is unreasonable to expect him to store it indefinitely. Either the uncle should pass it on now, or keep it in his own home.