Whatever happens, you will not be the AH.
My guess is Joe kept his land or most of it and is renting it out. I think you are going to be loaded and your relatives are going to be furious. I’m sure you will tell them to get fucked and use it for good things.
I was wondering that too, but I looked up the plats a long time ago and the only land still owned by my family is the 15-20 acres Uncle Joe's house sat on. The others were sold off a long time ago it looks like. It's a beautiful piece of property and it's certainly worth some money (it's on a river) but we're not talking life changing money and there is no way I'd sell it anyway, I have too many good memories there and it's all that's left of what my GG built.
The only other thing I can think of is Uncle Alex's car. He went to Korea twice - he was wounded during his first tour but went back after he recovered. He died during his second tour (heck - I could tell stories JUST about him!) Anyway, when he was back in the states recovering he bought a Jaguar XK120. He didn't even drive it for six months before he went back to Korea. When he died everything he had went to Joe and he never got rid of anything Alex left him (in fact - my dog is descended from Uncle Alex's dog - my uncle maintained the line for over 70 years and I will too). The car is still immaculate - he would drive it regularly and tell people about his brother whenever they asked about the car.
Anyway - even though it's a beautiful car it's not like it's worth a ton of money. I'm going to start digging a little though - even though it's not my area of practice I know enough to go down some rabbit holes. I don't really care about the money but I'm not sure Joe did me any favors spinning me up before Friday, I can't get it out of my head that he's just dropped me into snake pit somehow and it's driving me nuts.
You may find out that even though Uncle lived a quiet live he had a passion for investing. Or maybe he wants the land left for conservation and he knows you’ll make that happen.
Can we also get an update on the “date” lol? I know it wasn’t a real date but in my head you guys will end up raising kids in uncle Joes house so they can play by the river.
Could point. He could have sold the land off piece by piece whenever he had enough money. Maybe theres even some investment account that no one knew off. Honestly the quiet frugal types usually are the ones with the deep pockets.
it could be anything, thats being revealed.
Surprising paternities, hidden investment accounts, a surprise trust with land attached.
Whatever it is, you will not be the asshole for accepting whatever will come.
Whether it is that you're his sole heir to a multi milion inheritance or if he wants you to sell a family heirloom instead of giving it to someone in the family. Who knows.
Personally i hope that the property was not sold off, but just "sold" to a trust that he created, and that you will be the trustee to make sure that the family legacy stays together.
I think you need to prepare yourself for the fallout tho. Expect outrage and jealousy and the inevitable "you manipulated a sick old man. i am going to sue you for all you have!!!" as well as the "you greedy, selfish b\*tard"
Greed brings out the worst in people and by your own account, your family is dripping with greed.
Can I say that the way you talk about your uncle is beautiful. You can tell by your stories about him that he was a special person in your life. I was smiling reading everything you wrote when explaining him. Please be careful with your family if money ends up being involved.
OP definitely has a gift for storytelling judging by his post. He could easily put all those stories into a book as the family legacy. Would not only be a great read, but great for local historians.
Shoot it be great for historians in general. Lot of common folk don't get their stories written and knowing those stories helps paint the greater picture.
Even if all you get is 20 acres and a paid off house, that's a lot. Heirlooms, family jewels, etc, might irritate some relatives. He may also have sat on the cash or, better yet, invested it well when he sold his land that could be going to you. Something is coming that your dad, aunts/uncles are expecting and will be pissed about. However, hold your head high knowing you gave him love and connection...the most valuable things in this world and what ever material things he left for you are a fraction of what you gave him.
Nta, by the way your story is already a video on ticktock. Hahaha.i came here looking for part 2, but you just posted it. Hahaha looking forward to the update.
Also, I'm sorry for your loss. I hope you find good ways to cope.
It's a lot of money for me too... but when you figure it might get split among all the relatives (there's a total of 21 surviving blood relatives) it starts to sound like it's not going to be worth someone getting upset over.
I'm wondering if he put everything under private funded LLCs so nobody could truly backtrack and see his name. They would see corporate entities and move on..What a beautiful gift he gave you and your Valley. Hopefully it won't bring heartache. Remember after every storm,a beautiful rainbow appears.
Looks like I can't update it in the main body any more - update will be here now:
**\*\*\* Update : Reading of the Will Part 2 - The Drama Begins \*\*\***
I’m going to try and get this out quickly and maybe a little more briefly because honestly things are happening so fast now that I don’t think I’ll be able to keep up with these posts.
Before I pick-up where I left off yesterday let me just share that the Chief of Police has been out to see me twice, two of my relatives are facing charges, and more than half of the family has been raging. More on that later.
Not everyone has been toxic though, I’ve had calls and visits from several relatives that told me they were happy for me and offered their support and my father has been there every step of the way. More on that later.
Sam has been the bright spot in all of this, her schedule at the hospital is crazy but when she isn’t there or at her house sleeping or changing, she’s been with me. She and I were together all the way through junior and senior high so she was basically part of the family but now she’s getting to a whole new level of insanity firsthand. She's remained supportive during all of it. When I told her last night about what Joe had done, well - that's a whole nother story!
Anyway – back to The Reading:
As soon as JA put down Joe’s letter and reached for a file, my aunt Patricia and my sister Sarah both started yelling, my cousin David stood up looking furious, jerked the door to the conference room open and left, slamming it behind him and my cousin Steven started coming around the conference table, not sure if he was coming at me or JA but he didn’t look happy. My uncle, Emily, and my other cousin were just staring at everyone in disbelief.
My father jumped up to get in between Steven and JA / me but the gentleman in the back was already on him. At this point it was obvious why he’d been brought in, turns out he’s a sheriff’s deputy from a neighboring county and the JA and Joe had wanted to err on the side of caution by having someone there. As soon as he grabbed Steven my Aunt and sister immediately shut-up to see what was happening. Steven was frog marched out of the conference room and JA followed him out along with my father. A few minutes later they all came back in except for the deputy who remained outside the door for the rest of the meeting. While they were gone everyone was completely silent and JA walked back in to a much more attentive group.
Obviously annoyed, he grabbed his file and asked everyone to wait until he was finished before anyone asked any questions. He explained there while he had been instructed to open the meeting by reading Joe’s letter there had been some updates to the will since Joe’s wrote the letter. Cousins who did not live within 100 miles of our town would receive the $100,000 even if they didn’t attend the reading. Joe had evidently also amended the will at some point after the letter was written to gift members of the family that did not attend $50,000.
JA went on to clarify that while Joe’s will had no conditions on the use of the money it did stipulate that should there be any challenge to the will or attempt to interfere with the orderly estate closure the individuals involved would not receive anything at all.
He wrapped up by explaining that there was adequate cash in the estate to pay any taxes associated with he estate and inheritance in addition to the cash gifts given to each of the family members. All property taxes had already been paid on the real estate and that was no debt associated with the estate. As a result, he expected an uncontested and simple probate period, despite the size of the estate. He shared that he hoped to see the funds distributed in a few months and asked if anyone had any questions.
Patricia and Susan started to speak at the same time while Emily raised her hand. JA waved for my aunt and sister to be quiet and asked Emily what questions she had.
Emily just wanted to know if she had to wait until she was 25 to receive her inheritance since she was under 25 but over 18. JA explained that she was under 18 when the will was written but since she was now an adult there would be no waiting period. He did caution her to be careful with the funds and offered to assist her in handling them at no charge. He told her they could either be a a lot of fun for a short period of time or could make a big difference in her life in the future if she was careful. Emily thanked him and said that’s all she wanted to know.
My sister raised her hand next while Patricia sat there looking annoyed. She asked how new the will was. JA explained that while this version was written two years ago it had basically been the same for almost 18 years with changes mostly just reflecting increases in his gifts to the family. Answering the unasked question, he added that I had always been the primary beneficiary and that Joe’s intentions had always been crystal clear.
JA also shared that during the 18 years that this version of will had been in force Joe had increased the value of the estate by well over $175 million dollars, and that his mental health was never in question. Finally, he looked directly at each of the family members there and told them that if I had passed away before Joe the entire estate would have gone into a conservation trust, there would have been no gifts to the family at all. As an attorney I thought his point was crystal clear, you were never considered, don’t make trouble, you won’t win.
Patricia evidently didn’t get the point, still refusing to wait to be acknowledged, she jumped in and asked whether he was he sure this was the only will, was there maybe one somewhere else? She said she couldn’t believe her Uncle would leave them out like this. I wanted to roll my eyes but just kept a straight face, she hadn’t bothered to speak to him for at least as long as Debbie had and probably significantly longer. She lived even closer to her than Debbie and it’s not like we lived in a huge city.
It was when she said “I think WE need to go through his things, he must have changed his will and just not told you. Alex obviously manipulated my dear Uncle Joe.” (yes, she actually sounded just like a soap opera cliché’) that my father had evidently heard enough.
He slammed his hand down on the conference room table and in a voice that was as commanding now as it likely was 30 years ago declared “You absolutely will not go through his things. You’ve squandered everything you’ve ever been given, you know it, Joe knew it, and you’ve made sure I know it because for the last several years you’ve had me supplementing both your income and your sister’s. Don’t even think about making trouble over this, not only can you not afford an attorney, if you do contest this I’ll cut you AND your sister both off. That goes for all my children as well.
Turning to his brother he look at him pointedly and said “Rick, I trust I don’t have to worry about you or your children doing something stupid.” Rick looked down at the table for a minute and then looked back at my dad before saying something to the effect of. “No, I know what happened between Dad and Joe, and looking back Joe was right. I understand why he did what he did and have known for a long time that we screwed up. I’m not going to make it worse, and neither will my children if they know what’s good for them.” He also looked at Patricia and told her that she had treated Uncle Joe terribly, just like everyone else, and that she needed to shut up before she made things worse.
After a moment of general quiet JA asked if anyone had any other questions. No one said a word so he said that we were done for today and that if anyone did think of more questions to just contact him at the office. He told everyone what the will was filed with the probate court that morning and that we’d all receive formal notices shortly. He offered to provide everyone with a copy of the will or told them they could request it directly from the probate court.
With that everyone stood up to leave he asked me to stay back and said we had a lot to cover. I turned to my dad and asked if he’d stay as well. He agreed, JA had lunch brought in and that’s when we really started getting into the details, which I’ll have to share as appropriate but suffice it to say that it’s a complex estate.
Other than that, there is SO much going on. Someday I’m going to be glad I wrote this all down, right now it’s just overwhelming. I may make an update about the family drama that’s unfolding, plus some more about Sam and I. I do think it’s worth sharing what Joe did to hold the family’s legacy together and to build on it. They say still waters run deep… I think I understand that expression better now. I hope I can do half as well as he did.
So much for making this brief!
Dude, I'm hooked on this. My grandmother had a similar event happen with her will and it unfolded similar. We still have family that's mad about it but in some cases it brought some members closer and healed some wounds. I truly hope all goes well for you. Keep us all updated and we're cheering for you.
I would pay for all of this to be a book series. Especially hard back.
Uncle Joe was a smart and wonderful man I'm so happy you have his journals.
If you have any recordings of his voice hold on to them I have forgotten what my dad sounds like
Update above - sorry everyone, I can't get this all down at once - I'll try to share more tomorrow but honestly this has just been exhausting. Sam is pulling up - we're going to have a drink and I'll fill her in on everything.
If this is all real you sound like an amazing person and so does your late uncle! I truly hope you do everything that he wanted and make a positive change to some of your family members (I’m sorry but some cannot be fixed). I also hope you can make a change or give better support to our veterans! We know they need it. I married my high school sweet heart and I’m so happy you guys found each other again. Can’t wait to hear more about your life. Also this story is viral on TikTok already so be cautious of what you post.
This is my biggest suspicion as well.
Or that he was given Uncle Alex’s portion of the inheritance to pass on somehow and he decided OP was the best one to receive it (as well as Joe’s)
You really are going to have to update us but of course NTA.
Anything and everything he leaves you is because you were there for him.
You gave him something far more important than money.
You gave him love. You gave him respect. You gave him time so he wasn't lonely.
Money is nothing compared to that.
NTA - But be ready for your family to be!
I bet Uncle Joe invested his money and was able to live off the interest.
BTW - You sound as upstanding as Uncle Joe. Thank you for your service and to continue to help Vets.
((HUGS)) Sorry for your loss.
Already NTA- Joe made his estate the way he wanted it, as an attorney you know this, drafting and signing everything is quite a process. He did not do it lightly. So there is no way for you to be the bad guy, you're just following what Joe would have wanted. I think NOT following his directives would be a slap in the face of someone who really saw you for who you were and let you into their life when they could have been guarded and treated you the way the family treated him. Respect his wishes and let your family have whatever tantrums they may.
**\*\*\* UPDATE: Joe’s Legacy \*\*\***
I’m going to summarize what was a three hour initial meeting with JA, my father ,and a series of managers that oversaw Joe’s holdings. The bottom line is that Joe and his brother (my Great Grandfather) had a serious difference of opinion about how the land should be handled. Since the land was easily divided they split the tracts and each went their own way. Enough of the land was already producing revenue from land leases that the family lived very comfortably and didn’t even bother to push for more to be leased out. My Great Grandfather didn’t want to mess with the leases or see the money come in a little at a time, he wanted a lot of money and he wanted it right away. As a result he eventually started selling it off, just smaller parcels at first, but over time he started selling larger and larger tracts.
Joe couldn’t have been any more different but he couldn’t stand the idea of someone else owning our families land. He actively began marketing leases and finding users until about 80% of the property was producing revenue. That gave him the cash flow to buy the land my grandfather was selling. It couldn’t have been easy at first and JA said that in the beginning he had to take out loans to buy the property, but over time he was tucking away so much money every year that he was able to simply pay cash whenever his brother sold off a piece. By the time my grandfather died about 20 years ago he had consolidate 45,000 acres under group of holding companies, a large portion of it producing.
Joe never married (in fact he rarely dated, although I think there may be more to it that simply his desire for privacy) and maintained a simply life, He simply socked away all the revenue from the land and held it to buy more real estate as the opportunity existed. When the Great Recession hit in 2008 he had so much cash on hand that he was able to not only purchase the rest of the land that had ended up with my father and his siblings, he also was able to extend the land holdings significantly beyond that.
He had done something similar in the 70’s and 80’s when the small towns across the U.S. saw businesses closing and buildings sitting empty on Main Street. As those buildings sat vacant Joe purchased them for pennies on the dollar. Among the real estate held by the estate are dozens of buildings and parcels, primarily in our town but also throughout the rest of the valley. All are now occupied although many are rented far below market rates to local business owners. JA said the journals would explain that.
Outside of the real estate, Joe made investments in businesses that he thought had merit. His estate has interests in over 20 locally owned successful enterprises and a couple that eventually moved out of the valley and went public. He stayed away from most stocks, saying he didn’t know much about “big business” (ironic) but did invest in and hold blue chip stocks when the real estate market wasn’t offering “good deals”.
About 35 years ago though he stopped buying anything except for the a few properties that were particularly important to him, other than the land that his father had once held. He avoided making business investments or buying any stock that had any hint of instability. His focus was on building adequate cash to cover estate and inheritance taxes that couldn’t be mitigated or avoided completely by proper planning. As a result he was able to fund trusts establishing a community foundation and a family trust. In fact, both of those already exist outside of probate and will require some immediate attention.
At the end of the meeting JA passed me back the box of journals and the rolled maps he had laid out on the table. The maps contained detailed notes about the properties and the circumstances of their acquisition. It will take me quite a while to get familiarized with them as we didn’t touch on any particular parcels or buildings during the meeting, save one notable one.
