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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

My aunts inheritance choices seem to have destroyed my family

994 replies

Afana · 01/04/2024 13:25

A little context, my aunt passed away at the start of last year, her husband had passed 10 years prior, she never had children. They were well off. Massive large house worth more than 2 million and some other assets, including a holiday home etc.

My DD is 24, lives in London where my aunt was and was "named after" her. She is the only girl, my brother has two boys and I have a boy, my dad was her only sibling.

My aunt really treated my kids like her own grandkids but more so my daughter, she spoiled her, had her over in the holidays etc. Even got her a job!

Now when my aunt passed everything was left to my daughter. This was unexpected. After inheritance tax and giving the donations to charity she had arranged. There was around 1.9 million left, the house was sold to cover the inheritance tax.

My daughter used a deed of variation I believe to give £50,000 to myself, my son, my brother and my brother's two sons. £25,000 to my parents, which is all they wanted, she did offer them more.

My aunt wrote a letter explaining her reasons and it was effectively she's my favourite.

Now recently my daughter bought a lovely 2 bed flat worth over a million in a lovely part of London near Hyde Park. She's reduced her work to 4 days, she got rid of basically every item of clothing she owned and bought all new, has been on endless holidays.

Now my son and both her cousins, not to mention myself and my brother are somewhat resentful. We aren't a rich family, we live modest lives in the midlands and everyone thinks her choice screams of greed. She's mortgage free in a flat while her cousins are still struggling to buy.

Yesterday was Easter, everything was tense, my daughter ended up leaving early with her boyfriend to go home. We haven't heard from her since!

AIBU to think my aunt going about everything like this has irreparably damaged our family and it will probably never be the same again. I do think my daughter was greedy and should have shared more equally!

OP posts:
Sweetheart7 · 01/04/2024 15:52

@fieldsofbutterflies leaving 1 person alone 1.9 million and pretending the rest of the family doesn't exist is not normal by any stretch. I am not willing to argue with you about this particular point. You can gladly have the last word!

Prawncow · 01/04/2024 15:52

Honestly based on these posts I’d have left it all to the daughter too 😬

True

mrsdineen2 · 01/04/2024 15:53

Wataniya · 01/04/2024 15:51

It's still a bit of salt on the wound when she shows up in brand new clothes every time we see her!

for a mother to say this about her own daughter.

I just don't have the words actually.

I do, but it would probably signal the end of my MN account.

Medschoolmum · 01/04/2024 15:53

Sweetheart7 · 01/04/2024 15:49

@InterIgnis ahhh let's be Frank and fair here. Who exactly is kidding themselves here? I have acknowledged that's its the aunts money. However I can't get on board with doing such thing. Fairness is something I live by and it is not exclusive to my child alone. Life doesn't work like that!

The aunt has done a terrible thing.

If fairness is something you live by, I assume that you object to the concept of inheritance on principle, and that none of them should have got any of the aunt's money?

AreWeOutOfTheWoods · 01/04/2024 15:53

Afana · 01/04/2024 15:48

Some comments about greed were made and jokes about the money.

She gave you £50k and you mocked and insulted her, and now you're blaming the aunt for 'destroying your family'.

CaliGurl · 01/04/2024 15:53

Elswhere · 01/04/2024 15:51

I don’t think it’s helpful to blame your aunt for her choices, or your DD (she’s been more than generous!!) or your past parenting choices in allowing your children to have such different childhoods, or the nephews as children for rejecting the aunt’s attempts to host them. My son loves tennis and museums. Your son didn’t. We drift towards those with similar passions and we build our own relationships. The fact that your son was related to his aunt by blood doesn’t mean he’s entitled to an equal inheritance, especially when it sounds like he didn’t much like or appreciate the aunt.

Your DD had loads in common with her aunt and kind of became like a daughter to her and that continued into adulthood.

Yes, if the inheritance had been split equally you’d probably all be getting on a bit better right now. But it sounds like DD always had very different passions and personality to her brother and cousins and she’d probably have drifted away from them anyway.

That doesn’t matter so much. The person who matters here is YOU. In a mostly-male family you the mother have allowed your daughter to be bullied away from a family Easter celebration by her jealous and greedy male relatives. How sad. You should stand up for your daughter and it’s up to YOU to hold this family together. Particularly as DD will be grieving the death of a woman she loved and saw as a mother figure, but who the rest of you seem to have seen as a cash cow.

It is hard to see your children being treated differently. But stop looking at what your son doesn’t have and just be glad for your daughter. Or you’re going to allow your envy to destroy your relationship with your daughter. Tell your son to grow up and stop whining.

Honestly based on these posts I’d have left it all to the daughter too 😬

a mature and sensible comment!
OP, I cannot believe you're jealous of her clothes!
You live in a cheap area with one DS remaining at home (or not), have been given a nice chunk to pay off your mortgage with. What is stopping YOU from buying new clothes? Or going on holiday.

Christ alive.

Sunnydays0101 · 01/04/2024 15:54

Afana · 01/04/2024 15:48

I think she will be ok I'm not worried about that at all. She has a good job. Her aunt helped her get it and she went in a little above the normal grad role so was making £50k straight out of uni and has had a pay rise since. She is sensible and I don't think she's waiting it.
It's still a bit of salt on the wound when she shows up in brand new clothes every time we see her!

