Freddie (Caller about mother's estate)
Appearances
The Ramsey Show
You Can Move From Family Drama to Financial Peace
The niece's husband. This is what we think happened. We think that because she did that for her parents, and that led to a lot of issues, that she basically has, my mom didn't really have anything else to go to once my father passed. And then she thought, okay, well, I could use them.
The Ramsey Show
You Can Move From Family Drama to Financial Peace
It's kind of complicated, the estate, with some of the things that my parents have done as far as investments and things. So I think she thought it was a good idea. Now, I know you always say, I've heard you say, don't do business with family. No, I didn't say that. Okay, maybe you did. Okay, maybe I heard that incorrectly.
The Ramsey Show
You Can Move From Family Drama to Financial Peace
But either way, she's just so in deep with them that she's just – she's got complete control more or less. Yeah, I mean her mother gave it to her though. Okay, that's true. Now here's the thing. They kind of operate – From a standpoint of if they can just keep offering you more and more. And my mother, of course, accepted. So that's on her.
The Ramsey Show
You Can Move From Family Drama to Financial Peace
But my mother is older and she just decided to do a little bit too much with them. And they recently tried to declare her to be incompetent, more or less, which she was not. after we had all requested through my mother a copy of the records because we were getting suspicious that there's some fraudulent behavior going on. So we wanted to see what the estate looked like. My mother agreed to it.
The Ramsey Show
You Can Move From Family Drama to Financial Peace
She requested that and they did not provide that.
The Ramsey Show
You Can Move From Family Drama to Financial Peace
So we looked into an attorney and to get some protection for her because apparently my mom's niece had contacted an attorney, sent a letter to the assisted living facility where my mom lives, and tried to say that we were somehow coercing to get records or try to coerce her into not allowing them to see.
The Ramsey Show
You Can Move From Family Drama to Financial Peace
So the facility actually banned them, both of them, from seeing her because they would always try to meet with her privately, which under normal circumstances might make sense. But in this case, we suspect that there's some funny business going on with the money.
The Ramsey Show
You Can Move From Family Drama to Financial Peace
Well, he said that what we could do is go in there and request all the records, also request the beginning as far as all the records to the very end where we are right now and everything in between, all the transactions. Okay, so I set up an appointment. He was going to go visit my mother, and the last second my mother canceled.
The Ramsey Show
You Can Move From Family Drama to Financial Peace
Now, the problem is that my mother feels a strong sense of loyalty to her niece. How can we help you today? Well, I'm just trying to see if we have any rights as children, whether when she passes or prior to that, is there anything we can do?
The Ramsey Show
You Can Move From Family Drama to Financial Peace
And you have to file a lawsuit. Yeah, okay, that makes sense. Because we do not have access to the will. We only have an old will.
The Ramsey Show
You Can Move From Family Drama to Financial Peace
Good day, Dave. I'm so glad that I got ahold of you. Could really use your help. Got a 91 year old mother and there are five of us siblings and we're trying to help her. She is in a nursing home in PA and she is going to pass away soon. So we have a cousin who is my mom's niece who actually is in charge of her estate along with her husband. Her husband is an estate attorney.
The Ramsey Show
You Can Move From Family Drama to Financial Peace
She has power of attorney, and she handles stock transactions, you know, brokerage transactions as well.
The Ramsey Show
You Can Move From Family Drama to Financial Peace
That's weird. That's the part we can't quite figure that out. It's a little odd.
The Ramsey Show
You Can Move From Family Drama to Financial Peace
Well, I live far away. I'm in Nashville. Far away doesn't affect anything. I know.