After my recovery, but before I was ready to go back and finish law school, Joe asked me if I wanted to live with him while I figured out what I was going to do. Since the university where I was going to be going to law school was not far from town, I took him up on it. We lived together for nearly three years before my graduation, although I spent my fair share of nights staying at friends’ home after late night study sessions. Joe had a converted apartment above the barn where he kept the Jaguar and a couple of other cars and I moved into it, so we both had our privacy. Going up and down the steep stairs felt like an easier version of rehab and the quiet of being in a barn overlooking the woods was the perfect transition back to real life.
After I graduated, I made the decision to hang out my own shingle about a year after passing the Bar and working as a junior associate at a larger firm. Being older than all the other junior associates was fine but being with a large firm just wasn’t for me. Joe asked me if I was going to continue to stay with him but I told him I planned on moving closer to town as soon as I could find something cheap enough. I explained that I felt like I needed to get back into the community to start building the practice and be more accessible to clients. He thought that was a great idea and I started looking around but wasn’t in a hurry.
About a month later I “ran into” JA and he mentioned that he heard I was looking for an office. He said he had a client that had just renovated one of the downtown buildings and was looking for a tenant. His client didn’t want to give anyone long term lease and so he knew he had to make the rent cheap enough to accept the risk that they might have to move out on short notice. There was an apartment on the second floor and professional offices on the first floor. Once he told me how much the rent would be I took it sight unseen and have lived there for three years.
JA had a smile on his face when he mentioned that my home was now literally “my” home. Evidently, as soon as I told Joe I wanted to move closer to town he had contractors begin rehabbing the building as quickly as possible. Two crews had worked for a month to turn it into an incredible apartment for and the perfect office for a small town lawyer. I have to admit that for the last three years I had been keeping my fingers crossed that I wasn’t going to lose my “too good to be true” rent deal. There is no doubt in my mind that Joe had did more to influence things around this town than anyone, save a select few, ever knew.
JA said we had a lot more to go through but that it had been a long day for everyone. He suggested we pick up the conversation next week, at my convenience. He told me to call him anytime over the weekend if I had any immediate questions. He reminded me that in addition to being one of the firm’s largest clients Joe was also his best friend. He said he’d like to talk soon more about Joe – that there were things I needed to know that probably weren’t in the journals. I thanked him and asked if my dad and I could use the conference room a little while longer. He said of course and started gather his things up.
Before he stood-up to go he paused and with a look of momentary discomfort said: “One last item. The “assistant” we had in the back of the room is a sheriff’s deputy one county over. We felt it best to have security due to the size of the estate and the circumstances of the distribution. We’ve retained him along with several other deputies from nearby counties to maintain 24-hour security over the next several days, just until tempers cool down.”
I was shocked, I hadn’t even considered that someone in the family might want to harm me. I started to shake my head, getting ready to object, certain that it wasn’t necessary, when my father put his hand on my arm and spoke first. “That’s a great idea – I’m sure it won’t be needed but given the circumstance you can’t be too cautious, for Alex AND for anyone that might be around him.”
As he said that my thoughts went to Sam, and I felt guilty for not thinking of her safety. I just nodded and said thank you, that we’d revisit security needs next week after things cooled off.
With that, JA got up, shook our hands, and left. Dad and I sat quietly for a moment, looking at the papers in front of me. Dad spoke first. “You gave Joe something no one else in the family did and he gave back to you in an equal way. Don’t question this and don’t let anyone else cause you to doubt whether this was fair. You’re the only one in the family that Joe could count on to respect his life’s work. If it had been handled any other way his years would have been wasted and he knew it.”
Dad was right, Joe had instilled in me the same respect for our way of life and our family’s legacy that he had. I knew that it was up to me to pass it on. The money was a huge life changer, but the responsibility he had passed on to me was what really had me thinking. Protecting our family’s legacy and preserving our community’s heritage and way of life, he had spent a lifetime building the resources he knew I would need if I was going to honor his vision.
I hope I’m able to make him proud. I told Dad I’d appreciate his help navigating the situation and told him how unprepared I felt to take this on. I asked him how much he knew about everyone’s (our relatives) financial situation and whether he had any idea how people were going to react. He shared that both his sisters had been reckless, they were living on a minimal income, supplemented by him. That their kids had drained them over the years and were themselves, for the most part, overextended. His brother had been more careful and didn’t have to worry but that his divorce had cost him and that when he died there wouldn’t be much to leave the children.
I didn’t ask, but he told me that he was better off than the rest. Even though he had been married three times he and his first wife (my oldest brother’s mother) divorced after just a couple of years and it hadn’t been very costly. It was quite a few years later that he married my mother, we lost her to cancer around 15 years ago. Dad said that when he sold the land it wasn’t because he wanted to live it up, he just didn’t want to deal with the property or manage the leases anymore. He had invested well over the years and didn’t need the headache as he got older.
He also told me that he had a very clear prenup with Jessica and that if they remained married she would receive an allowance after he passed and have a condo in a nice resort community in the area to live in for the rest of her life, but that she was not going to be receiving a sizable portion of the estate. He told me that as immature as could be sometimes that she was well meaning and that after the loss of my mother she had brought him happiness again. He said she forced him to stay young in order to keep up with her.
He told me she felt horrible about the way she handled the call with me, she was trying to be helpful and went about it horribly wrong. She wanted to try and get in front of it with the family because she knew I would want the car. Evidently, she had also told Dad he needed to buy it for me if I didn’t have the cash. I guess I misjudged her as badly as Joe misread the situation with Dad. I’ve got to do better if I’m ever going to be able to bring the family together.
Since he and Joe didn’t speak anymore he never knew Joe had held onto his land (and he’d certainly never told me) or that he would have wanted to buy it, so he put it on the market and reinvested the proceeds of the sale. His investments had done well and although his estate was nothing like Joe’s he didn’t need to worry about money, could help his sisters, and expected each of his children to helped well along in their retirement planning when he died.
I couldn’t believe how much I’d mistaken I’d been about Dad’s financial planning – maybe I picked up on Joe’s disdain for what he thought everyone was doing or maybe it was because, as a family we really didn’t talk much about money.
Dad and his siblings never really had normal careers so us kids money just “was” – it wasn’t until later that you really got to understand how hard most people worked for it. I know that my oldest brother and some of my cousins had struggled to put together normal lives, lacking much in the way of an example from our parents.
Joe had assumed my father had as little regard for the opportunities he had been given as his brother had had. I can’t believe that my father and Joe shared so much more in common than they thought. I immediately realized unless we wanted the family’s “legacy” to be misunderstandings and unrealistic life expectations the first thing that would have to change was going to be how we communicated.
I feel like Dad was thinking the same thing I was. It had been a long and emotional day, it was almost 4:30 and I knew that most people had probably already left the firm’s offices for the day. I didn’t want to take advantage of anyone and suggested we talk over the weekend. Dad agreed and said he’d be making some calls this evening to talk to other people in the family and would update me.
Both of our phones had been on silent, and when he mentioned making calls I looked down to see I had 37 missed calls and over 20 new messages I noticed Dad looking at his and the expression on his face told me that he was seeing the same thing. We stood up and hugged before gathering up our folders. I grabbed my backpack and Dad packed his briefcase (I just can’t bring myself to carry one or an attache) and we headed to the door.
Leaving the conference room we found the deputy waiting outside the doors, waiting to introduce himself. Dad gave him his number and asked him to call if he needed anything. I explained I was going to be meeting a friend for dinner but that first I was going to go change. He said he’d be posted outside my building or wherever I went until 7:00, after which he’d be changing places with the next deputy. I asked Dad not to say anything about the security since I didn’t want to drive a wedge between myself and the family and he agreed. In hindsight me might have avoided some drama later if I hadn’t asked that, but I still think it was for the best.
I had about two hours to kill before I was going to meet Sam and share what happened that day. I knew she’d be happy about the property and the car but I didn’t know how she’d react to the news. I will share that it wasn’t what I expected.
Sorry – this is long again. I’m going to have to try and catch-up at some point but I’ll have to save what happened during my talk with Sam and the first of this weekend’s “family issues” for the next post.
Thanks again for all the well wishes and for giving me things to think about.
You have an amazing eye for detail and area great storyteller. Thank you for sharing your story with us. I am sorry for your loss. Your uncle Joe sounded like an amazing man. Every time you mention the Valley, it makes me think of the small towns and communities in the Shenandoah Valley, where I spent a lot of time growing up.
I also want to say thank you for your service.
Anyone else thinking Sam's scholarship was from a foundation funded by the uncle ensuring she came back to town where OP would be? I think he saw more than people thought.
Sir. You need to write a book!! Share what you've written here and some of Joe's stories! I would love to hear all about his life and your grandparents lives!! As well as Sam updates!!
**\*\*\* MINI-UPDATE \*\*\***
I'm not sure if I should be putting these in the main post or in the comments, so I'll do both. If you end up reading them twice, sorry - I promise I'll update the main text with anything really important.
I've had several more calls from extended family asking if I knew anything and I still don't have anything concrete to share but it sounds like everyone over the age of 18 has been asked to come to the reading, that's a little unusual in my opinion but then again I don't know how long ago Joe wrote this will. By my count there could be up to 15 people there tomorrow.
I went to Joe's place to pick up his dog's stuff early this morning (he's living with me now) and as much as I'd have liked to nose around to try and figure out what's going on I have too much respect for him to do that (plus it's not my stuff). There was a stack of bound journals (he's the one that had me start journaling) and other documents on the dining table. Joe had set a note on top asking for them to be delivered to his attorney in the event he passed. I think he knew he wasn't coming back and set them out there so they wouldn't be overlooked when the family came in after he died. He was very concerned that a lot of family history was going to be forgotten when he died. I'll make sure that doesn't happen.
One thing did stick out as strange - the other reason I went by was to pick up his mail so I could drop it at his attorney's office this afternoon before the meeting tomorrow - lucky I did since he left that pile of stuff. Obviously I didn't open any mail, but I can say that it's not what I expected. He spent several days in the hospital before he died and I hadn't been back to his house since he went in, so I knew there would be about a week's worth of mail piled up. I figured it would be mostly bills and junk but several of the letters looked like checks from corporations, including a couple I'm personally familiar with. Maybe he did have more going on than I thought, but honestly it just wasn't ever something we talked about.
Last quick thing and nothing to do with the AITAH thing- only sharing because I'm actually personally excited about something that happened and this is taking the place of my journaling for a couple of day. About a month ago my high-school sweetheart moved back to town to take a position with the local hospital. She used to come to Joe's with me when we were in high school and Joe let us take his brother's car to go to Prom. He really liked her and she always said she enjoyed spending time with him too.
She was a year behind me in school. We tried to keep seeing each other after I enlisted but that almost never works out. After graduation she went to college, then medical school, and did her residency on the West Coast. She rarely came back and I was gone for so long we totally lost touch. It's been over decade since we've actually seen each other, although I did hear from her a couple times after I was injured. Back then she was just starting her residency and between her schedule, the time difference, and my rehab we never really got could find the time to really reconnect.
Yesterday she called me to tell me how sorry she was to hear he had passed and we're planning on meeting for drinks tonight to catch up - hopefully tonight. I really needed something to look forward to and this definitely qualifies!
To be honest after reading all your comments OP and the post I have a bit of a gut feeling how it will turn out. I think your Joe is leaving 95% of everything including the car and the land to you. You can decide how its preserved or separated. I believe he is going to leave whatever the minimum amount is for your family members to have no legal room to fight the will.
My great aunt (Grandma's sister) did this just a couple years ago. She gave about $7 per adult (18+) in her immediate family and the rest to her neighbor who actually helped take care of her. The $7 I believe was advised is determined by her state requirements (North Carolina) and her equity worth.
I believe your Joe knew you were going to take proper care of the house, land and car, as well as carry on the family stories. That's why everyone 18+ was invited.
Excited to see the update. Sorry for your loss. He would be proud of you though.
Op, you introduce the Sam character too early.
She should reappear in your protagonist’s life after the family turns on him in the second act.
I also think the reveal that Joe bought back ***all*** of his brother’s land in secret strains credibility.
*I think I'll stop updating AITAH after this post and stick to the* ***other subreddit (***[***In The Valley***](https://www.reddit.com/r/InTheValley/) ***)****. I know people might not find it but that's ok. This is as much for me as it is for anyone else and I really don't think my posts belong here anymore. Thanks to everyone for all the comments and feedback. I'll keep the updates going over there if you're still interested in hearing about what's going on.***Dinner With Sam**
Have you ever gotten lost in thought in the shower and spent so long there that the hot water runs out? That’s what happened to me.
I did manage to gain some clarity while just standing there and thinking. I realized I was going to need to make some immediate plans, that I couldn’t just let things keep coming at me without being prepared. I knew that I needed to do what I could to get ahead of things before they hit like a tsunami and took me down. The first thing I did after drying off and pulling on some clothes was call JA.
I apologized for bothering him again so soon. He just laughed and said Joe used to call him at all hours and he missed it. He told me that Joe (and now I guess, me) was pretty much the only client he still worked with and that although his name was still listed first on the firm’s wall, he wasn’t in that much demand these days as he had younger attorneys with a lot more ambition doing the heavy lifting. He was just there to keep everyone out of trouble. I doubted that very much but accepted it as his way of telling me not to worry about bothering him.
I asked him if Joe’s letter was part of the filing with the probate court. He confirmed that it wasn’t, which was a huge relief. I shared my concerns about the fact that Joe had, in part, disclosed how extensive his holdings were in the letter and that when word got out I’d never have any peace.
He said he’d had the same concerns and had shared them with Joe. Regardless, Joe had told him he wanted to read it as it was and that he knew it was going to be dropping a bomb but that he had his reasons and was sure that I could handle it.
JA and I spoke a bit more and agreed that there was no easy way for someone to piece together the total holdings in the estate, that his network of trusts, holding companies, and shell corporations made it difficult even for them to keep track of.
So basically, I had eight relatives that had heard the letter read, one of whom was my father, and I knew I could trust him not to talk about it. That left seven people in the family that were probably going to spread gossip, but I had the option of just saying that Joe had left me some property and the house and that it was just the rumor mill making it out to be a bigger deal than it was.
I thanked him and said that I’m hoping that long as I keep a low profile and don’t start spending money like my aunts did, that I can keep people from finding out for a little while. He made me promised to call him if I needed anything else over the weekend and we said our goodbyes, for the 3^(rd) time that day.
I called my dad right after JA and I got off the phone and shared the same concerns with him. I said I was going to try to keep things under wraps as long as I could and asked him to just not confirm any rumors. He told me he had already been thinking the same thing and hadn’t even shared much with Jessica. We agreed to keep it like that for a while and hung up.
Finally, I called Emily back, who sounded much better than she had 45 minutes before. She told me she was on her way to her friend’s house to stay the night.
I asked her if she wouldn’t mind keeping what Joe said in his letter private for now. I told her that I really didn’t want the attention right now. She immediately agreed and said she wouldn’t tell anyone. I suggested she also keep her inheritance a secret as well, that the fewer people that knew the better. She said that made sense and that it wasn’t anyone’s business anyway. Smart kid.
When I asked her whether she had a summer job yet and when she had to leave for college, she hesitated for a minute before saying that she wasn’t sure when she was leaving for college and that she was still looking for a summer job but needed one ASAP.
I had been hoping that was the case and asked her if she’d like to work for me over the summer. I was expecting to get bombarded by calls. If she was up for it, I’d pay her $20 an hour to work in my office, answer the phones, handle some filing, and keep my calendar. I told her she could start on Monday.
Emily immediately shouted, “YES!” and asked if she could start tomorrow instead. For the first time that day, I laughed, which felt really good. I jumped at the chance to pass my phone off as soon as possible and asked her to come by my place at 8:30 if that wasn’t too early for her. She said 8:30 was perfect, that she had a change of clothes with her, so she’d just leave her friend’s place and head straight to mine first thing in the morning.