Plenty of women in their 20’s seem to always have new clothes, with or without an inheritance.

fieldsofbutterflies · 01/04/2024 15:54

Sweetheart7 · 01/04/2024 15:52

@fieldsofbutterflies leaving 1 person alone 1.9 million and pretending the rest of the family doesn't exist is not normal by any stretch. I am not willing to argue with you about this particular point. You can gladly have the last word!

Season 9 Thank You GIF by The Office

.

alrightjackie · 01/04/2024 15:54

Sweetheart7 · 01/04/2024 15:51

@alrightjackie charity would of been the best option in this case.

So to make OP feel better about resenting her own daughter, the aunt should have not left money to the one relative who actually treated her like family...?

That makes no sense.

Are you saying that you would rather one of your relatives stays poor so you don't feel resentful about their good fortune? Jesus wept.

transformandriseup · 01/04/2024 15:54

It's still a bit of salt on the wound when she shows up in brand new clothes every time we see her!

This could be most young people I know rich or not.

LatteLady · 01/04/2024 15:54

Seriously OP? It was your aunt's money to do with what she liked and she obviously has. Your daughter has been very generous indeed... just think if it had all been left to an animal charity, what would have happened then?

needquickopinions · 01/04/2024 15:55

It's still a bit of salt on the wound when she shows up in brand new clothes every time we see her!

I have adult children, and I can't imagine feeling miffed at their good fortune. It would be the opposite. This is beyond weird.

Anyway Op, how much of your £50k inheritance did you give away?

Sunnydays0101 · 01/04/2024 15:55

Afana · 01/04/2024 15:48

Some comments about greed were made and jokes about the money.

No wonder your DD left and I doubt she will be back any time soon.

alrightjackie · 01/04/2024 15:55

pinkspeakers · 01/04/2024 15:50

I agree that is was a very strange choice by your aunt. Unless your daughter was significantly more in need than her brother and cousins, or gave much more care to your aunt than them, the aunt really should have given them equal amounts. I agree that is has created a very difficult situation. You can't however blame your daughter and she did give quite a lot away.

Why should she have given them equal amounts? She didn't have an equal relationship with them.

The fact that DD lived with her during lockdown is significant. No one voluntarily bubbled with anyone who they didn't feel close to.

Squigglewigglediggle · 01/04/2024 15:56

I cannot get my head around feeling upset that I'd ONLY been given 50k

Uricon2 · 01/04/2024 15:56

Afana · 01/04/2024 15:48

Some comments about greed were made and jokes about the money.

I think you should have been shutting those down rather than coming on MN the next day to whine about your daughter, who has handed out tens of thousands of pounds to ingrates.

BarrelOfOtters · 01/04/2024 15:57

the aunt should, I think, have shared it more evenly. I’m planning to share evenly as a childless aunt with a bit of dosh….not quite as much as that.

yes your daughter could have shared it more….

but you’ll probably lose your daughter if you don’t find a way to deal with it.

CaliGurl · 01/04/2024 15:57

Uricon2 · 01/04/2024 15:56

I think you should have been shutting those down rather than coming on MN the next day to whine about your daughter, who has handed out tens of thousands of pounds to ingrates.

Poor girl. Lost someone she was closed to, spat on by her family despite giving them a generous amount.

@BarrelOfOtters but do you even have any nieces/nephews you're particularly close to?

Starseeking · 01/04/2024 15:58

Some comments about greed were made and jokes about the money.

@Afana

Jokes are only funny if everyone is laughing and I'm sure your DD was upset. Good on your DD for showing that she won't tolerate being bullied by the whole family.

If you and your family carry on like this, I wouldn't be surprised if your DD goes no/low contact with you all.

ToryHater · 01/04/2024 15:58

Sounds like your aunt was a spiteful woman intent on creating trouble, hate and upset from beyond the grave

Sweetheart7 · 01/04/2024 15:58

@alrightjackie I don't believe for a second that the aunt didn't know this was going to cause a family fall out. That is what I am saying and also I don't agree with the aunts choice. We are all have different morals though... you do you.

Snugglemonkey · 01/04/2024 15:58

I think the aunt really should have left something to the others, to avoid this situation. I also would have given more, especially to my brother if I were the dd.

However, you can only deal with what has happened. I would give your son your part op.

MILLYmo0se · 01/04/2024 15:59

So your daughter went against your aunts expressed legal wishes, and went out of her way to give away £300, 000 that your aunt didn't want any of you to have, and you are all bitching ye didn't get more?!
As a parent, yes I could understand worrying about the effect the money could make to my children's relationship but wouldn't have been expecting the money for myself! Your DD was essentially the daughter your aunt never had, she's the only one she cared about and the only one she wanted to benefit from her estate, and now you are sitting back letting your DD be bullied out of the family she gave money to because you feel you didn't get enough and are jealous of a 24 yr olds new wardrobe.
You need to grow up and ban all mention of money at family gatherings.

InterIgnis · 01/04/2024 15:59

Sweetheart7 · 01/04/2024 15:52

@fieldsofbutterflies leaving 1 person alone 1.9 million and pretending the rest of the family doesn't exist is not normal by any stretch. I am not willing to argue with you about this particular point. You can gladly have the last word!

People getting left out of wills/receiving a lesser amount in comparison to other family members is very, very normal.

Sunnydays0101 · 01/04/2024 15:59

I very much doubt your brother or the cousins would have divided the inheritance equally or in bigger amounts than your DD did, if any of them were the sole inheritor.

They can easily say now they would have but in reality, they wouldn’t have.