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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

So I applied for a copy of my mum’s will to see who she left her money to.

79 replies

CovidCorvid · 17/08/2021 18:29

Obviously I knew I was getting nothing and was curious.

Bit of background. She was a nasty narc. Physically and emotionally abusive to me and my brother. She and my dad divorced before she died, she was physically abusive to him before the divorce. He died soon after the divorce. I could write a book on the stuff she did to me. Overall very critical and interfering. Insisted on coming to my dad’s funeral even though she wasn’t welcome, told me I couldn’t stop her.

She was nasty about me and my brother to my (then) 11yo Dd and dd repeated what had been said. My brother called her (mum) out on it and she denied saying it. She said my dd was a liar and needed to be in a mental institution (I believe dd). My brother told her we were both sick of her behaviour and if she wanted a relationship with us we needed to sit down and have a talk and her behaviour needed to change. She flounced off and apart from the odd abusive letter we never heard from her again.

Six years later (end of last year) she died. I got a nasty letter from beyond the grave telling me how much she hated me, how she hopes dd will be as nasty to me as I was to her (I haven’t done anything apart from refuse to be abused any more). Letter said I was disinherited (I’d guessed as much)

So her estate was worth nearly half a million. I was curious as to who she has left money to…..I’d figured a neighbour who I knew had helped her out a bit and maybe the church.

She has split her estate into 20ths and given various people either one 20th or 2x 20ths. Mostly old family friends, so people I knew as a kid. But unless they got closer in the last six years (unlikely as geographically distant) some of them are people she’s seen about 3 or 4 times in the last 20 years and apart from exchanging Xmas cards with had no other contact.

This has pissed me off more than if she’d left all her money to the church/neighbour. I don’t know why as it would make no difference to me. I suppose I always wondered if she might leave some money to Dd or to my nephew but obviously not. Instead she left it to people she hardly knew who are wealthy baby boomers like her, but also in their 80s so effectively it’s their kids who she doesn’t know who will benefit.

I know I need to let it go. Ultimately losing my inheritance was worth the weight which has been lifted off my shoulders the last few years. I’m also pissed off as I’ve heard on the grapevine she’s spent the last few years telling all her friends and neighbours what a nasty, selfish Dd I was. In one of the letters she wrote me she said how I’d cut contact with her once she became to old to be of any use to me. The sad thing is she probably believed that….she had a weird ability to totally rewrite history and to believe her new version….a version where she was the innocent victim.

OP posts:
SameToo · 17/08/2021 18:33

I don’t know why you’d do that. It was never going to make anything better.

Look into counselling.

Bryonyshcmyony · 17/08/2021 18:35

That seems like a very self destructive thing to to. I agree counselling would be good.

Buzzer3555 · 17/08/2021 18:36

I can see why you were curious. I would be the same. You can only get on with your life and move on. It sounds like her money didnt give her much joy x

CuriousaboutSamphire · 17/08/2021 18:46

OK. So her will is absolute proof that you, and your DB?, were right to cut her off.

Keep a copy, remind yorusefl that she was more intent on hurting you than loving you.

And get some counselling so that you can work through any remaining feelings of guilt or anger.

Basically, she is dead. She doesn't get to take any more of your brain spce now!

CovidCorvid · 17/08/2021 18:47

No, you’re right….it probably wasn’t a good idea to do it.

OP posts:
ConfusedNoMore · 17/08/2021 18:49

I can relate to feeling angry at the injustice of being bad mouthed but you can't do anything about that and you don't know how those recipients of her will/nasty stories about you would have reacted. Some perhaps thought her hard done by but likely many others saw the other side of her or suspected as much. mostly I doubt they cared.

Take this as a final freedom. She's gone. Her money is gone. There's no hold over you. It's ok to grieve what might have been but don't spend too long. Try and let go. Flowers

aerosocks · 17/08/2021 18:50

Have you considered photocopying the abusive 'from beyond the grave' letter and sending a copy of it to every single one of the beneficiaries, and anyone else you can think of?

The money's gone but at least if you did that, it would open their eyes to the sort of person she really was.

Bryonyshcmyony · 17/08/2021 18:51

@aerosocks

Have you considered photocopying the abusive 'from beyond the grave' letter and sending a copy of it to every single one of the beneficiaries, and anyone else you can think of?

The money's gone but at least if you did that, it would open their eyes to the sort of person she really was.

Please don't do this.
CuriousaboutSamphire · 17/08/2021 18:52

Oh you can dream of doing that, but maybe to anyone who actively gives you any grief. The recipients probably have absolutely no idea why she left them any money!

Anordinarymum · 17/08/2021 18:53

@CovidCorvid

No, you’re right….it probably wasn’t a good idea to do it.
You wanted to know and now you do. Just put it behind you because if you don't, you will be allowing her to affect your life even though she is not around, and I bet she will have been relying upon that !
Gooseberrypies · 17/08/2021 18:54

@Bryonyshcmyony why not? It's what she deserves.

AlmostSummer21 · 17/08/2021 18:54

I understand why you did it.

I'd also understand if there were people you need to set the record straight with.

I am really sorry you didn't have the mother you deserved 💐

It's awful about the inheritance going to people she didn't even know, when she could have left it it to DD& DN, even if she didn't want to leave it to you & DB.