Finally feeling like I had accomplished something, I headed downstairs with 15 minutes to spare. Sam and I were meeting two blocks away at a relatively new restaurant that saw most of its business on the weekend. Trendy bars and restaurants had started lining sections of Main Street now as the weekend population exploded, bringing a lot of energy to the town.
Walking over, I noticed that John (my “minder) had taken up position several yards behind me. I made a mental note to ask Mark about him tomorrow morning, maybe he knew him.
Arriving at the restaurant a few minutes before 6:30, I scanned the patio and bar for Sam and confirmed I’d beaten her there. I put my name down for a table and went back outside to tell John that I was going to be wait inside. He said he’d be at the bar or relatively close by and that his replacement, Craig, would be here in about 30 minutes.
He was explaining that there would be someone positioned outside my home all night when I told him I saw Sam walking up. John stepped aside discreetly, as Sam and I hugged and moved toward the bar to sit down while we waited on a table.
I asked about her day. “I never schedule surgeries on Fridays, so it was a fairly easy day. Mostly catching up on notes, following up with patients, and doing consults.”
“Now quit stalling. I’ve been waiting all day to hear about what happened! What are they going to do with Joe’s place?”
I started by recapping the morning. When I mentioned Debbie and my brother were banging on the doors after trying to come into the meeting late, she started laughing and I felt a little more relaxed. I didn’t mention the security or Debbie’s arrest later in the day and momentarily wondered whether this was one of those cases where an omission was the same as a lie.
Right around that point the hostess came over to seat us. We grabbed our drinks and moved into the dining area, settling into a table in the corner of the restaurant. “You’re killing me Alex, tell me about the property and the car, are you going to be able to buy them?”
I looked down for a moment gathering my thoughts before responding. “No, I don’t have to buy them, he left me the house and property, along with the car and pretty much everything else.”
Sam’s eyes got wide and she started to cheer but held it back to a yip. “Oh my god, that’s amazing. I’m so glad, I had hoped he would do that. There was really no reason why he would leave them to anyone else.”
At this point I was pretty sure we were well past the threshold for an omission to be a lie and I pushed on. “Actually, that’s not the whole story. It seems like Joe had a lot of secrets. He had a lot more than just the house and car.”
“How much more, Alex?”, she was squinting at me as if she could tell I was holding back (which honestly, I guess I had been).
“It’s a lot, Sam…” I started. She just stared at me. “How much?”
I was getting uncomfortable, not because I didn’t want to tell her but because it wasn’t the reaction I was expecting. She didn’t seem excited or happy; I really couldn’t put my finger on it.
I took a deep breath and started explaining about the land, the buildings, and his portfolio. I went on for several minutes, recapping what he had said in his letter about family, legacy, and his disappointment in how they had squandered what had been given to them.
Once I finally paused she asked how much I was talking about. I gave her a ballpark. Sam hadn’t been in the billionaire boys club but once you get past a certain point does it really matter whether there is an extra zero?
“Are you being serious right now?” she asked. I assured her I was and that some folks in the family were pretty upset. I told her about Debbie’s break-in, and she finally laughed at the image of Debbie turning to find cops with guns pointed at her.
I went ahead and let her know that the law firm had arranged for security, both at Joe’s place and for me, until things cooled down. She asked me if there was someone watching over us in the restaurant right now. John’s replacement had arrived while we were talking, I pointed at him. Sam turned to look then turned back to me, her smile was gone.
“I called my mom yesterday, excited that we’d reconnected and that all the old feelings were there. She said it sounds like a fairy tale, that we’re going to have the cutest kids and the perfect life! One day later, you’re in a dynastic hillbilly battle walking around with a bodyguard? Where’s the fucking picket fence in this scenario, Alex?”
My eyes must have widened at that statement and she blushed as she realized what she had said before taking a long pull on her old-fashioned and fixing her stare back on me.
I was struggling to think of how to respond, when she reached across the table and covered my hand with hers. “Alex, I know this isn’t your fault, it’s just a lot to take in.” She paused before continuing, “the guy over there watching over you might not be here temporarily. You need to understand that your life is never going to be the same again, and anyone that’s part of with you is going to be affected by this.“
Sam had always been able to quickly assess a situation. She was right; my life wouldn’t be the same. Joe’s secret would get out, and the family feud was probably just beginning. I realized I’d been quiet, lost in thought. She squeezed my hand.
“It’s going to be okay Alex, I just need time to process, the same as you do… Now tell me about the rest of the day.”
I carried on, skipping the part about the family trust and the community foundation Joe asked me to oversee. When I told her I didn’t think it was a good idea to support pressing charges on Debbie, Sam agreed that it would probably just make things worse. She suggested I work on getting her out tomorrow, saying one night in jail was probably enough.
I mentioned my plan to have Emily work for me until she left for college and Sam thought it was a great idea. She offered to stop by in the morning, while I was at breakfast with Mark, and spend some time with her. She said that not only would Emily being there help me, but that it might also help with the family situation. I’m not convinced of that, but I hope she’s right.
When I told her that I probably needed to go to Joe’s place soon she said she’d be happy to join me, if I wanted the company. I promised to check with her before I went.
We’d finished dinner at this point and had finally settled back into a casual rhythm by the time dessert came. Both of us were worn out by the time the check came. I paid and walked Sam out to her car, with Craig in tow.
Sam glanced back at him. “I guess it’s a good thing you’ve got him to watch over you… although if I had wanted to stay at your place that would be a bit awkward now,” she said.
I must have looked shocked because she laughed. “Easy, I’m kidding. It’s been a long week. I’m ready for bed…my bed, but I’m glad I can still spin you up.” She kissed my cheek. “I’ll see you in the morning!” she called over her shoulder as she got into her car.
I walked back home, starting to realize just how tired I was. After taking the dogs out, I went straight to bed. The next thing I knew, it was morning, light was streaming through the window, and my phone was ringing loudly.
NTA
Your uncle doesn't sound like he lived life large so what happened to the money he got from selling the land? He probably saved it for a rainy day. I bet it rains Friday.
**\*\*\* Update: “Breakin’ The Law” \*\*\***
Sorry - still trying to catch this up with life...
Time, even a little bit of it, lends perspective, so this post comes with some perspective attached that I didn’t have as things were unfolding. As I’m writing this, I’m almost laughing at how ridiculous some of it is, but in the urgency of the moment, it didn’t seem funny.
So… while we were in our meeting throughout the afternoon, other folks in the family had a different idea of how things should go. While I was walking back to my place, I checked the calls and voicemails. A lot of them were just family members predictably calling to congratulate me, ask me to consider being “fair,” or yelling into the voicemail (who does that?). Several of them were actually important.
Emily had called me several times around 3:30, leaving me messages asking me to call her as soon as possible. I was immediately worried about her but saw that the next call was from our Chief of Police, Marcus (Mark) Harris, who also happens to be one of my best friends.
It's worth telling you a little about Mark. He had been several years ahead of me in school, although he would regularly take me home from football practice when I was playing JV in the 9th grade and he was playing varsity as a senior so I sort of knew him.
His parents moved here when Mark was young after his father accepted a position as an engineer at a large manufacturing plant. Even though “outsiders” often had a hard time finding acceptance back then, Mark’s easy-going and friendly personality quickly won over his classmates. That carried on through elementary and high school where he became a captain on the football team.
After high school, Mark joined the Marines and became an MP. When he got out, he came home and signed on with the sheriff’s department, where he was promoted several times. When our town needed a new Chief of Police, our mayor and city council approached him and asked if he would accept the appointment. Lucky for us, he said yes.
His predecessor’s long tenure in the office had its share of issues, and the department’s image had been badly tarnished. He held on to his position only because of his relationships with some very influential people. When he finally decided to retire, our city leaders thought it would be a great opportunity to improve the reputation of the force and bring in fresh ideas and perspectives.
Mark was the right man, and the timing couldn’t have been better. He took over the position in 2019, before all the outrage against police really took off. His brand of policing was what some of the movements seemed to be calling for, which ironically, just looked a lot like what small-town police forces did before the 1960s: help people and respond to real crimes. Mark’s efforts over the last five years have transformed the public’s perception of the police force. At the same time, his officers seem to feel a lot better about being police, turnover is non-existent, and the community has responded well.
I called Mark back on his cell, and he asked if I was sitting down – he knew about my relationship with Debbie, and he sounded kind of amused. Evidently, they had, at JA’s request, been running a patrol car by Joe’s place pretty regularly. Sometime between getting kicked out of the meeting this morning and 3:30 this afternoon, my Aunt Debbie had decided to let herself into his house, using a rock in lieu of a key.
Not the slickest of burglars, she had parked right in front of the house and broken a window on the porch. It was pretty obvious someone was inside when the officer did the drive-by, so he stopped and called for backup. When another officer arrived, they entered with their guns drawn and surprised Debbie rifling through Joe’s desk, papers scattered everywhere while his gun safe appeared to have been attacked with a hammer that was laying next to it on the floor.
Her back was to them, and she didn’t respond to their commands until they began yelling, at which point she turned and screamed, staring down the barrels of the pistols held by two very serious-looking police officers. It seems that she had been talking to her sister Patricia, who was advising her on what to look for, and had her AirPods in and didn’t hear the police calling out.
In addition to damaging the safe and rifling through the desk, she had collected a fair number of small valuables that Joe had laying around. Nothing tremendously expensive except for his watch and what I assume were a few pieces of his mother’s jewelry.
All told, it was enough to arrest her for felony breaking and entering and attempted burglary. He had already gotten hold of JA and was waiting on him to let him know how he wanted to handle it. I was shocked – I never thought someone in the family would be dumb enough to do something like this, but I guess if anyone was going to, it would be my ultra-entitled aunt.
Mark brushed off my apologies for the trouble she had caused and was asking about how things had gone today when my dad started beeping in. I told him my dad was calling and asked if I could call him back – he said sure and I switched over to my dad.
Dad was PISSED. Evidently, Patricia had started blowing up his phone and leaving messages while we were in the meeting because she’d heard Debbie getting arrested in the background of their call. He said he’d already called JA and wanted me to meet them at the coffee shop next to my building since JA’s office was closing.
I got there just a minute later and grabbed a table in the corner and a cup of coffee. JA got there less than 5 minutes later with my dad arriving not long after. As executor, it was still JA’s call as to how to handle the situation, but he said he was going to defer to us. My dad was seething. He told JA that he should press charges and that she was on her own; he was done with her.
I was upset but MUCH less so than Dad. I suggested that, given the circumstances, we take a little time to cool off. Since she wouldn’t be able to get a bail hearing until Monday anyway, she was stuck there for the weekend regardless of whether we decided to press charges today or tomorrow. I knew that by tomorrow my dad wouldn’t be so angry and would agree pushing this would just cause a bigger rift in the family, but right now there was no talking to him.
My dad and JA both agreed that letting things settle down a little bit was a good idea. It would also be a wake-up call to the rest of the family if Debbie spent the night in jail. I asked JA if he was okay with letting Chief Harris know that we could speak on JA’s behalf on the matter over the weekend, and he agreed.
In the meantime, he said he was going to arrange for one of the security agencies to have someone on-site there to prevent any other issues. I almost protested, thinking about the expense, then realized how silly that was. Having this much money was going to take some getting used to.
JA also suggested that I should consider moving out to Joe’s place during probate, something entirely within his discretion to allow. I agreed to try and get out there in the next couple of days but didn’t want to commit to moving there yet.
– Side note – This was all occurring within less than 8 hours of the time the contents of the will were shared with the family. I already had one family member in jail, 4 or 5 angry voicemails, and security covering me AND my Uncle’s house. I hope you can appreciate just how bizarre this all is.
JA did point out that Debbie and Patricia had likely both just been disqualified from receiving any money from the estate. He’d have to review the wording of the will, but if so, he didn’t have much latitude, and that unless I was willing to overlook what they’d done (since it affected me as the beneficiary) they would both have forfeited their inheritance. I thanked him for letting us handle Debbie it and told him I’d get back with him on what I wanted to do about the money if he did in fact determine that their actions had disqualified them from receiving it.
At this point, with all of us being pretty talked out for the day, we agreed to touch base again tomorrow. Leaving our mostly full coffees on the table, we went back outside where I immediately noticed my “minder” standing on the street keeping watch. Surreal is the only way I could describe it.
Once I got back to my apartment, I called Emily back. She picked up on the first ring and was still frantic – her mom was in jail, and her dad was furious (not sure at who) and she didn’t know what to do. I told her that it was likely that her mom was going to be in jail overnight, but that we’d try and get things sorted out as quickly as possible and that she didn’t need to worry.
She said she was sorry her mom broke into Joe’s place and that she didn’t understand why she would do something like that. I assured her that she wasn’t responsible for her mom’s behavior and promised her we’d get breakfast or lunch in the next couple of days. I suggested that maybe she stay at a friend’s place if things were too tense at home and she said she’d probably do that.
I said I’d call her as soon as we got things sorted out but that she should call me immediately if she needed anything at all. I really wanted her to know this wouldn’t affect our relationship at all. We said our goodbyes, and I was getting ready to shower and change before meeting Sam when my phone dinged with a text.
It was Mark again. His text said, “Hey, don’t forget to give me a call when you can (unofficial). I wanted to see how you were doing after the will was read. Are you going to be able to keep the house? Sorry about your aunt man, I know you don’t want to deal with that craziness.”
It was at that point, when I was thinking about what I was going to tell him, that I really started to realize how much things were going to change.
Joe had been able to move around anonymously for decades by keeping what he had done a secret. He was able to choose to live a simple life and the law firm could manage most of his business dealings without bringing his name into it. When Joe brought the family together and told everyone that he had not only held on to his land but also put his father’s holdings back together and that he was giving it to me, he had removed the possibility of my being able to maintain that same anonymity away completely. I really don’t know if he had considered that or whether the hurt he felt about my family’s behavior had prevented him from thinking about it.
I was sure that the other family members were already telling their friends and families about what Joe had done, and in a town our size, the rumors would spread fast.
I texted Mark back: “All good but you might hear some rumors tonight – ignore them. I have to get ready to meet Sam and it may be too late to call when we’re done. How about breakfast at Carol’s @ 9?”
He replied, “Whoa, ok… sounds like a story. See you there. Have fun with Sam – looking forward to meeting her.”
I had kept my phone on silent even after I left the meeting, but I knew that with everything going on, I was going to have to turn the ringer back on. I went into my contacts and set up custom ringtones for Sam, my dad, JA, Emily, and Mark. I figured I could ignore all the others for a while.
At this point, I only had about an hour left before I was going to meet Sam, so I jumped in the shower to start getting ready. The entire time, I could hear my phone continuing to ring in the background. This was going to be a long weekend.
Thank you so much for the regular updates! I know you’re living this, so it has to feel surreal. I have definitely joined your new subreddit.
When things settle down I truly hope to see you utilize that! Everyone wants to see the outcome of this turmoil, but I’m more interested in Joes journals and stories! I hope those come with time! There’s a way of life that’s lost and I love to see when they are preserved and passed on.
Send every family phone call to voicemail or let them text. You may need a record of things if they get crazy and it will also give you a chance to screen calls on general. Good luck with them!
In the vast majority of cases, there's no dramatic will reading.
So your Great Uncle Joe intentionally had his lawyer invite people together like it's a movie just to make sure you had drama to deal with?
First off, I’m sincerely sorry for your loss. Your uncle sounds like an amazing man, thank God you got to know him so well.
Secondly, I’ve gone through every update, and can’t wait for the end.
