Inheritance problem

[ladyjanegrey123]

My father died last year and left a fairly new and rarely driven car worth ca. 20k.
My mom called a few months ago and said that she wants to give that car to my sister who lives nearby, but sister has to pay me 1/6 of the car's worth as apparently that is what I'm owed according to statutory inheritance (both my parents were the owners, acc. to legal rules in the country - Central Europe - my mom still owns her half + inherited 1/2 of the other half and the second half falls jointly to me and my sister - that's how they have come to that 1/6 number).
Long story short, I do not want any money - we are fine financially. But I am concerned that my mom is going to get robbed of her assets - she is a widow, lives in a comfortable home off her pension. She has the money right now and is of good health (she's in early 60-ties), but who knows what the future brings.
I refused mother's offer and told her to sell the car for the right price, either to my sis or to anyone else.
I visited a couple of months ago, my sister tried to convince me to change my mind without giving really any reasons. Basically their car is old, and they want a new one. They can't offer anything near the asking price or they don't want to (they plan to buy a second home to rent it out). Well, long time ago they were already gifted half of the house from my late father who inherited it from his mother, however, I acknowledge that it needed a lot of investment to be renovated. But I never got anything from any of my parents.

My mom doesn't drive (no licence and doesn't want to learn), but she is keeping the car for sentimental reasons and because she can afford it. My sister lives nearby. She gives my mom a lift to the city to do some big shopping maybe once in a month. Brother in law does some minor repairs in mom's house when something breaks down. Mom provides free childcare to their children and was very generous with gifts till recently. My sis and her DH both have good jobs and earn well.
I live in the UK and visit for 6 weeks in a year when I stay with mom with my kids.
I understand that my mom feels trapped because she still needs their help from time to time. But the price for that help seems so huge... and not fair to me. I don't really know whether I am unreasonable or simply jealous. Just last week I visited my sister and she and her DH were trying to convince me once again to agree. They were saying out of the blue that mom doesn't have that much money, that she seems to be spending less, etc. But I then had a conversation with her and she denied it. I can see she keeps spending normally, maybe it's just that she doesn't buy expensive gifts anymore to my nephews (they've got everything any kid could ever want). She even said she can comfortably afford the heating-system replacement and seemed puzzled by my sister's statements. Sister even suggested that mom is losing her mind (she made a mistake and briefly invested in some share market that went wrong, but the sum was very small). Sister and her DH also were adamant to stress that the half of the house they received long time ago was 'the only gift they have ever received from my parents'. That's OK, but I still got nothing at all.
Mom is now staying with me in the UK for some time and I don't really see any change in her - she is happy, intelligent and healthy - I don't know why my sister was suggesting these things about her. My brother-in-law went so far as to suggest they will offer me more money, but I just don't understand why I would take anything - it's my mom's car, let her decide and pay money to her, not to me.

Apparently mom told sis she will only sell the car to her for full market price, obviously they refused. But the car is there in the garage, everybody in the family thinks it's such a waste (a have a big extended family, we meet often and everybody has their own opinion on these matters). Personally, I think it's solely my mom's business what she wants to do with it and I feel that others just want to take advantage of the situation. But she is alone and vulnerable.

What should I do? I don't want to spoil the relations with my sister (she keeps pressing me) but then... maybe I'm in the wrong here?

You got the sums wrong and they owe you 1/8 of the car's value, £1250. I don't understand the issue if your mum chooses to share her assets with them when they help her out (driving her! in the same car!) and you don't. I think you're just being much too materialistic here and should agree to have the car given to your sister.

If your Mum is keeping the car for sentimental reasons, then surely it's better to go within the family. I wouldn't get too fussed by this gift - you don't want any money for your share and your Mum seems to be of sound mind and isn't under financial stress or getting pressured to do something she's not happy with.

I would have thought selling to sister for a "family price" would be the compromise here, market value seems little harsh when they already own 1/8th of it and use it to help her out.

@ladyjanegrey123 i do not understand the sums here! your mum, at the beginning, was giving your sister her 6/8ths of the car??? why would she ever think that was fair??? the car needs to be sold but i think that by keeping it in the garage and allowing your sister to drive it occasionally will mean that it will be given to your sis in the near future without asking or mentioning it to you! very sneaky of mother and sister! given the cost of new cars nowadays, it should be sold and mother can then keep the money for when she needs it! sister, it appears, has already had a vast part of her inheritance given to her very early on! It sounds like your sister has been financially abusing your mum slightly!

vast part of her inheritance
Car is worth £20k.
OP owns £1250 of the car, as does her DSis.
Mum owns £17500 of the car.
Giving DSis £8750 extra for food shopping every week etc, it's not trust fund territory for the grandkids is it now!?!.

Jarndyce versus Jarndyce until nothing is left.