It's horrible & you deserve more.

However, try now to give yourself complete freedom from that toxic relationship & put your energy into the people who matter!!

But I do really feel for you cx

ladysunshine · 17/08/2021 18:55

Consider the money tainted & be glad that it never entered your life. Her life ended as she lived - filled with hate, bitterness and vindictiveness. What a waste. What a pitiful existence.

Vow to live from now on to the fullest, doing what brings you joy and sharing love and friendship where it will flourish. Be happy & at peace, knowing that you are loved for yourself.

CovidCorvid · 17/08/2021 18:58

I was glad when I got the nasty letter from her after her death as it confirmed I was right to not fall back into the pattern of letting her get away with her behaviour. A nice letter saying how sorry she was would have been worse.

I guess I need to thing about the will along the same lines.

I won’t send a copy of the letter to anyone. The neighbour who is the main beneficiary knows about it as she is will executor and legal next of kin, so she knew from the solicitor about the letter. She rang to invite me to the funeral which she arranged and I explained that due to the letter any thoughts about possibly going to the funeral had gone out the window.

OP posts:
Elwynne · 17/08/2021 19:00

Sorry you're feeling so crap Flowers but it is completely understandable given the difficult relationship you had with her and how that may have led to feelings of guilt and hurt surrounding her death. It is clear you are walking with her still on your shoulders weighing you down, so I agree with other posters counselling might help you find acceptance.

Mummabug18 · 17/08/2021 19:02

[quote Gooseberrypies]@Bryonyshcmyony why not? It's what she deserves.[/quote]
Because it's seriously unhealthy! It won't affect her mum in any way, SHE IS DEAD. The only thing the woman deserves is to be forgotten! There's nothing else to be gained from any other action than that.

noirchatsdeux · 17/08/2021 19:12

My paternal grandmother died 4 years ago...her relationship with our family was always poor and once my father left my mother for OW it was basically non-existent. She blamed my mother for taking my father to the other side of the world (when pregnant with me) when his father (her husband, my grandfather) was terminally ill...my mother maintains she never knew he was dying, my father lied to her. This all didn't come out until I was 21.

Anyway, out of interest I ordered a copy of her will. My father had a younger brother, 8 year age difference. For about 20 years myself and my two brothers were her only grandchildren, my uncle didn't have children until he was in his 40s. Her estate - about half a million - was divided into 4. A quarter was left to my grandmother's niece, a quarter to the niece's husband, to my uncle and to my father....under the section dealing with my uncle, it stated that if he pre-deceased his mother, his quarter was to go to his children, once they were over the age of 18. Under the section dealing with my father, it stated that if he pre-deceased his mother, his quarter was to go to my uncle... so basically she acted as if we didn't even exist. I won't lie, it hurt. My uncle had even pretended to be dead back in the late 70s when his mother was trying to find him...I know from my mother (she is still in touch with my uncle) that his children have had no relationship with their grandmother. Myself and my two brothers lived with her for 3 months when we first came to the UK...it's not so much the money but the fact she's basically denied our very existence that has upset me.

pollylocketpickedapocket · 17/08/2021 19:13

Just mentioned this thread to my dm and she reckons you can contest it, I think that’s bollocks. But she reckons you can say it was promised and she’s done this out of spite.

Elieza · 17/08/2021 19:13

Sorry you had such a horrible time and that she sent you that letter. How horrible.

Depending on where you are you may still be entitled to part of her money.

You probably won’t want it, but I’d take it as compensation for a shit childhood as she appears to have been a right nasty piece of work.

In Scotland you’d be entitled to something. Don’t know about England.

thecognoscenti · 17/08/2021 19:16

You haven't lost 'your inheritance' though.

QueeniesCroft · 17/08/2021 19:21

Think about how it must be to be leaving your last message, the last words of yours that your family will ever "hear"- and to be so bitter and eaten up with hatred that you have no words of love to give. Imagine wanting to deliberately hurt your own child after your death.
Now be glad that you are not like her, and that you escaped from her nastiness.

Colourmeclear · 17/08/2021 19:31

I'm really sorry that you didn't have the mum that you deserved. I feel that really needs to be said. I'd focus on being the parent to yourself that you wish you had, full of compassion, understanding and care.

Looking for the Will was likely a child part of you that held on to hope and the fantasy of having a good enough parent. So it must have been very hurt when the reality came closing around you that the adult you knew was the truth, that she was hurtful, spiteful and cold. I hope you can find some comfort whilst you process all these feelings and do consider counseling. It can be healing to have someone hear you, see you and witness your hurt when you have suffered for so long.

godmum56 · 17/08/2021 19:31

@CovidCorvid

No, you’re right….it probably wasn’t a good idea to do it.
yup, like picking a scab
NoProblem123 · 17/08/2021 19:42

I can understand why you got a copy of the will, but all it’s done is allow her another opportunity to hurt you.
I’m sorry you’re going through this Flowers

FreeBritnee · 17/08/2021 19:43

It sounds like she had no friends or family so she was scrapping around trying to find some people to leave her money to. She’d have been better off leaning it to a charity like you suggested. But that would be too selfless.

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