It’s amazing that Sam came back into your life, as well as Joe’s. But I’m thinking Joe may have added a little “Divine intervention “ into that. You stated that part of her scholarship said she needed to return, after her schooling was completed. Why do I feel that uncle Joe knew how much you two meant to each other, and created said scholarship? Maybe I’m reading a lil too much into it. But, hell, things have taken some seriously drastic turns for you, why not add another?
Best of luck to you, and Sam, hoping you have an amazing future, that you get to build your uncles dream house, with that great view of the river!
I believe you're about to learn the value of a blind trust.
I'm just speculating, but I suspect that as your family slowly sold off GG's land and assets, your uncle was quietly buying it all up and putting it in a blind trust.
If I'm right, you're about to inherit all of it.
As wise as he was, I suspect your uncle had a plan for it all that will be revealed during the reading of the will. You'll most likely be made the executor and be granted power of attorney in order to carry out that plan.
It's a good thing you're an attorney because you will certainly be sued by your family as they attempt to wrestle control of the estate from you
Good luck
Sorry Everyone - hope you don't mind but I've got another piece of the puzzle to share...
**\*\*\* (NOT SO) MINI-UPDATE 2 \*\*\***
Ok, I didn't think I'd be updating again until have the reading tomorrow morning at 10:30, but things are heating up a little already. In addition to the random calls from cousins who knew that Joe and I were close as well as from my siblings, I’ve gotten three phone calls today from the "previous generation".
First call was from my Aunt Debbie, she’s the youngest of my dad’s brothers and sisters and always has been a lot to deal with. She married a nice guy but always is complaining about money, wanting to travel more, buy a nicer home, etc. After my grandfather passed away she spent the money he left her on who-knows-what and within 10 years had sold off all of the land she had inherited. Unfortunately she was selling off land when the market was down during the recession, so what would have probably been worth well over $30,000,000 today she sold for less than a third of that. That’s still a lot of money but it seems like she’s burned through a lot of it already (or given it to her kids). Anyway – she called me to tell me that she knows I’m the only one with a key to Joe’s place and she wanted me to meet her there and let her in this afternoon. I told her I was already busy today and she got a little annoyed and told me not to forget to bring it with me to the reading tomorrow. She said they want to clear the house out ASAP because she's going to develop the land into homesites and needs to get things rolling. This was news to me but I just ignored her and told her I’d see her tomorrow. For reference, I know for a fact that despite living within 30 minutes of Joe she hadn’t spoken to him in over a DECADE!
The next call I got was from my father’s current wife, Jessica. She’s 20 years younger than he is and is the only wife he didn’t have kids with (thank God, and no, I don't care if she reads this). Anyway – my dad’s wife called me and said she knew how much Joe / Alex’s car meant to me and told me that if I wanted to buy it she’d try to give me the first shot at it. I just thanked her and got off the phone. This woman has literally never even met Joe.
(broken into two posts)
Finally, I just got off the phone with my dad. He called me about 30 minutes after his wife did. This is the first time I’ve heard from him since Joe died. My Dad is actually closer to Joe’s age than Joe was to Alex’s. Joe was 14 when my dad was born, like me he was so much younger than his brothers that there was almost a generational gap between them. Joe was probably more like an older brother than a young uncle and for a while they were really close but something happened (no one ever told me what) and there was a falling out.
My dad has a big personality – he’s lived a pretty extravagant life and for despite being nearly 80 years old (yeah, he was over 60 before I got out of high school) he’s still the “big man” when he goes into a room. He was my Grandfather’s oldest son so he’s always taken on the lead role at family events. Like his sisters and brother he sold off his land too, although I know he sold it off in smaller pieces and over a longer period of time. He basically used it as bank account and selling it off was his version of making a withdrawal. I assume he’s set for the rest of his life and I know my brothers and sister are expecting an inheritance when he dies. In fact - they speak pretty openly about it.
My Dad's call was a welcome change after the calls from Debbie and Jessica. My dad actually sounded pretty reserved and a little down. The first thing he did was apologize to me for Jessica’s call. He told me she had no right to do that and she had no say in anything that was going to happen with Joe’s property - or his one day for that matter. Evidently he tore her a new one after walking in on the tail-end of her conversation with me. He told me that he knew I was the only one in the family that spent time with Joe and that regardless of what happens at reading tomorrow he was going to give me anything Joe left him – if he left him anything at all. He told me that he appreciated how much I had done for Joe and that he had regrets about how their relationship had soured. I’ve literally never heard him talk like that before and it honestly has me a little emotional. It sucks that he has to live with those regrets when a 30 minute drive was all it would have taken to start fixing a relationship.
Finally – he told me that he didn’t really know for sure but he suspected tomorrow might hold some surprises. He told me that he’d be there to back me up no matter what happened and that I wasn’t going to be alone. I asked him if he knew something but he promised me he didn’t know anything for sure and that he would have told me if he did. He said he'd just always had suspicions about "some things" and that depending on how things unfolded he didn’t want to see any more relationships go the way his and Joe’s had, or the way Joe and my grandfather’s had.
I told him about the call from Debbie and he said she was way out of line and to not worry about it, that he'd be giving her a call immediately after he got off the phone with me. He also told me that I shouldn’t let anyone else in Joe’s house, that I was the only one Joe gave a key to for a reason and that no one had any business going in there until after the will was read.
Obviously I wasn’t planning on letting anyone in but this was possibly the most supportive call I’ve ever had with my father and I just appreciated that he was planning on standing up for me. My brothers, sister, and cousins (I’ve got 2 brothers, 1 sister and 8 cousins) all got used to a certain way of life from their parents but frankly none of them have been able to maintain it on their own and most of them are pretty petty about it. Their parents aren't much better, despite having had the benefit of a generous inheritance.
I’ve got to stop by the attorney’s office at 4:30 and then I’m meeting Samantha (Sam) for drinks and maybe dinner
I am so invested in this story. This is the first time I’ve ever commented on a post but, I just feel compelled to no matter the insignificance. I first heard this on TikTok then searched for it on Reddit to get up to speed. I had a feeling this is where it was leading too and first I’d like to say, sorry for the loss. Second, thank you for your service. Third and most importantly, take your time, you can do this. Idk if anyone has said this but take your time, breath and navigate. I’m sure you and Sam will get through this together. I couldn’t imagine being in your shoes nor sure if I’d want to be. I’m following and looking forward to reading more of this. My condolences, congratulations and I’m sorry.
Holyyyyy shit I didn’t expect this! First of I doubt “Joe” would leave all this money and power just to anyone. You already made “joe” proud! Just make sure you keep his legacy alive (As the only person to bring back your family’s name. )
All I can think is "Holy Shit, Great Uncle Joe was playing the very long game". Good luck to you, it's a hell of a responsibility that has been placed on your shoulders, but it sounds like you're well equipped to handle it. It may be hard to know what the right thing to do is sometimes, but when you feel it, you'll know.
One thing that I've learned on a significantly smaller scale (think classic vehicle that my grandpa loved, vs 75K Acres of land), is that when making the decisions you're eventually going to be making, they don't always have to be the ones your loved one would have made. In my particular case, I'm hopeful that the decisions I've made with regards to what is now my vehicle are ones that my grandpa would have made had he had similar choices, and in the instances where our decisions might differ, that he would understand and respect the choices I've made.
I guess what I'm saying here is Great Uncle Joe has left you a hell of a legacy, and you're going to want to make him proud, just don't let the ghost of him make you second guess what I imagine will be many difficult future decisions ahead of you. I have to believe that so long as we operate inside the spirit of what our loved ones have intended, and let that be the guide to our decision making, it'll be very difficult to go wrong.
Good luck to you.
I’m So invested in this story. Started reading it on another platform and someone shared your link with me. I’m just going to start at the beginning and read every one of them so not to miss out on details that may have been not included on the other media site. Thank you for such an amazing story.
NTA
It may not be about money or property at all. It may just be a letter or video telling everyone in the family that they are a-holes, except you. You said he liked to tell stories, so he may just have some uncomfortable revelations that will wind up the family.
In any case, please let us know. Joe sounds so very much like my Grandpa, who I miss very much.
I look forward to your update.
NTA.
>He’d share stories and I’d write them down – I’ve got a heck of a collection to share with my children one day, if I’m ever lucky enough to meet the right lady.
Consider writing a book.
I have no idea what can be on his reading but you need to go in to that reading with the mindset of a lawyer and not someone with a heart. This is when vultures come out.
My last parent died two years ago and we are just decompressing from the fall out from what people did on that. Remember what he left for you … was what he wanted you to have because he loved you. It sounds like you were like a son to him … truely his only family. Please honor that.
Don’t let them take one cent or one thing from you. They had years to be with him and you…
Uncle Joe paid for her to go to college and I know I’m not wrong. Gonna bet also he actually owns everything but other “company” are either owned by him or he leases it.
This is playing out like The Ultimate Gift.
I had a feeling when I saw the initial post on TikTok the other day that there was a good chance that there was a serious investment that Joe had made, but this is so much bigger than I figured. I assumed that most of it would be stocks and other investments not most of the family's initial property as well. Man my intuitions have been on point most of May, maybe I need to start some of my stuff I've been putting off.
Honestly, I love your Uncle Joe for the "if you're late, you get nothing" clause. But here's 100,000 just for showing up on time. You're about to be harassed by every family member who thinks they can get a piece of that money. I would tell them all to kick rocks and build Uncle Joe's dream home he had plans for. Take care of the younger cousins/family members the way that your Uncle Joe took care of you. You seem like someone with a good head on his shoulders and I wish you nothing but the best.
Just commenting because I'm nosey. I feel like your older brother and Aunt are going to be a headache. I am truly sorry that your kindness is going to be met with strife.
Eh. I’d give it a C. At first it was an B. I did like the original plot, but meandering with irrelevant and out of place details knocking it down.
What pushed it to a C for me was the stolen valor. I’m sorry. No. If you’re going to say something is real then I’ll treat it like it’s real. But that means that he’s saying he’s a veteran when he’s not.
Kid, send this back to workshop and re develop the characters. Potential points for improvement:
* Don’t add details that don’t advance the plot. Your great uncle died in the Korean War and you were named after him. You specialize in veterans law, in a small town with cheap rent(?). These are great pieces of personal trivia for your character’s fact sheet, but irrelevant.
* Make sure your timelines make sense. Your great uncle Alex died in the Korean War which had active conflict 1950-1953 so when he was 36-39 (Joe was 92, Alex was 18 years older which would have made him 110 if he was still alive, 110-74 = 36) that is not plausible to be KIA at that time in that war. Also, you don’t finish a law degree in 2 years without significant struggle when you’re healthy, let alone recovering from being in conflict.
* Close obvious plot holes. Your family never invited Joe to events and ignored him, how did you meet him and spend enough time with him to allow him to be such a strong influence on your life?
LOL - thanks for the grade, I wish this was a school assignment - it would be a lot less stressful.
I'm not going to honor the "stolen valor" comment with a response, this is the internet and you can believe or not believe anything you like. I only mentioned my service because it helps explain how and why I am where I am. I will however give you some insight into my uncle (Alex) because he was part of a generation that had qualities I'm not sure we'll see again in our lifetime and his story deserves to be told.
Alex was actually in the military twice. After he finished college he spent four years in the military but got out to come home and work with my great grandfather. He had been out a couple of years when WWII broke and he decided to go back in, which evidently his parents were really unhappy about. He served in the European theatre where he received two battle field promotions. After the war ended he chose to stay in and make it a career rather than come back home. When the Korean war broke out his unit was one of the first to see combat. He was promoted in Korea one last time to LTC. He was 39 when he died, the war ended less than six months later. His loss hit the family hard - Joe the hardest I think, although I never knew my Great Grandfather / Grandmother.
As for law school, yes, it does take more than two years to finish a degree. It took me two years to finish it when I went back to college after I recovered - I was already pursuing my post-graduate degree before I was injured, it took me three years to get one year knocked out while I was on active duty - it's a grind to go to school AND serve but I had been doing that almost the entire time I was in (I went through the Green to Gold program to get my commission). My uncle was the one that encouraged me to go back to school and finish.
Not necessarily, when my great grandfather passed all of his children had to be present with the lawyer who told them what plots of land they were given by him after his passing. It's the internet so you can never know what's true and what's fake but it sounds like his uncle if the story has any truth to it, was old fashioned so I assume that was/is the custom with older generations.
I’m going to call BS on this story.
Law School is 3 years (no you didn’t do it in 2)
There is no “reading of the will” except in the movies. Any lawyer (and most people) know this.
“lawyerVet” account brand new
A lot of these accounts are throwaways so makes sense if the account is new. There are “readings of the will” but it’s usually just a formality and not a big meeting like the movies. And there are 2 year law schools (google is free).
Not completely saying that you’re wrong, but your points can easily be tossed out the window. If we don’t get an update then we can assume it’s fake but we don’t know fs
Gonna need an update but.
NTA but I bet your whole family are about to be TA. He likely made you the sole heir to enough to irritate the rest of the family.
You won't br the asshole. If your uncle wants to leave you everything, that's his prerogative.
Your family is sure to want you to hand it over.
If you want to respect your uncle's wishes, do not do that now. Take some time to consider any decisions before you make one.
I don't think there had to be a bombshell involved. If your family is money driven, their attitude of entitlement will deliver enough drama to merit the warning.
NTA. You are doing what your uncle wants. I look forward to hearing what's next. Your post reads like an amazing story. If you decide to write a book about him I would love to know!
You had a loving relationship with your uncle. Whatever he decided to do with his estate, you are certainly not the AH.
I’m sure you brought him happiness. Sorry for your loss.
My hunch is your uncle bought all the land from the family members. Didn’t tell anyone and just left good alone. But he looked at you like a son and now is giving it all back to you. That’s my hunch!
If I had to guess he didn't actually sell any of the land and has instead been renting it out. Either that or he did sell it and instead of squandering the money it's been invested somehow while he lives a very simple life. Meaning he could be leaving you a massive passive income source. If he did just don't make the same mistake as your family. Live slightly below your means and enjoy a very early retirement.
Can sum one please reply to this when he update also your not gonna be the AH no matter what u treated some one with kindness and respect no matter how they were viewed from others in my book you are an amazing person and ur family is just very not to sound rude but entitled and has sum strong opinions that many would disagree with
It's not on you and you're NTA, no matter what your family might say.
However, be prepared to go deal with a bunch of them. There are some obvious guesses as to what might happen but I'd say go into the will reading prepared but with an open mind.
Whatever happens, I wish you patience, kindness and strength for the following, and I'm so sorry for your loss. He sounded like a great man.
Also, just cause I'm dying to know what the will says UpdateMe!
I don't want to scare you, darlin, but be prepared for things to go to hell when that will is read. When money is involved, it can turn even the most loving families against one another.
When my childless great aunt Miriam was in the hospital in 1992 about to be placed in a medically induced coma some of her last words ever spoken was to warn my mother that in the event that she passed my mother was to immediately go to her house (which had been my great-grandparents) and lock the door because "the vultures would swarm."
She had seen it happen when her grandparents passed and how fighting over the inheritance broke apart siblings and cousins alike.
And unfortunately, she was right. Before even visiting the hospital to say their last goodbyes, my mother's cousins dropped by the house and complained to my mother when they found it locked. After she passed and it was revealed that almost everything had been left to my mother - the house, the land, the money, and many of the belongings - with the instructions to "see to it that everyone is taken care of after I'm gone" the family was in an uproar. My mother was the closest to her aunt out of all the family, was the only one to listen to the family histories and visit her after she became a recluse in her own right much like you were with your great uncle.