Only one person is the registered keeper of the vehicle which is presumably your DM. If she wants to give it to your DSis then she is entitled to do so and doesn't need your permission.

Advising her against this course of action sounds like sour grapes on your part.

The 1/6 number was told to me by my mum/sis - they must know this stuff well as my sister works in the tax office and my mom was an accountant. Apparently if my sis 'pays me off', she will own 1/3 of the car (I'm not sure about the arrangement between my sis and mum, but I'm afraid I wouldn't be told the whole truth). From what my sister was saying I figured out that 1/6 would be the only money they wanted to pay and the sis would use the car as her own. @TupperJen - yes, I would like sister to pay at least some of the car's worth to my mom so that mom has some security in the old age. It's pointless for her to pay the insurance for the car she doesn't use. Last year, I gave her some money hoping she she will use it to upgrade the heating system in her home and apparently she used that cash to pay for the car insurance.
As to the house value that my sis was gifted on her marriage day long time ago, it was around the same sum, ca. 20k. She lives there now with her family. I was this 'quiet' child who never asked for anything from anyone, wanting to be good and honest, but I guess that now, after years, maybe I resent some stuff that happened in the past and that's why I'm so distrustful and try to tread carefully.

Car to be sold for market value. Amounts divvied up as per inheritance rules to each party then surely your mother can do what she wishes the cash portion she receives - split it equally between you and your sister, split it three ways, keep some for herself and split the rest between you.

Then your sister can put what she has received towards a new car and you can put what you receive in the bank and keep it aside in case your mum needs help in the future or whatever else you want to do with it.

In view of what you have said about your sister and brother in law I would look to getting a Power of Attorney (or the equivalent for that country) in place to protect your mum.

If you don’t want the money and your sister wants to use the car why doesn’t your mum just let her use it, have it insured/upkeep etc but keep it registered to your mum so technically it’s still hers?

It’s better than it just sitting in a garage unused and for sentimental reasons it’s still in the family.

It's up to your mum what she does with her money.

She's the majority owner (by a long way) of the car, so I would expect that she'd have the casting vote on selling it. You are entitled to the value of 1/8 (according to my maths) of the car and that is all. You don't get to demand that it's sold. Why do you think you have that right? You are entitled to the cash equivalent of your 1/8 share - that is all.

So accept the £2500 from your sister, or say you don't want the £2500 (effectively gifting it to your sister), or accept the £2500 from your sister and and gift it to your mum if you're worried about how much money your mum has.

Your mum doesn't want to sell the car, and isn't going to. Your sister is going to be driving it anyway, for free if you choose not to accept the £2500 or for £2500 if you do. The only other option is that it sits and rots unused, ending up with it being worth nothing to anyone.

It seems quite spiteful for you to try to stop your sister from having the car when your mum is happy to gift it to her and you will get your share of the value either way. Ultimately, your sis and BIL are looking after your DM - house repairs, taking her shopping, spending time with her, whilst you've buggered off to the UK and don't help out at all. Why would your DM not want to help them out when they help her out on a day to day basis?

If your mum isn't going to sell the car, why does it matter who, if anyone, drives it? Better it is used than rotting in a garage.

Urgh, why was I dividing by 16??? It should be £2500, of course.
Mum owns £15k of the car and each sister £2500.

Anyway, the point still stands. Leave it be OP and make peace with this being your contribution to all the help your sister gives to your mum.

I forgot to mention... my BIL recently lost his licence - he had an accident while drunk and driving with his kid on the back seat. He would drive that car in 3 years when the ban is over.

mrsm43s - you are right, in theory, it might look like that for an outsider, but family relations are more complicated than that. People take advantage of others. Sister will take the car and forget about this in a couple of years and will ask for more, just like with the granny's house. Obviously, I can't be with my mom everyday but I am happy to help out financially whenever she has the need. And she can stay with me whenever she wants to (she comes from time to time). It's not like I moved to Australia and see her once in 10 years.

I don’t understand why you’re being so awkward about this? If you don’t want the money and don’t want the car and your sister is around to help your mum out more just say they can do what they like.

I forgot to mention... my BIL recently lost his licence - he had an accident while drunk and driving with his kid on the back seat. He would drive that car in 3 years when the ban is over.

And if he doesn’t drive this car he’ll drive another? I’m not by any means condoning drive driving but I don’t see why this really has anything to do with this.

The car initially belonged to none of you. You don't want your part of the car, your mum can't use the car, but you don't want your sister to get more of anything than you. I totally understand not wanting anyone to be bleeding your mum dry, but not sure this fits into that scenario. Just let your sister have the car, then work out separately how to ensure your mum's assets are protected.

Can't your sister just use the car without the ownership changing hands? At least then it's being used as it seems a bit of a waste otherwise. I also don't think you should be coveting your Mums money, she can do what she wants with it.