I wish I knew. One of my uncles would steal from my grandparents to support himself while he was alive. My cousins from that side of the family still do.
My other uncle started taking things from my grandmother's house after my grandfather died. This is in France, so the last person protected is my grandmother. We won't inherit anything, and there probably won't be anything when my grandmother dies.
Meanwhile, my parents had to leave the US to take care of my grandmother until the end because the family over there won't.

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1984 300TD

Why don't we just stop beating around the bush. Family doesn't count for much. It is not an immunity to being scammed. In fact, it sometimes is an enticement.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

My Dad didn't even know his brother in Germany had died until months later. His wife didn't contact him because she thought he would come over and try to take whatever her husband had, which wasn't much anyway. He was pretty resentful about that.

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1985 380SE Blue/Blue - 230,000 miles
2012 Subaru Forester 5-speed
2005 Toyota Sienna
2004 Chrysler Sebring convertible
1999 Toyota Tacoma

I've known a few families who were once very close and I was kind of jealous of how they all got along and had fun. Then a senior would die and the will was either too vague or non-existent, and it was amazing to see how they turned on each other - especially the 'have-nots' vs the 'haves'. Now they won't even be in the same room together.

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1985 380SE Blue/Blue - 230,000 miles
2012 Subaru Forester 5-speed
2005 Toyota Sienna
2004 Chrysler Sebring convertible
1999 Toyota Tacoma

An excessive zeal for self-preservation is my take on it.This oft overlooked characteristic is most prominent in social groups but equally marked on an individual level as well.

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I agree. My MIL is currently in the terminal stage of lung cancer...one shot of Chemo and she said no...so now were in the "waiting stage" - but she had her daughter and I clean out her apartment, get the two brothers in and go over ALL THE PHOTOS, she had the oldest (the daughter is the youngest) collect all stocks, bonds, insurance and money (she had a few Gs stuffed in various places), put about 2G in a shared account with him as the POA in the matters, then the rest was split 3 ways...and in this case, the daughter took all the (freakin' heavy!) furniture and the boys took the cash...everyone was happy and MIL oversaw the whole thing...

As for a will...everyone's happy with what happened and the Will will just be a sidebar to the whole thing...MIL has the funeral all planned out, the ashes will be interred next to FIL's ashes and everyone will be satisfied.

As for my side of the family (6 kids, one mom left), we already know what's going on...not too much property to fight over...the condo is to be split 6 ways, one brother will be sitting on it 'til it sells, the car is a joke, someone can "...laugh all the way to the bank..." with that one...everything else is 20+ y.o.. So, it's just pictures and silverware...with the wrong moniker on the handle (An "M" ... the silverware was her dad's family set)...none of us has an "M" for a surname...

Now, can greed come in? Possibly. But, I think in our case, it might be more a case of envy than anything else...

Would I get involved? I'll give up whatever anyone wants if it will keep peace in the family. The fact that the 6 of us are still alive should be enough to take whatever Mom would leave to us, sell it all and have one big blow-out of a "Life-Celebration" party would probably be the best thing us kids could do to honor our Mom...the fact that we didn't kill each other when we were growing up and still care about one another was something that she had to have managed to pass on to us...

I'm expecting at least one funeral here in the few coming months...I hope that when the time comes for my Mother to go, she goes in her sleep, peacefully and quickly...

I hate seeing things get older...including me...

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M. G. Burg
'10 - Dakota SXT - Daily Ride / ≈ 172.5K
.'76 - 450SLC - 107.024.12 / < .89.20 K
..'77 - 280E - 123.033.12 / > 128.20 K
...'67 - El Camino - 283ci / > 207.00 K
....'75 - Yamaha - 650XS / < 21.00 K
.....'87 - G20 Sportvan / > 206.00 K
......'85 - 4WINNS 160 I.O. / 140hp
.......'74 - Honda CT70 / Real 125
.
“I didn’t really say everything I said.”
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ Yogi Berra ~

My mother went that way,she knew ol' scratch was clawing at her vitals and resigned herself to it and several days later,pffft...G-d bless her.
Everyone,in his own opinion considers themselves less fortunate than others,you know,"oh,cousin so and so is rich" or "those tight-fisted in-laws probably have a fortune".
What is the point?I'm living proof that material possessions do not a happy person make,but then precarious health is sometimes overcompensated by striving after monetary success,I,E,independence......

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Sounds more like "grand theft," to me..........

If someone declines the money, does that necessarily mean they are; not greedy, stupid, or perhaps that they just don't care about the money?" And, is that not want of money, for any reason, such a good thing, or a bad thing?

Seems to me a lot of people get their r*cks off, on calling others "greedy," but they cannot define what "greed" is for another person. That, often times is envy, which is wanting what another has, AND or, not wanting them to have it.

People kill thier family members. Who can figure that one? Greed is nothing compared to that.

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MB-less

Greed is one of the most basic human tendencies. Its something people have to be taught not to allow themselves to be swept away by.

Some people never learn that.

I can say for sure its not confined to the fair sex.

Inheritance situations seem to bring out the worst in people....at a time when people should be grieving the loss of their loved ones they often get into nasty family squabbles over material things.

For myself, I have seven siblings and mom and dad devoted their lives to us rather than accumulating material wealth, so I have never expected anything from them.

It is liberating.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

It is like alcoholism. You can mask it, you can stop drinking but you will never be cured. All teaching does is similar to stopping drinking. Greed is inherent in people, irrespective of race, sex, etc, etc.

Inheritance situations are simply situations that bring out what is inside people. There can be many triggers. Just like the alcoholic. It might be beer, bourbon, whiskey, etc, etc.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

Red flag. I would have to hear the other side of the story from an objective witness to weigh in. On its face, it sounds like the "official" is either a dumbass or unfamiliar with his state's ethics laws and the rules of civil procedure if he intervened in a pending lawsuit.

Correct.

The laws vary from state to state concerning wills.
If you die intestate (without a will) here in Florida the state will create on for you.
Of course it's better to have one. Even better to have a trust.

Danny

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1984 300SD Turbo Diesel 150,000 miles

OBK member #23

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