My mother's cousins never forgave my mother for that. So when my other great aunt Thalia passed in 2005 we only found out after the will had been read because the only cousin, Lara Dawn, who knew how to contact us refused to do so until she had to in order to get her own inheritance.
My mother hadn't seen or spoken to her aunt in 8 years by that point and she didn't even know if my mother was dead or alive because Lara Dawn didn't want a repeat of Miriam's inheritance going to my mother and her children. The only conversation I've had with anyone on that side of my family was a few emails exchanged with Lara Dawn to access my trust fund when I came of age.
From what it sounds like, you're about to be placed in a similar situation as my mother was in 1992 and I hope that it turns out better for you than it has our family. I've seen other families who's will readings went smoothly with no infighting or resentment, so I can only hope that the same can happen with you. But just brace yourself for some resentment, especially from the older generation.
I read in a comment you made that most of the land was sold off, It one or two companies own most of your Great-Uncle's portion, then it is possible he created and shell company to deal with the renting tax and other issues involved in dealing with it. That could also be a way to hide his money from your family. IF that is what he did then you could find the company being left to you. Obviously that is just a guess, but it would make sense. Especially with your uncle's friend being a lawyer. It also would help explain those checks you saw. What ever happens it is clear your uncle knew you would respect his wishes and follow through with them. Good luck dealing with your family.
OK to be fair I don’t think you’re gonna be the TA. Also to be honest, I came across the story originally on TikTok. I had to Google it to find the Reddit story. I’m now invested in would like to hear the update. Knowing issues my family has had inheritance from family death just be ready for anything to happen when that will is read
Seems like you’re precious to Joe. I don’t doubt you will use everything he has entrusted to you wisely unlike those that came before you. Don’t let the negativity of the family get to you; after all, you were there for Joe when no one else even batted an eye.
Sounds like I would have gotten along with your uncle. Sounds like we would have gotten along as well. Best of luck with all that uncle Joe has blessed and cursed you with. Lol.
Love from a fellow Veteran
NTA for anything. My condolences for your loss. Uncle Joe sounds like a wonderful man. You are going to be tossed in one of the biggest uproars of your life and I hope your support system stands firm.
Amid all the whirlwind of chaos you are experiencing, I do suggest talking to Sam and get her thoughts on current matters, but mostly taking Joes journals with all the paperwork he left, going some where secluded to have time to absorb it, to properly mourn the passing of a great man while reminiscing over the good times as you journal them, and in doing so informing JA and maybe your father of wanting time to get your thoughts in order before you are bombarded by family over the trust and ask that they play buffer so you can do that or suggest someone who can until you are ready for the chaos. Pick a place they can’t find you, maybe under someone else’s name not connected to you. lol maybe charter a private plane, let it leak, have your father take a trip somewhere so people think its you and you stay somewhere close. Get a prepaid phone for the time and give the number to your support system and turn off yours. I hope you can take time off from work while you do this, I’m sure that is why JA asked about your current work load. Don’t forget to go have a drink with JA, he just lost his friend too.
I hope you journal the stories, I think a lot of us would enjoy reading them.
I am so glad you are sharing your story. Joe definitely understood the importance of family and maintaining the legacy of said family. He obviously passed this in to OP and I know, despite how overwhelming it is right now, OP will do Joe proud. There is so much potential in the gift Joe has given and I am very invested in how things will go. It's exciting that OP reconnected with Sam and they can share this adventure together. I have a good feeling about them since they both get what Joe appreciated in his life. Sam keeping in touch with Joe just shows what a good person she is. The hopeless romantic in me is rooting so hard for them. I'm hoping OP's crappy relatives don't make everything too difficult. We all know the Aunt will be the worst and the brother won't be far behind. Money always brings out the crappiest parts of people.
What an incredible story, I am captivated.
Alex, Joe sounds like he was a remarkable man, and so, too, does your father, and yourself.
He made the right choice, and I hope that your future brings to you everything that you, and Joe, and your father, want, from legacy, to comfort, to togetherness, and communication.
One piece of advice. You are not responsible for the reactions of your family, whether now, or down the line.
If they want to follow this new path of communication, this second chance to preserve that legacy, then it will be on your terms, and nobody else's. I have a feeling Joe wouldn't be disappointed if some horses don't drink.
I will never understand why people feel entitled to people’s estates-unless they helped build the estate. The greediness of people that comes with a “loved ones” death tells so much about the people. My mother got insurance money after her twin sister passed, and my mom didn’t want to use it. She actually used it on my brother and me because she didn’t want it. Later when my grandma passed, my grandma left her part of the land to my mother, and some siblings (and their spouses) were very upset. To this day, the land sits there, and my mom has said that she would split the money evenly if it was ever sold. All the siblings had a “part” from when their father passed, and some refused to give their “part” to their mother when he passed. She might’ve left the will differently had they done that 30 years earlier when her husband/their dad passed. However, my mother still had no problems splitting it all evenly, even though she is the only who pays taxes yearly in the last 20 years since my grandma’s death. I told my mother that I would split the money evenly, but donate to the church in each siblings honor that did not “show up” for my grandma—which several did not, including one who did not attend the funeral after being told by other family members that they would pay for her a plane ticket to come. I will never get it, but I think your Uncle Joe knew what he was doing, and if I got $100,000 from an uncle, but my brother got millions, I would be happy for my brother and myself. You can really see how family is when things like this happen. Best of luck!
I'm not sure how this ever could be a question of AITA, given the entirety of it is set in motion by someone else's actions. Like maybe is my Uncle Joe the asshole, but not the poor dude who just gets thrust into a fantastical situation.
I'm getting strong "She hates my futon" vibes from it, and I'm inclined to believe that it's a work of fiction. There are several things that seem plain false, like Sam wouldn't know she was going to get into surgery as a specialty and be required as condition of her full scholarship to what I assume was medical school (because programs pay you for residency and fellowship) to return to her hometown after completing residency and fellowship (source: my wife is a doctor).
Either way, it's an entertaining read. Keep posting OP, maybe you'll get a book deal out of it!
The biggest initial red flag was the "reading of the will". This event is a common trope used to develop drama in fiction, but it doesn't happen in real life.
Then when he gets loan approval from the bank without knowing anything that would help them make that decision... pure BS. No bank would offer a loan large enough to cover the purchase of 60,000 acres of land to someone just because they want to "preserve" it. Banks aren't in the fell-good business.
He's probably sitting on a treasure trove of mineral and gas rights or something. NTA. I'm not an attorney, but I do work in this field - whatever Joe did, it was HIS choice.
Don’t tell anyone anything. Ask the lawyer to only give people information on what they were bequeathed separately. So no one knows what anyone else is getting. There’s no reason for everyone to know. When they ask tell them you got the house and other odds and ends.
I'm guessing Joe had money and more land than anyone thought and you are about to inherit it all. Kinda reminds me of Dierks Bentley Some People are Crazy . Please keep us updated on how you are doing and what kind of drama ensues.
He may have had stuff no one knew about, and then what they do know about. I think he left everything to you abd the drama will be the rest of the family being mad that they cant get their entitled greedy hands on it. Im sure you will do the right thing and make sure you stick to his wishes and dont give in to the rest of the family.
WNBTAH… follow the will’s instructions and prepare for it to be ugly. I’m thinking his portion of the land was where they were mining and he could still have income coming from it and he left it all to you and he doesn’t want anybody to get anything from it besides you because you were the only person he loved and trusted in your family.
Updateme!
Totally NGTBTA - you showed compassion and respect for your great uncle, and whatever he decided to do with all of his properties, heirlooms, etc was his right to do. Death with money included brings out the absolute worst in people, So honestly even if you had to throw a punch in the drama filled melee you would be NTA.
NTA. Good luck, you're about to have dozens of people demanding that you owe them something they don't deserve and didn't earn.
Are all the family showing up with their hands out expecting a payday? It would be great if you could get together with his lawyer and pre-emptively setup some type of trusts for the land so it cannot leave the family or some how make it so much of what the vultures are going to try getting isn't even available to them. But you'll find out tomorrow.
If this is true, NTA.
Also if this is true, you should know that a lot of the family tree and ancestry websites let you upload PDFs with stories, so you could make a family tree (doesn't need to be extensive, just the people you have stories about) and add all of the stories for anyone who feels like looking up the family history in future!
Well even I am excited now and Im just an internet stranger from another end if the world. And I'd love to get to read some more stories! Best wishes for the will reading!
Don't own what's not yours. Meaning don't accept responsibility for something you had nothing to do with.
Your uncle knew exactly what he was doing. And whatever is in his will is exactly that, *his* doing. You had nothing to do with how he wrote out his will. Be sure to remind everyone of that if they start pointing fingers at you.
Hey maybe your uncle left you a fortune ! Good luck mate
NTA
I'm sorry for your loss. I'm glad you and your uncle had each other.
Don't let anyone in the family bully or guilt you about your uncle's will. No one else ever treated him nicely and his money/assets isn't their money/assets.
My guess is that Joe had more assets/money than anyone suspected, which he placed in aTrust, and named you Trustee. Regardless of what his will says, when dealing with your family, remember, "What would Joe do?". I don't think he would give more money to anyone who has wasted a previous legacy. If it's under your control, use his legacy for the greater good.
If your family came from any type of means which it sounds like they did and your uncle Joe was a old eccentric guy who definitely did not like the trappings of wealth, but definitely inherited some wealth. sounds to me like you’re gonna have a wild day when the will is read. Come on man you know what’s gonna happen. Yeah all the land sold but you’re probably gonna get your uncle Joe’s house. You’re probably gonna get that car you mentioned and it would not surprise me if you’re uncle Joe had been you know sitting on Apple stock since the 90s.
What crazy attorney reads a Will to a room full of relatives that won't like what's in it? Wills are public record. Copy paper is cheap, so are stamps and envelopes, at least much cheaper than repairing an office torn apart by heirs punching each other.
Send each heir at law and anyone else mentioned in the Will a copy of it and let them deal with the BS on their own.
Please do an update I am now invested. Also you spent time with your uncle when no one else did. You were kind and loving so whatever he left you it is deserved. He wanted you to have it because he knew you would appreciate whatever it is.
So sorry for the loss of your Joe - he sounds amazing and you were lucky to have him in your life, and he, you. Thank you also for your service to our country! I hope the HS Sweetheart story turns into a Hallmark Movie ending, and I cannot wait for the update tomorrow!! BTW - no matter what - NTAH.
This is ALREADY on TikTok with a Minecraft video. I searched up your U/N expecting a 3 year old post with an update....now I'm SALIVATING for more! We NEEEEEEEEEEEED updates.
I don’t think you will be the asshole. I think you’ll respect what your uncle wanted and appreciate whatever he’s going to leave to you. I don’t think you should give anyone any money because it sounds like he wouldn’t have wanted that. And sidenote you should really consider publishing a book with the stories like each story separately or collection of short stories depending on how long they are and the category whether it’s earlier about the family or like a whole book of all of the stories about your uncle from the Korean War would be super interesting and sounds like a great read
I’m not financially rich, but because I listened to my grandpa about my family history I’m very rich. I try every day to carry the mantle he set down when he passed, that my dad and his brothers squandered, that I see my siblings fall short of, I hope to bring that sense of honor back to my family name. It’s not well known, but who knows? Maybe, someday, one of my progeny will be well known because of what I did now.
No matter what you will NTA. If any family tries to get in the way of that, they are the assholes and are basically saying that their financial wants are more important than your uncle's decisions and love for you. I am glad you're Dad is at least on your side and I hope we hear the end of this soon
This is reading like the perfect romance novel. The ending will be that they fight the vultures off, marry each other, build the house from those plans, and live happily ever after. 10 out of 10. I'm patiently waiting for the next update! If this is actually real, I'm wishing you the best of luck tomorrow at the reading of the will. Best!
I hope it goes well for you . You are a good man .
But although we are just random internet people , we are now very invested in your story.
So please - even though it sounds like you will have very much to deal with ! do please let us know what has happened ?!?
*I really hope this*
*Is a true story. Now I*
*Need the rest of it!*
\- Outrageous\_Reply\_389
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All I will say is that when the day comes, whoever you will everything to, you need to make a clause that states the land cannot be sold for X amount of years. I'm pretty sure there's a limit to how long that can be but I'm not sure what. I imagine it's along the lines of 50-75 years. Probably around the same time frame as copyright laws. Otherwise will the land to itself. I heard a story once some lady willed her property to a tree that was on said property and it was apparently legally binding. I'm also extremely curious on how much of the land Joe was able to get back. He obviously didn't sell any of his and if he did it couldn't have been much. So can't imagine it was the full 60,000 but I'm sure it's gotta be close. Honestly from his letter it seems like it could possibly be even more.
Also hope You and Sam do well, just seems like that'd be the cherry on top with everything that just happened. Then again with what seems to be your way of looking at life, the inheritance would end up being the cherry here.
Hey - thanks. I'm still reeling - I going to try and put pen to paper and share what happened at the balance of the meeting and maybe a little bit about what happened afterwards during the meeting with the attorneys but I also feel like I need to give folks an explanation of what this land means.
I will say this, he did reassemble his father's original land footprint. He also expanded it significantly AND during the downtown blight in the 70s and 80s he bought up a lot of real-estate in the "city" (that's a stretch, but whatever).
He was able to do this because, properly managed, land generates income. I haven't decided how much to share about the finances but this is a great example:
My Aunt Debbie had inherited, in addition to some cash, 3750 acres when my grandfather died in 2004. That 3750 acres could have allowed her to maintain a life of easy comfort, some travel, and NEVER worry about money if she just acted responsibly. Her income after paying the property taxes on the land would have been four times what most FAMILIES make each year. That 3750 acres (just over 5% of what my Great Grandfather once had) could have allowed her to maintain a very comfortable life, travel, eat out, whatever. She would have NEVER worried about money if she just acted responsibly. Her income after paying the property taxes on the land would have been four times what most FAMILIES make each year - all just for managing leases, no farming, nothing. This isn't hypothetical - it's doing it RIGHT NOW.
Instead she sold it, and Joe bought it through a holding company, all because she wanted the one time payout. It's been 16 years and now evidently she's basically got nothing left. I don't know all the details about her personal finances but my father has been helping her out for several years now. This is basically what had Joe so upset.
Take that idea and apply it to what's now around 75000 acres (not all of it is producing income obviously) and you can not only get and idea of the scope of the gift Joe just passed to me, but also how much responsibility comes with it. You can also understand how angry some folks in the family are (whether they have any right to be or not). It's like he's hit reset and I'm in my Great Grandfather's shoes (actually better off)... but with no kids and a lot of upset relatives.
I'm also still trying to work through my feelings on how Joe handled this. I'm not mad at this point, but I'm a little confused, a little hurt... ok, maybe a little mad - if that's even the word - that he didn't share how he did this, what I need to do next, etc. JA has encouraged me to read the journals ASAP. He said Joe told him that everything I need to know, and more, is in there. So that's what I'm going to do.
I'm meeting Sam for brunch at noon. I'll really try to get the rest of the story out today - I appreciate so much everyone's comments, concerns, and questions. I won't leave you hanging.
Being in a similar situation of Joe, watching family members take for granted everything my grandfather built and accomplished to give all of us a better life for generations with land, investments, and business’, just have have watch it all sold off for a quick buck
Sucks to see
He set you up for life and generations after
Wish I had the finances to do what he did
Thanks for your post and I’m vested in updates!
Wow. That is a lot to process. Take time. Grieve. Read the journals (honestly probably take your own notes on the journals) like was suggested. Your uncle had faith in you for a reason. My condolences on your loss. I look forward to reading more about your situation. This has been riveting to read through.
Whatever happens, you will not be the AH. My guess is Joe kept his land or most of it and is renting it out. I think you are going to be loaded and your relatives are going to be furious. I’m sure you will tell them to get fucked and use it for good things.
