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Relationships

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

My DF

8 replies

FunnyAboutMoney · 10/03/2022 15:35

I'm hoping to get some outside perspective and advice on how to deal with a situation that has arisen with my DF. It's a mess and I don't know how to handle it as his reactions/opinions are so extreme and he doesn't believe me when I tell him things that are easily verified by a google search.

Bit of background:
My DF is very wealthy, money is no issue. Workaholic but about to finally retire from his own business.
He has financially controlled my DM for their entire marriage (decades), his view is its his money, not hers. He has said "she will divorce him over her dead body" when DM has tried to leave.
My DM worked for many years, raised children across two decades and was medically retired in her 40s.
He believes everyone is after his money and no-one can be trusted in the event of death/divorce/separation. This is getting worse the older he gets.

I don't know what I'm expecting from posting this

My youngest sibling (in their 30s) is the favourite, no expense spared, never worked, paid rent or supported themselves, lived the life of a socialite and is now in the process of being bought a house in the region of 1/2mil in a VERY nice area. Of course, this sibling couldn't cut their cloth accordingly and start out somewhere sensible.

My other siblings and I have never had any help, we have had to work our way up. For me this meant starting out in a 'rough' town (if I named the town (SE), you'd get it - the comments when it is brought up on other threads are always the same), in a house share with some less than pleasant male housemates. My DF never once stepped in/offered to help me out.

This leads us to where I am now and the situation.

My DM leant me some money to help me purchase my current home - not a huge amount - I had more than double that in my own equity, and most of the money leant went on stamp duty and fees. She told me it was her money and to not worry about it.
I am extremely grateful to my DM. I would never have got, what is the perfect house for me right now - still in the "shit" town but has all the space I need, without her help.

My DF found out about the money and is, understandably, feeling betrayed that my DM helped me out after he said 'No' - my DM had asked him if he would help me out, unbeknownst to me.

To complicate matters, my DP is not yet divorced (separated for c5 years now) and has moved in with me.

My DF is not happy and is flitting between me paying him back immediately, to he will have a legal doc draught to protect the "family" money AND the proportion of the remaining equity in my home made up from the inheritance I received from my DGrandparents.

I have no issue with him trying to protect the money leant to me by my DM and would happily sign whatever is necessary and even suggested a second charge on the property to ringfence that amount.

I have issue with him trying to ring fence money that was given to me as inheritance - youngest sibling pissed the not inconsiderable amount, up the wall while I decided to invest in a home for myself.

I believe I should be able to do with the inheritance what I please eg leave my house to my DP should I die without my DF knocking on the door demanding the inheritance portion back/sale of the property to re-absorb the "family" money.

This has enraged my DF. He is now talking (what I believe to be) nonsense that my DPs ex-wife would have a claim on my house if something happened to him. My DP will be getting divorced in the next couple of years but this isn't soon enough for my DF.

My DF believes common-law marriage exists despite me showing him many citations from family law specialists to the contrary.

I can't have a decent conversation with my DF that doesn't end up with me rolling my eyes at the rubbish that comes out of his mouth. He just won't listen to common sense when it comes to money.

Everything has to be an extreme and it has turned so ugly.

I am feeling sick, frustrated and like a massive disappointment to my DF.

My DP is feeling hurt that my DF just sees him as an inconvenience out to get all of the money he can from me/my family and is now very reluctant to visit my DParents.

OP posts:
saoirse31 · 10/03/2022 15:52

Your df sounds v unreasonable. However, I would have thought loan repayment would be between you and your mother only.

Why though is your dp s divorce not happening for a couple of years? I can understand that seeming slightly odd and not suggesting a permanent commitment from your dp to you.

Georgeskitchen · 10/03/2022 15:53

Don't sign ANY kind of legal document without speaking to a solicitor. Your DF sounds like an absolute nightmare I feel.sorry for your DM.

Crimeismymiddlename · 10/03/2022 15:54

I don’t have any advice, but I am so sorry that your DF is being so horrible. What a kick in the teeth when you have worked so hard, your DM tries to help you and he treats you like this. I would suggest legal advice, but honestly I don’t think he will be able to get your inheritance-that’s your money, not his or ‘family’ money.

kgov1 · 10/03/2022 16:00

It's your inheritance from your grandparents and f all to do with your DF.

Tell him you pissed it up the wall like your younger sibling. Even the mother your DM gave you has nothing to do with him especially if it was a gift. Obviously up to you if you want to agree to pay her back or sign something but legally you are unlikely to have to.

poetryandwine · 10/03/2022 16:12

OP,

I am so sorry you are going through this. I sympathise deeply but I also think you need to take legal advice. It is a complicated situation and if I may say so gently I also share the underlying concern that it may take your DP ‘a couple of years’ - so perhaps 7?yrs total - to divorce. I would not believe the divorce until it happens and much as I would hate for your mean-spirited F to have a point, there may be implications for your estate planning. There are too many possibilities for the amateurs of MN to get our heads around.
This is why you need a solicitor

PiperPosey · 10/03/2022 16:24

I am feeling sick, frustrated and like a massive disappointment to my DF.
.............
OP.... your dad sounds like a greedy, miser dick who is keeping your mother hostage.
Why do you care what he thinks of you... Really?

The day I became mentally healthy was the day that I realized I was an adult and I've done my best to have my parents love and respect.

It was not returned...I carried on with my life. As an adult not expecting praise and adulation only criticism from them. That was just the reality.

NumberTheory · 10/03/2022 18:29

Is your DP on the deeds or mortgage for the property or pay towards the mortgage or any maintenance? Because there are ways he could gain a financial interest in it despite there being no such thing as common as marriage in England. And if there has been no financial settlement between your DP and his wife, then any assets including any he gains in your house are in potentially play during the divorce. You may already taken legal advice on this and got it sorted properly but if you haven't, you should.

As far as your father is concerned, stop giving him air space. Refuse to discuss your inheritance with him. Just say - Dad, that's my money and will do what I like with it, I don't want your advice. For the money lent to you by your mum, tell him you'll stick to the terms you had with your mum, and you'll only discuss that with him if you fail to do so.

Don't offer to placate him in other ways, you don't have to and you shouldn't. Don't do research for him and try and educate him. Freeze him out. Tell him this is something he isn't involved in. It's between you and your DP. You and your mother. I'm sure you knew if you had got money of him he would have been on this sort of power trip. You didn't go to him, so stop giving him the control! Shut him down everytime he says anything about it - Dad, I'm not talking to you about this. It's already sorted. You don't have a say in it.

FunnyAboutMoney · 12/03/2022 11:51

Sorry for not coming back to this thread sooner.

Thank you all for taking the time to comment, I thought I was going to have my arse handed to me, so it’s been of comfort to read them all.

I will be taking legal advice, I need to understand more about estate planning etc.

My DP isn’t on the mortgage/deeds to my house but the intention is that he will be once the marital home is sold in however many years that takes.

I’m not sure I feel confident telling my DF the inheritance is none of his business, I need to work on that!

My DM will sadly do whatever my DF asks her to do. The money she gave me came from a joint account that is viewed has “his”.

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