Lost My Inheiritance
Dad died in 1998, Mom died in January 2011.All she had was her home, no savings or insurance. She left everything to my only brother, with verbal instructions to share equally with us three sisters. She didn't leave a will but we trusted our brother. We asked for a few sentimental things and some pieces of furniture. One sister got a set of bedroom furniture, that's all. Brother started acting a bit "paranoid". My two sisters were never allowed inside the house after Mom's death. I lived 500 miles away but brother told me not to visit, there was nothing special to see with Mom gone. My sister who got the furniture found it piled in her driveway one day. The other sister asked for some old school records, brother said they had got wet and moldy so he threw them out. I made a specific list of sentimental items, a few old toys, pair of lamps, kitchen items. Brother lived alone in the house, said he was fixing it up to sell. I phoned him at least once a month to ask about his progress. He said he was painting, fixing, whatever. At one point he held an estate sale, sold most of the furniture. He admitted to me he threw out every toy and book he found, and there were plenty. Mom was definitely a "hoarder". Yeah, just like on those TV shows. In early December last year I spoke with him on the phone, he sounded quiet and depressed. I tried to draw him out, asked questions to get some conversation going, he gave one-word answers. Then on December 19 he shot himself to death. Yes I knew he was depressed . He'd had mental problems all his life, never held a meaningful job, was divorced with 2 kids he never saw after the divorce. And we knew he had guns. So what should I have done? Called the police ahead of time ? "My brother is depressed and living alone and he has guns" We didn't know what to do and now he's gone. Turns out my Mother had taken out one of those "Over 62 Reverse Mortgages" you see advertised on TV. So the house now belongs to A Big Bank. He left a four page suicide note leaving his personal belongings to his long time girlfriend. My sister have a key to the house and visited after his death, technically they were trespassing on the bank's property. They found very little, a few things piled in a bedroom. Photo albums and loose photos going back to the 1880's. Yes, our Grandma's photos. Also a very few personal belongings.Some dishes and pots and pans. No jewelry, nothing of personal or financial value. All the photos and my Mother's belongings are now at one sisters house. She said I can have 2 things- a hand-painted baby plate with my name and birthdate on it and a small diary Mom kept in high school. Everything else I wanted is gone. Two items I really wanted are missing- the bride and groom cake topper from my wedding cake in 1979 that had been on Mom and Dads cake in 1946. And my bronzed baby shoes are gone. So I have to be content with some photographs and my memories. My inheiritance is lost.I'm not looking for advice. I have my own life and it's pretty busy. I did talk to a priest after my brother's death. I'm a full time caregiver for a sick husband. I have two daughters in their 20s. So life goes on.
arkansas girl
sleeperblues
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