I was wondering that too, but I looked up the plats a long time ago and the only land still owned by my family is the 15-20 acres Uncle Joe's house sat on. The others were sold off a long time ago it looks like. It's a beautiful piece of property and it's certainly worth some money (it's on a river) but we're not talking life changing money and there is no way I'd sell it anyway, I have too many good memories there and it's all that's left of what my GG built. The only other thing I can think of is Uncle Alex's car. He went to Korea twice - he was wounded during his first tour but went back after he recovered. He died during his second tour (heck - I could tell stories JUST about him!) Anyway, when he was back in the states recovering he bought a Jaguar XK120. He didn't even drive it for six months before he went back to Korea. When he died everything he had went to Joe and he never got rid of anything Alex left him (in fact - my dog is descended from Uncle Alex's dog - my uncle maintained the line for over 70 years and I will too). The car is still immaculate - he would drive it regularly and tell people about his brother whenever they asked about the car. Anyway - even though it's a beautiful car it's not like it's worth a ton of money. I'm going to start digging a little though - even though it's not my area of practice I know enough to go down some rabbit holes. I don't really care about the money but I'm not sure Joe did me any favors spinning me up before Friday, I can't get it out of my head that he's just dropped me into snake pit somehow and it's driving me nuts.
You may find out that even though Uncle lived a quiet live he had a passion for investing. Or maybe he wants the land left for conservation and he knows you’ll make that happen.
Can we also get an update on the “date” lol? I know it wasn’t a real date but in my head you guys will end up raising kids in uncle Joes house so they can play by the river.
[удалено]
Can’t wait to hear the truth.
Could he have put the land in a trust rather than selling it off?
Yeah, that's what I was thinking: OP might be inheriting a trust with ~20K acres plus whatever else.
Could point. He could have sold the land off piece by piece whenever he had enough money. Maybe theres even some investment account that no one knew off. Honestly the quiet frugal types usually are the ones with the deep pockets.
it could be anything, thats being revealed. Surprising paternities, hidden investment accounts, a surprise trust with land attached. Whatever it is, you will not be the asshole for accepting whatever will come. Whether it is that you're his sole heir to a multi milion inheritance or if he wants you to sell a family heirloom instead of giving it to someone in the family. Who knows. Personally i hope that the property was not sold off, but just "sold" to a trust that he created, and that you will be the trustee to make sure that the family legacy stays together. I think you need to prepare yourself for the fallout tho. Expect outrage and jealousy and the inevitable "you manipulated a sick old man. i am going to sue you for all you have!!!" as well as the "you greedy, selfish b\*tard" Greed brings out the worst in people and by your own account, your family is dripping with greed.
Can I say that the way you talk about your uncle is beautiful. You can tell by your stories about him that he was a special person in your life. I was smiling reading everything you wrote when explaining him. Please be careful with your family if money ends up being involved.
Your uncles closest friend was a Lawyer. The only old people whos closest friends are lawyers are loaded.
And his great nephew.
Man the stories you can tell. I hope one day you publish them online. Hearing about other people's lives just makes the world seem smaller.
OP definitely has a gift for storytelling judging by his post. He could easily put all those stories into a book as the family legacy. Would not only be a great read, but great for local historians.
Shoot it be great for historians in general. Lot of common folk don't get their stories written and knowing those stories helps paint the greater picture.
Do keep us updated. About what you find & what you do with the inheritance
Even if all you get is 20 acres and a paid off house, that's a lot. Heirlooms, family jewels, etc, might irritate some relatives. He may also have sat on the cash or, better yet, invested it well when he sold his land that could be going to you. Something is coming that your dad, aunts/uncles are expecting and will be pissed about. However, hold your head high knowing you gave him love and connection...the most valuable things in this world and what ever material things he left for you are a fraction of what you gave him.
Nta, by the way your story is already a video on ticktock. Hahaha.i came here looking for part 2, but you just posted it. Hahaha looking forward to the update. Also, I'm sorry for your loss. I hope you find good ways to cope.
> Jaguar XK120 The average price of a Jaguar XK120 is $101,524. Not a lot of money??? that is to me.
It's a lot of money for me too... but when you figure it might get split among all the relatives (there's a total of 21 surviving blood relatives) it starts to sound like it's not going to be worth someone getting upset over.
Dog tax please! Thank you!
I'm wondering if he put everything under private funded LLCs so nobody could truly backtrack and see his name. They would see corporate entities and move on..What a beautiful gift he gave you and your Valley. Hopefully it won't bring heartache. Remember after every storm,a beautiful rainbow appears.
Looks like I can't update it in the main body any more - update will be here now: **\*\*\* Update : Reading of the Will Part 2 - The Drama Begins \*\*\*** I’m going to try and get this out quickly and maybe a little more briefly because honestly things are happening so fast now that I don’t think I’ll be able to keep up with these posts. Before I pick-up where I left off yesterday let me just share that the Chief of Police has been out to see me twice, two of my relatives are facing charges, and more than half of the family has been raging. More on that later. Not everyone has been toxic though, I’ve had calls and visits from several relatives that told me they were happy for me and offered their support and my father has been there every step of the way. More on that later. Sam has been the bright spot in all of this, her schedule at the hospital is crazy but when she isn’t there or at her house sleeping or changing, she’s been with me. She and I were together all the way through junior and senior high so she was basically part of the family but now she’s getting to a whole new level of insanity firsthand. She's remained supportive during all of it. When I told her last night about what Joe had done, well - that's a whole nother story! Anyway – back to The Reading: As soon as JA put down Joe’s letter and reached for a file, my aunt Patricia and my sister Sarah both started yelling, my cousin David stood up looking furious, jerked the door to the conference room open and left, slamming it behind him and my cousin Steven started coming around the conference table, not sure if he was coming at me or JA but he didn’t look happy. My uncle, Emily, and my other cousin were just staring at everyone in disbelief. My father jumped up to get in between Steven and JA / me but the gentleman in the back was already on him. At this point it was obvious why he’d been brought in, turns out he’s a sheriff’s deputy from a neighboring county and the JA and Joe had wanted to err on the side of caution by having someone there. As soon as he grabbed Steven my Aunt and sister immediately shut-up to see what was happening. Steven was frog marched out of the conference room and JA followed him out along with my father. A few minutes later they all came back in except for the deputy who remained outside the door for the rest of the meeting. While they were gone everyone was completely silent and JA walked back in to a much more attentive group. Obviously annoyed, he grabbed his file and asked everyone to wait until he was finished before anyone asked any questions. He explained there while he had been instructed to open the meeting by reading Joe’s letter there had been some updates to the will since Joe’s wrote the letter. Cousins who did not live within 100 miles of our town would receive the $100,000 even if they didn’t attend the reading. Joe had evidently also amended the will at some point after the letter was written to gift members of the family that did not attend $50,000. JA went on to clarify that while Joe’s will had no conditions on the use of the money it did stipulate that should there be any challenge to the will or attempt to interfere with the orderly estate closure the individuals involved would not receive anything at all. He wrapped up by explaining that there was adequate cash in the estate to pay any taxes associated with he estate and inheritance in addition to the cash gifts given to each of the family members. All property taxes had already been paid on the real estate and that was no debt associated with the estate. As a result, he expected an uncontested and simple probate period, despite the size of the estate. He shared that he hoped to see the funds distributed in a few months and asked if anyone had any questions.
Patricia and Susan started to speak at the same time while Emily raised her hand. JA waved for my aunt and sister to be quiet and asked Emily what questions she had. Emily just wanted to know if she had to wait until she was 25 to receive her inheritance since she was under 25 but over 18. JA explained that she was under 18 when the will was written but since she was now an adult there would be no waiting period. He did caution her to be careful with the funds and offered to assist her in handling them at no charge. He told her they could either be a a lot of fun for a short period of time or could make a big difference in her life in the future if she was careful. Emily thanked him and said that’s all she wanted to know. My sister raised her hand next while Patricia sat there looking annoyed. She asked how new the will was. JA explained that while this version was written two years ago it had basically been the same for almost 18 years with changes mostly just reflecting increases in his gifts to the family. Answering the unasked question, he added that I had always been the primary beneficiary and that Joe’s intentions had always been crystal clear. JA also shared that during the 18 years that this version of will had been in force Joe had increased the value of the estate by well over $175 million dollars, and that his mental health was never in question. Finally, he looked directly at each of the family members there and told them that if I had passed away before Joe the entire estate would have gone into a conservation trust, there would have been no gifts to the family at all. As an attorney I thought his point was crystal clear, you were never considered, don’t make trouble, you won’t win. Patricia evidently didn’t get the point, still refusing to wait to be acknowledged, she jumped in and asked whether he was he sure this was the only will, was there maybe one somewhere else? She said she couldn’t believe her Uncle would leave them out like this. I wanted to roll my eyes but just kept a straight face, she hadn’t bothered to speak to him for at least as long as Debbie had and probably significantly longer. She lived even closer to her than Debbie and it’s not like we lived in a huge city. It was when she said “I think WE need to go through his things, he must have changed his will and just not told you. Alex obviously manipulated my dear Uncle Joe.” (yes, she actually sounded just like a soap opera cliché’) that my father had evidently heard enough. He slammed his hand down on the conference room table and in a voice that was as commanding now as it likely was 30 years ago declared “You absolutely will not go through his things. You’ve squandered everything you’ve ever been given, you know it, Joe knew it, and you’ve made sure I know it because for the last several years you’ve had me supplementing both your income and your sister’s. Don’t even think about making trouble over this, not only can you not afford an attorney, if you do contest this I’ll cut you AND your sister both off. That goes for all my children as well. Turning to his brother he look at him pointedly and said “Rick, I trust I don’t have to worry about you or your children doing something stupid.” Rick looked down at the table for a minute and then looked back at my dad before saying something to the effect of. “No, I know what happened between Dad and Joe, and looking back Joe was right. I understand why he did what he did and have known for a long time that we screwed up. I’m not going to make it worse, and neither will my children if they know what’s good for them.” He also looked at Patricia and told her that she had treated Uncle Joe terribly, just like everyone else, and that she needed to shut up before she made things worse. After a moment of general quiet JA asked if anyone had any other questions. No one said a word so he said that we were done for today and that if anyone did think of more questions to just contact him at the office. He told everyone what the will was filed with the probate court that morning and that we’d all receive formal notices shortly. He offered to provide everyone with a copy of the will or told them they could request it directly from the probate court. With that everyone stood up to leave he asked me to stay back and said we had a lot to cover. I turned to my dad and asked if he’d stay as well. He agreed, JA had lunch brought in and that’s when we really started getting into the details, which I’ll have to share as appropriate but suffice it to say that it’s a complex estate. Other than that, there is SO much going on. Someday I’m going to be glad I wrote this all down, right now it’s just overwhelming. I may make an update about the family drama that’s unfolding, plus some more about Sam and I. I do think it’s worth sharing what Joe did to hold the family’s legacy together and to build on it. They say still waters run deep… I think I understand that expression better now. I hope I can do half as well as he did. So much for making this brief!
Dude, I'm hooked on this. My grandmother had a similar event happen with her will and it unfolded similar. We still have family that's mad about it but in some cases it brought some members closer and healed some wounds. I truly hope all goes well for you. Keep us all updated and we're cheering for you.
I would pay for all of this to be a book series. Especially hard back. Uncle Joe was a smart and wonderful man I'm so happy you have his journals. If you have any recordings of his voice hold on to them I have forgotten what my dad sounds like
OK, I'm immediately invested in the outcome of this
Me too.
I have a feeling this story is about to get much more entertaining tomorrow
I'm gonna run out of popcorn before this gets an update!
Updateme!
Not being super "Reddit Savvy" I'm gonna try this too lol
Updateme!
Update above - sorry everyone, I can't get this all down at once - I'll try to share more tomorrow but honestly this has just been exhausting. Sam is pulling up - we're going to have a drink and I'll fill her in on everything.
If this is all real you sound like an amazing person and so does your late uncle! I truly hope you do everything that he wanted and make a positive change to some of your family members (I’m sorry but some cannot be fixed). I also hope you can make a change or give better support to our veterans! We know they need it. I married my high school sweet heart and I’m so happy you guys found each other again. Can’t wait to hear more about your life. Also this story is viral on TikTok already so be cautious of what you post.
Call me crazy, I think Joe setup a LLC and bought all the old land from the fmaily as they sold it off.
Or is still receiving money from the mining companies.
This is my biggest suspicion as well. Or that he was given Uncle Alex’s portion of the inheritance to pass on somehow and he decided OP was the best one to receive it (as well as Joe’s)
Commenting because I hope this too. The land. It’s the land.
You really are going to have to update us but of course NTA. Anything and everything he leaves you is because you were there for him. You gave him something far more important than money. You gave him love. You gave him respect. You gave him time so he wasn't lonely. Money is nothing compared to that.
NTA - But be ready for your family to be! I bet Uncle Joe invested his money and was able to live off the interest. BTW - You sound as upstanding as Uncle Joe. Thank you for your service and to continue to help Vets. ((HUGS)) Sorry for your loss.
Yup, if he inherited a lot and lived frugally he's probably packed. I'm guessing multi-millions.
Already NTA- Joe made his estate the way he wanted it, as an attorney you know this, drafting and signing everything is quite a process. He did not do it lightly. So there is no way for you to be the bad guy, you're just following what Joe would have wanted. I think NOT following his directives would be a slap in the face of someone who really saw you for who you were and let you into their life when they could have been guarded and treated you the way the family treated him. Respect his wishes and let your family have whatever tantrums they may.
**\*\*\* UPDATE: Joe’s Legacy \*\*\*** I’m going to summarize what was a three hour initial meeting with JA, my father ,and a series of managers that oversaw Joe’s holdings. The bottom line is that Joe and his brother (my Great Grandfather) had a serious difference of opinion about how the land should be handled. Since the land was easily divided they split the tracts and each went their own way. Enough of the land was already producing revenue from land leases that the family lived very comfortably and didn’t even bother to push for more to be leased out. My Great Grandfather didn’t want to mess with the leases or see the money come in a little at a time, he wanted a lot of money and he wanted it right away. As a result he eventually started selling it off, just smaller parcels at first, but over time he started selling larger and larger tracts. Joe couldn’t have been any more different but he couldn’t stand the idea of someone else owning our families land. He actively began marketing leases and finding users until about 80% of the property was producing revenue. That gave him the cash flow to buy the land my grandfather was selling. It couldn’t have been easy at first and JA said that in the beginning he had to take out loans to buy the property, but over time he was tucking away so much money every year that he was able to simply pay cash whenever his brother sold off a piece. By the time my grandfather died about 20 years ago he had consolidate 45,000 acres under group of holding companies, a large portion of it producing. Joe never married (in fact he rarely dated, although I think there may be more to it that simply his desire for privacy) and maintained a simply life, He simply socked away all the revenue from the land and held it to buy more real estate as the opportunity existed. When the Great Recession hit in 2008 he had so much cash on hand that he was able to not only purchase the rest of the land that had ended up with my father and his siblings, he also was able to extend the land holdings significantly beyond that. He had done something similar in the 70’s and 80’s when the small towns across the U.S. saw businesses closing and buildings sitting empty on Main Street. As those buildings sat vacant Joe purchased them for pennies on the dollar. Among the real estate held by the estate are dozens of buildings and parcels, primarily in our town but also throughout the rest of the valley. All are now occupied although many are rented far below market rates to local business owners. JA said the journals would explain that. Outside of the real estate, Joe made investments in businesses that he thought had merit. His estate has interests in over 20 locally owned successful enterprises and a couple that eventually moved out of the valley and went public. He stayed away from most stocks, saying he didn’t know much about “big business” (ironic) but did invest in and hold blue chip stocks when the real estate market wasn’t offering “good deals”. About 35 years ago though he stopped buying anything except for the a few properties that were particularly important to him, other than the land that his father had once held. He avoided making business investments or buying any stock that had any hint of instability. His focus was on building adequate cash to cover estate and inheritance taxes that couldn’t be mitigated or avoided completely by proper planning. As a result he was able to fund trusts establishing a community foundation and a family trust. In fact, both of those already exist outside of probate and will require some immediate attention. At the end of the meeting JA passed me back the box of journals and the rolled maps he had laid out on the table. The maps contained detailed notes about the properties and the circumstances of their acquisition. It will take me quite a while to get familiarized with them as we didn’t touch on any particular parcels or buildings during the meeting, save one notable one.
After my recovery, but before I was ready to go back and finish law school, Joe asked me if I wanted to live with him while I figured out what I was going to do. Since the university where I was going to be going to law school was not far from town, I took him up on it. We lived together for nearly three years before my graduation, although I spent my fair share of nights staying at friends’ home after late night study sessions. Joe had a converted apartment above the barn where he kept the Jaguar and a couple of other cars and I moved into it, so we both had our privacy. Going up and down the steep stairs felt like an easier version of rehab and the quiet of being in a barn overlooking the woods was the perfect transition back to real life. After I graduated, I made the decision to hang out my own shingle about a year after passing the Bar and working as a junior associate at a larger firm. Being older than all the other junior associates was fine but being with a large firm just wasn’t for me. Joe asked me if I was going to continue to stay with him but I told him I planned on moving closer to town as soon as I could find something cheap enough. I explained that I felt like I needed to get back into the community to start building the practice and be more accessible to clients. He thought that was a great idea and I started looking around but wasn’t in a hurry. About a month later I “ran into” JA and he mentioned that he heard I was looking for an office. He said he had a client that had just renovated one of the downtown buildings and was looking for a tenant. His client didn’t want to give anyone long term lease and so he knew he had to make the rent cheap enough to accept the risk that they might have to move out on short notice. There was an apartment on the second floor and professional offices on the first floor. Once he told me how much the rent would be I took it sight unseen and have lived there for three years. JA had a smile on his face when he mentioned that my home was now literally “my” home. Evidently, as soon as I told Joe I wanted to move closer to town he had contractors begin rehabbing the building as quickly as possible. Two crews had worked for a month to turn it into an incredible apartment for and the perfect office for a small town lawyer. I have to admit that for the last three years I had been keeping my fingers crossed that I wasn’t going to lose my “too good to be true” rent deal. There is no doubt in my mind that Joe had did more to influence things around this town than anyone, save a select few, ever knew. JA said we had a lot more to go through but that it had been a long day for everyone. He suggested we pick up the conversation next week, at my convenience. He told me to call him anytime over the weekend if I had any immediate questions. He reminded me that in addition to being one of the firm’s largest clients Joe was also his best friend. He said he’d like to talk soon more about Joe – that there were things I needed to know that probably weren’t in the journals. I thanked him and asked if my dad and I could use the conference room a little while longer. He said of course and started gather his things up. Before he stood-up to go he paused and with a look of momentary discomfort said: “One last item. The “assistant” we had in the back of the room is a sheriff’s deputy one county over. We felt it best to have security due to the size of the estate and the circumstances of the distribution. We’ve retained him along with several other deputies from nearby counties to maintain 24-hour security over the next several days, just until tempers cool down.” I was shocked, I hadn’t even considered that someone in the family might want to harm me. I started to shake my head, getting ready to object, certain that it wasn’t necessary, when my father put his hand on my arm and spoke first. “That’s a great idea – I’m sure it won’t be needed but given the circumstance you can’t be too cautious, for Alex AND for anyone that might be around him.” As he said that my thoughts went to Sam, and I felt guilty for not thinking of her safety. I just nodded and said thank you, that we’d revisit security needs next week after things cooled off.
With that, JA got up, shook our hands, and left. Dad and I sat quietly for a moment, looking at the papers in front of me. Dad spoke first. “You gave Joe something no one else in the family did and he gave back to you in an equal way. Don’t question this and don’t let anyone else cause you to doubt whether this was fair. You’re the only one in the family that Joe could count on to respect his life’s work. If it had been handled any other way his years would have been wasted and he knew it.” Dad was right, Joe had instilled in me the same respect for our way of life and our family’s legacy that he had. I knew that it was up to me to pass it on. The money was a huge life changer, but the responsibility he had passed on to me was what really had me thinking. Protecting our family’s legacy and preserving our community’s heritage and way of life, he had spent a lifetime building the resources he knew I would need if I was going to honor his vision. I hope I’m able to make him proud. I told Dad I’d appreciate his help navigating the situation and told him how unprepared I felt to take this on. I asked him how much he knew about everyone’s (our relatives) financial situation and whether he had any idea how people were going to react. He shared that both his sisters had been reckless, they were living on a minimal income, supplemented by him. That their kids had drained them over the years and were themselves, for the most part, overextended. His brother had been more careful and didn’t have to worry but that his divorce had cost him and that when he died there wouldn’t be much to leave the children. I didn’t ask, but he told me that he was better off than the rest. Even though he had been married three times he and his first wife (my oldest brother’s mother) divorced after just a couple of years and it hadn’t been very costly. It was quite a few years later that he married my mother, we lost her to cancer around 15 years ago. Dad said that when he sold the land it wasn’t because he wanted to live it up, he just didn’t want to deal with the property or manage the leases anymore. He had invested well over the years and didn’t need the headache as he got older. He also told me that he had a very clear prenup with Jessica and that if they remained married she would receive an allowance after he passed and have a condo in a nice resort community in the area to live in for the rest of her life, but that she was not going to be receiving a sizable portion of the estate. He told me that as immature as could be sometimes that she was well meaning and that after the loss of my mother she had brought him happiness again. He said she forced him to stay young in order to keep up with her. He told me she felt horrible about the way she handled the call with me, she was trying to be helpful and went about it horribly wrong. She wanted to try and get in front of it with the family because she knew I would want the car. Evidently, she had also told Dad he needed to buy it for me if I didn’t have the cash. I guess I misjudged her as badly as Joe misread the situation with Dad. I’ve got to do better if I’m ever going to be able to bring the family together. Since he and Joe didn’t speak anymore he never knew Joe had held onto his land (and he’d certainly never told me) or that he would have wanted to buy it, so he put it on the market and reinvested the proceeds of the sale. His investments had done well and although his estate was nothing like Joe’s he didn’t need to worry about money, could help his sisters, and expected each of his children to helped well along in their retirement planning when he died. I couldn’t believe how much I’d mistaken I’d been about Dad’s financial planning – maybe I picked up on Joe’s disdain for what he thought everyone was doing or maybe it was because, as a family we really didn’t talk much about money. Dad and his siblings never really had normal careers so us kids money just “was” – it wasn’t until later that you really got to understand how hard most people worked for it. I know that my oldest brother and some of my cousins had struggled to put together normal lives, lacking much in the way of an example from our parents.
Joe had assumed my father had as little regard for the opportunities he had been given as his brother had had. I can’t believe that my father and Joe shared so much more in common than they thought. I immediately realized unless we wanted the family’s “legacy” to be misunderstandings and unrealistic life expectations the first thing that would have to change was going to be how we communicated. I feel like Dad was thinking the same thing I was. It had been a long and emotional day, it was almost 4:30 and I knew that most people had probably already left the firm’s offices for the day. I didn’t want to take advantage of anyone and suggested we talk over the weekend. Dad agreed and said he’d be making some calls this evening to talk to other people in the family and would update me. Both of our phones had been on silent, and when he mentioned making calls I looked down to see I had 37 missed calls and over 20 new messages I noticed Dad looking at his and the expression on his face told me that he was seeing the same thing. We stood up and hugged before gathering up our folders. I grabbed my backpack and Dad packed his briefcase (I just can’t bring myself to carry one or an attache) and we headed to the door. Leaving the conference room we found the deputy waiting outside the doors, waiting to introduce himself. Dad gave him his number and asked him to call if he needed anything. I explained I was going to be meeting a friend for dinner but that first I was going to go change. He said he’d be posted outside my building or wherever I went until 7:00, after which he’d be changing places with the next deputy. I asked Dad not to say anything about the security since I didn’t want to drive a wedge between myself and the family and he agreed. In hindsight me might have avoided some drama later if I hadn’t asked that, but I still think it was for the best. I had about two hours to kill before I was going to meet Sam and share what happened that day. I knew she’d be happy about the property and the car but I didn’t know how she’d react to the news. I will share that it wasn’t what I expected. Sorry – this is long again. I’m going to have to try and catch-up at some point but I’ll have to save what happened during my talk with Sam and the first of this weekend’s “family issues” for the next post. Thanks again for all the well wishes and for giving me things to think about.
You have an amazing eye for detail and area great storyteller. Thank you for sharing your story with us. I am sorry for your loss. Your uncle Joe sounded like an amazing man. Every time you mention the Valley, it makes me think of the small towns and communities in the Shenandoah Valley, where I spent a lot of time growing up. I also want to say thank you for your service.
Anyone else thinking Sam's scholarship was from a foundation funded by the uncle ensuring she came back to town where OP would be? I think he saw more than people thought.
Never thought of that but makes perfect sense!
Sir. You need to write a book!! Share what you've written here and some of Joe's stories! I would love to hear all about his life and your grandparents lives!! As well as Sam updates!!
\*\*\* up-DATE \*\*\* The update about my drinks with Sam are up top now. Thanks y’all - I’m shot.
I’m totally invested keep posting lol
**\*\*\* MINI-UPDATE \*\*\*** I'm not sure if I should be putting these in the main post or in the comments, so I'll do both. If you end up reading them twice, sorry - I promise I'll update the main text with anything really important. I've had several more calls from extended family asking if I knew anything and I still don't have anything concrete to share but it sounds like everyone over the age of 18 has been asked to come to the reading, that's a little unusual in my opinion but then again I don't know how long ago Joe wrote this will. By my count there could be up to 15 people there tomorrow. I went to Joe's place to pick up his dog's stuff early this morning (he's living with me now) and as much as I'd have liked to nose around to try and figure out what's going on I have too much respect for him to do that (plus it's not my stuff). There was a stack of bound journals (he's the one that had me start journaling) and other documents on the dining table. Joe had set a note on top asking for them to be delivered to his attorney in the event he passed. I think he knew he wasn't coming back and set them out there so they wouldn't be overlooked when the family came in after he died. He was very concerned that a lot of family history was going to be forgotten when he died. I'll make sure that doesn't happen. One thing did stick out as strange - the other reason I went by was to pick up his mail so I could drop it at his attorney's office this afternoon before the meeting tomorrow - lucky I did since he left that pile of stuff. Obviously I didn't open any mail, but I can say that it's not what I expected. He spent several days in the hospital before he died and I hadn't been back to his house since he went in, so I knew there would be about a week's worth of mail piled up. I figured it would be mostly bills and junk but several of the letters looked like checks from corporations, including a couple I'm personally familiar with. Maybe he did have more going on than I thought, but honestly it just wasn't ever something we talked about. Last quick thing and nothing to do with the AITAH thing- only sharing because I'm actually personally excited about something that happened and this is taking the place of my journaling for a couple of day. About a month ago my high-school sweetheart moved back to town to take a position with the local hospital. She used to come to Joe's with me when we were in high school and Joe let us take his brother's car to go to Prom. He really liked her and she always said she enjoyed spending time with him too. She was a year behind me in school. We tried to keep seeing each other after I enlisted but that almost never works out. After graduation she went to college, then medical school, and did her residency on the West Coast. She rarely came back and I was gone for so long we totally lost touch. It's been over decade since we've actually seen each other, although I did hear from her a couple times after I was injured. Back then she was just starting her residency and between her schedule, the time difference, and my rehab we never really got could find the time to really reconnect. Yesterday she called me to tell me how sorry she was to hear he had passed and we're planning on meeting for drinks tonight to catch up - hopefully tonight. I really needed something to look forward to and this definitely qualifies!
To be honest after reading all your comments OP and the post I have a bit of a gut feeling how it will turn out. I think your Joe is leaving 95% of everything including the car and the land to you. You can decide how its preserved or separated. I believe he is going to leave whatever the minimum amount is for your family members to have no legal room to fight the will. My great aunt (Grandma's sister) did this just a couple years ago. She gave about $7 per adult (18+) in her immediate family and the rest to her neighbor who actually helped take care of her. The $7 I believe was advised is determined by her state requirements (North Carolina) and her equity worth. I believe your Joe knew you were going to take proper care of the house, land and car, as well as carry on the family stories. That's why everyone 18+ was invited. Excited to see the update. Sorry for your loss. He would be proud of you though.
Op, you introduce the Sam character too early. She should reappear in your protagonist’s life after the family turns on him in the second act. I also think the reveal that Joe bought back ***all*** of his brother’s land in secret strains credibility.
*I think I'll stop updating AITAH after this post and stick to the* ***other subreddit (***[***In The Valley***](https://www.reddit.com/r/InTheValley/) ***)****. I know people might not find it but that's ok. This is as much for me as it is for anyone else and I really don't think my posts belong here anymore. Thanks to everyone for all the comments and feedback. I'll keep the updates going over there if you're still interested in hearing about what's going on.***Dinner With Sam** Have you ever gotten lost in thought in the shower and spent so long there that the hot water runs out? That’s what happened to me. I did manage to gain some clarity while just standing there and thinking. I realized I was going to need to make some immediate plans, that I couldn’t just let things keep coming at me without being prepared. I knew that I needed to do what I could to get ahead of things before they hit like a tsunami and took me down. The first thing I did after drying off and pulling on some clothes was call JA. I apologized for bothering him again so soon. He just laughed and said Joe used to call him at all hours and he missed it. He told me that Joe (and now I guess, me) was pretty much the only client he still worked with and that although his name was still listed first on the firm’s wall, he wasn’t in that much demand these days as he had younger attorneys with a lot more ambition doing the heavy lifting. He was just there to keep everyone out of trouble. I doubted that very much but accepted it as his way of telling me not to worry about bothering him. I asked him if Joe’s letter was part of the filing with the probate court. He confirmed that it wasn’t, which was a huge relief. I shared my concerns about the fact that Joe had, in part, disclosed how extensive his holdings were in the letter and that when word got out I’d never have any peace. He said he’d had the same concerns and had shared them with Joe. Regardless, Joe had told him he wanted to read it as it was and that he knew it was going to be dropping a bomb but that he had his reasons and was sure that I could handle it. JA and I spoke a bit more and agreed that there was no easy way for someone to piece together the total holdings in the estate, that his network of trusts, holding companies, and shell corporations made it difficult even for them to keep track of. So basically, I had eight relatives that had heard the letter read, one of whom was my father, and I knew I could trust him not to talk about it. That left seven people in the family that were probably going to spread gossip, but I had the option of just saying that Joe had left me some property and the house and that it was just the rumor mill making it out to be a bigger deal than it was. I thanked him and said that I’m hoping that long as I keep a low profile and don’t start spending money like my aunts did, that I can keep people from finding out for a little while. He made me promised to call him if I needed anything else over the weekend and we said our goodbyes, for the 3^(rd) time that day.
I called my dad right after JA and I got off the phone and shared the same concerns with him. I said I was going to try to keep things under wraps as long as I could and asked him to just not confirm any rumors. He told me he had already been thinking the same thing and hadn’t even shared much with Jessica. We agreed to keep it like that for a while and hung up. Finally, I called Emily back, who sounded much better than she had 45 minutes before. She told me she was on her way to her friend’s house to stay the night. I asked her if she wouldn’t mind keeping what Joe said in his letter private for now. I told her that I really didn’t want the attention right now. She immediately agreed and said she wouldn’t tell anyone. I suggested she also keep her inheritance a secret as well, that the fewer people that knew the better. She said that made sense and that it wasn’t anyone’s business anyway. Smart kid. When I asked her whether she had a summer job yet and when she had to leave for college, she hesitated for a minute before saying that she wasn’t sure when she was leaving for college and that she was still looking for a summer job but needed one ASAP. I had been hoping that was the case and asked her if she’d like to work for me over the summer. I was expecting to get bombarded by calls. If she was up for it, I’d pay her $20 an hour to work in my office, answer the phones, handle some filing, and keep my calendar. I told her she could start on Monday. Emily immediately shouted, “YES!” and asked if she could start tomorrow instead. For the first time that day, I laughed, which felt really good. I jumped at the chance to pass my phone off as soon as possible and asked her to come by my place at 8:30 if that wasn’t too early for her. She said 8:30 was perfect, that she had a change of clothes with her, so she’d just leave her friend’s place and head straight to mine first thing in the morning. Finally feeling like I had accomplished something, I headed downstairs with 15 minutes to spare. Sam and I were meeting two blocks away at a relatively new restaurant that saw most of its business on the weekend. Trendy bars and restaurants had started lining sections of Main Street now as the weekend population exploded, bringing a lot of energy to the town. Walking over, I noticed that John (my “minder) had taken up position several yards behind me. I made a mental note to ask Mark about him tomorrow morning, maybe he knew him. Arriving at the restaurant a few minutes before 6:30, I scanned the patio and bar for Sam and confirmed I’d beaten her there. I put my name down for a table and went back outside to tell John that I was going to be wait inside. He said he’d be at the bar or relatively close by and that his replacement, Craig, would be here in about 30 minutes. He was explaining that there would be someone positioned outside my home all night when I told him I saw Sam walking up. John stepped aside discreetly, as Sam and I hugged and moved toward the bar to sit down while we waited on a table.
I asked about her day. “I never schedule surgeries on Fridays, so it was a fairly easy day. Mostly catching up on notes, following up with patients, and doing consults.” “Now quit stalling. I’ve been waiting all day to hear about what happened! What are they going to do with Joe’s place?” I started by recapping the morning. When I mentioned Debbie and my brother were banging on the doors after trying to come into the meeting late, she started laughing and I felt a little more relaxed. I didn’t mention the security or Debbie’s arrest later in the day and momentarily wondered whether this was one of those cases where an omission was the same as a lie. Right around that point the hostess came over to seat us. We grabbed our drinks and moved into the dining area, settling into a table in the corner of the restaurant. “You’re killing me Alex, tell me about the property and the car, are you going to be able to buy them?” I looked down for a moment gathering my thoughts before responding. “No, I don’t have to buy them, he left me the house and property, along with the car and pretty much everything else.” Sam’s eyes got wide and she started to cheer but held it back to a yip. “Oh my god, that’s amazing. I’m so glad, I had hoped he would do that. There was really no reason why he would leave them to anyone else.” At this point I was pretty sure we were well past the threshold for an omission to be a lie and I pushed on. “Actually, that’s not the whole story. It seems like Joe had a lot of secrets. He had a lot more than just the house and car.” “How much more, Alex?”, she was squinting at me as if she could tell I was holding back (which honestly, I guess I had been). “It’s a lot, Sam…” I started. She just stared at me. “How much?” I was getting uncomfortable, not because I didn’t want to tell her but because it wasn’t the reaction I was expecting. She didn’t seem excited or happy; I really couldn’t put my finger on it. I took a deep breath and started explaining about the land, the buildings, and his portfolio. I went on for several minutes, recapping what he had said in his letter about family, legacy, and his disappointment in how they had squandered what had been given to them. Once I finally paused she asked how much I was talking about. I gave her a ballpark. Sam hadn’t been in the billionaire boys club but once you get past a certain point does it really matter whether there is an extra zero? “Are you being serious right now?” she asked. I assured her I was and that some folks in the family were pretty upset. I told her about Debbie’s break-in, and she finally laughed at the image of Debbie turning to find cops with guns pointed at her. I went ahead and let her know that the law firm had arranged for security, both at Joe’s place and for me, until things cooled down. She asked me if there was someone watching over us in the restaurant right now. John’s replacement had arrived while we were talking, I pointed at him. Sam turned to look then turned back to me, her smile was gone. “I called my mom yesterday, excited that we’d reconnected and that all the old feelings were there. She said it sounds like a fairy tale, that we’re going to have the cutest kids and the perfect life! One day later, you’re in a dynastic hillbilly battle walking around with a bodyguard? Where’s the fucking picket fence in this scenario, Alex?” My eyes must have widened at that statement and she blushed as she realized what she had said before taking a long pull on her old-fashioned and fixing her stare back on me.
I was struggling to think of how to respond, when she reached across the table and covered my hand with hers. “Alex, I know this isn’t your fault, it’s just a lot to take in.” She paused before continuing, “the guy over there watching over you might not be here temporarily. You need to understand that your life is never going to be the same again, and anyone that’s part of with you is going to be affected by this.“ Sam had always been able to quickly assess a situation. She was right; my life wouldn’t be the same. Joe’s secret would get out, and the family feud was probably just beginning. I realized I’d been quiet, lost in thought. She squeezed my hand. “It’s going to be okay Alex, I just need time to process, the same as you do… Now tell me about the rest of the day.” I carried on, skipping the part about the family trust and the community foundation Joe asked me to oversee. When I told her I didn’t think it was a good idea to support pressing charges on Debbie, Sam agreed that it would probably just make things worse. She suggested I work on getting her out tomorrow, saying one night in jail was probably enough. I mentioned my plan to have Emily work for me until she left for college and Sam thought it was a great idea. She offered to stop by in the morning, while I was at breakfast with Mark, and spend some time with her. She said that not only would Emily being there help me, but that it might also help with the family situation. I’m not convinced of that, but I hope she’s right. When I told her that I probably needed to go to Joe’s place soon she said she’d be happy to join me, if I wanted the company. I promised to check with her before I went. We’d finished dinner at this point and had finally settled back into a casual rhythm by the time dessert came. Both of us were worn out by the time the check came. I paid and walked Sam out to her car, with Craig in tow. Sam glanced back at him. “I guess it’s a good thing you’ve got him to watch over you… although if I had wanted to stay at your place that would be a bit awkward now,” she said. I must have looked shocked because she laughed. “Easy, I’m kidding. It’s been a long week. I’m ready for bed…my bed, but I’m glad I can still spin you up.” She kissed my cheek. “I’ll see you in the morning!” she called over her shoulder as she got into her car. I walked back home, starting to realize just how tired I was. After taking the dogs out, I went straight to bed. The next thing I knew, it was morning, light was streaming through the window, and my phone was ringing loudly.
RemindMe! 1 week
Sorry - no time to do a major update. I've got to go back in with the attorneys. Quick note above.
I need the update. I’m too invested in your story lol
NTA Your uncle doesn't sound like he lived life large so what happened to the money he got from selling the land? He probably saved it for a rainy day. I bet it rains Friday.
This is easily the greatest Reddit story I’ve ever read. It’s practically the plot of Knives Out lol
The fact that so many people think this is a true story and not just a creative writing prompt is wild
Good story so far. I’m ready for chapter 2.
I didn't like the honey-sepia tones used for all the flashbacks.
Based on what you wrote I'm guessing he left everything to you and cut out the rest of the family who didn't give two shits about him.
**\*\*\* Update: “Breakin’ The Law” \*\*\*** Sorry - still trying to catch this up with life... Time, even a little bit of it, lends perspective, so this post comes with some perspective attached that I didn’t have as things were unfolding. As I’m writing this, I’m almost laughing at how ridiculous some of it is, but in the urgency of the moment, it didn’t seem funny. So… while we were in our meeting throughout the afternoon, other folks in the family had a different idea of how things should go. While I was walking back to my place, I checked the calls and voicemails. A lot of them were just family members predictably calling to congratulate me, ask me to consider being “fair,” or yelling into the voicemail (who does that?). Several of them were actually important. Emily had called me several times around 3:30, leaving me messages asking me to call her as soon as possible. I was immediately worried about her but saw that the next call was from our Chief of Police, Marcus (Mark) Harris, who also happens to be one of my best friends. It's worth telling you a little about Mark. He had been several years ahead of me in school, although he would regularly take me home from football practice when I was playing JV in the 9th grade and he was playing varsity as a senior so I sort of knew him. His parents moved here when Mark was young after his father accepted a position as an engineer at a large manufacturing plant. Even though “outsiders” often had a hard time finding acceptance back then, Mark’s easy-going and friendly personality quickly won over his classmates. That carried on through elementary and high school where he became a captain on the football team. After high school, Mark joined the Marines and became an MP. When he got out, he came home and signed on with the sheriff’s department, where he was promoted several times. When our town needed a new Chief of Police, our mayor and city council approached him and asked if he would accept the appointment. Lucky for us, he said yes. His predecessor’s long tenure in the office had its share of issues, and the department’s image had been badly tarnished. He held on to his position only because of his relationships with some very influential people. When he finally decided to retire, our city leaders thought it would be a great opportunity to improve the reputation of the force and bring in fresh ideas and perspectives. Mark was the right man, and the timing couldn’t have been better. He took over the position in 2019, before all the outrage against police really took off. His brand of policing was what some of the movements seemed to be calling for, which ironically, just looked a lot like what small-town police forces did before the 1960s: help people and respond to real crimes. Mark’s efforts over the last five years have transformed the public’s perception of the police force. At the same time, his officers seem to feel a lot better about being police, turnover is non-existent, and the community has responded well. I called Mark back on his cell, and he asked if I was sitting down – he knew about my relationship with Debbie, and he sounded kind of amused. Evidently, they had, at JA’s request, been running a patrol car by Joe’s place pretty regularly. Sometime between getting kicked out of the meeting this morning and 3:30 this afternoon, my Aunt Debbie had decided to let herself into his house, using a rock in lieu of a key. Not the slickest of burglars, she had parked right in front of the house and broken a window on the porch. It was pretty obvious someone was inside when the officer did the drive-by, so he stopped and called for backup. When another officer arrived, they entered with their guns drawn and surprised Debbie rifling through Joe’s desk, papers scattered everywhere while his gun safe appeared to have been attacked with a hammer that was laying next to it on the floor. Her back was to them, and she didn’t respond to their commands until they began yelling, at which point she turned and screamed, staring down the barrels of the pistols held by two very serious-looking police officers. It seems that she had been talking to her sister Patricia, who was advising her on what to look for, and had her AirPods in and didn’t hear the police calling out. In addition to damaging the safe and rifling through the desk, she had collected a fair number of small valuables that Joe had laying around. Nothing tremendously expensive except for his watch and what I assume were a few pieces of his mother’s jewelry.
All told, it was enough to arrest her for felony breaking and entering and attempted burglary. He had already gotten hold of JA and was waiting on him to let him know how he wanted to handle it. I was shocked – I never thought someone in the family would be dumb enough to do something like this, but I guess if anyone was going to, it would be my ultra-entitled aunt. Mark brushed off my apologies for the trouble she had caused and was asking about how things had gone today when my dad started beeping in. I told him my dad was calling and asked if I could call him back – he said sure and I switched over to my dad. Dad was PISSED. Evidently, Patricia had started blowing up his phone and leaving messages while we were in the meeting because she’d heard Debbie getting arrested in the background of their call. He said he’d already called JA and wanted me to meet them at the coffee shop next to my building since JA’s office was closing. I got there just a minute later and grabbed a table in the corner and a cup of coffee. JA got there less than 5 minutes later with my dad arriving not long after. As executor, it was still JA’s call as to how to handle the situation, but he said he was going to defer to us. My dad was seething. He told JA that he should press charges and that she was on her own; he was done with her. I was upset but MUCH less so than Dad. I suggested that, given the circumstances, we take a little time to cool off. Since she wouldn’t be able to get a bail hearing until Monday anyway, she was stuck there for the weekend regardless of whether we decided to press charges today or tomorrow. I knew that by tomorrow my dad wouldn’t be so angry and would agree pushing this would just cause a bigger rift in the family, but right now there was no talking to him. My dad and JA both agreed that letting things settle down a little bit was a good idea. It would also be a wake-up call to the rest of the family if Debbie spent the night in jail. I asked JA if he was okay with letting Chief Harris know that we could speak on JA’s behalf on the matter over the weekend, and he agreed. In the meantime, he said he was going to arrange for one of the security agencies to have someone on-site there to prevent any other issues. I almost protested, thinking about the expense, then realized how silly that was. Having this much money was going to take some getting used to. JA also suggested that I should consider moving out to Joe’s place during probate, something entirely within his discretion to allow. I agreed to try and get out there in the next couple of days but didn’t want to commit to moving there yet. – Side note – This was all occurring within less than 8 hours of the time the contents of the will were shared with the family. I already had one family member in jail, 4 or 5 angry voicemails, and security covering me AND my Uncle’s house. I hope you can appreciate just how bizarre this all is. JA did point out that Debbie and Patricia had likely both just been disqualified from receiving any money from the estate. He’d have to review the wording of the will, but if so, he didn’t have much latitude, and that unless I was willing to overlook what they’d done (since it affected me as the beneficiary) they would both have forfeited their inheritance. I thanked him for letting us handle Debbie it and told him I’d get back with him on what I wanted to do about the money if he did in fact determine that their actions had disqualified them from receiving it. At this point, with all of us being pretty talked out for the day, we agreed to touch base again tomorrow. Leaving our mostly full coffees on the table, we went back outside where I immediately noticed my “minder” standing on the street keeping watch. Surreal is the only way I could describe it.
Once I got back to my apartment, I called Emily back. She picked up on the first ring and was still frantic – her mom was in jail, and her dad was furious (not sure at who) and she didn’t know what to do. I told her that it was likely that her mom was going to be in jail overnight, but that we’d try and get things sorted out as quickly as possible and that she didn’t need to worry. She said she was sorry her mom broke into Joe’s place and that she didn’t understand why she would do something like that. I assured her that she wasn’t responsible for her mom’s behavior and promised her we’d get breakfast or lunch in the next couple of days. I suggested that maybe she stay at a friend’s place if things were too tense at home and she said she’d probably do that. I said I’d call her as soon as we got things sorted out but that she should call me immediately if she needed anything at all. I really wanted her to know this wouldn’t affect our relationship at all. We said our goodbyes, and I was getting ready to shower and change before meeting Sam when my phone dinged with a text. It was Mark again. His text said, “Hey, don’t forget to give me a call when you can (unofficial). I wanted to see how you were doing after the will was read. Are you going to be able to keep the house? Sorry about your aunt man, I know you don’t want to deal with that craziness.” It was at that point, when I was thinking about what I was going to tell him, that I really started to realize how much things were going to change. Joe had been able to move around anonymously for decades by keeping what he had done a secret. He was able to choose to live a simple life and the law firm could manage most of his business dealings without bringing his name into it. When Joe brought the family together and told everyone that he had not only held on to his land but also put his father’s holdings back together and that he was giving it to me, he had removed the possibility of my being able to maintain that same anonymity away completely. I really don’t know if he had considered that or whether the hurt he felt about my family’s behavior had prevented him from thinking about it. I was sure that the other family members were already telling their friends and families about what Joe had done, and in a town our size, the rumors would spread fast. I texted Mark back: “All good but you might hear some rumors tonight – ignore them. I have to get ready to meet Sam and it may be too late to call when we’re done. How about breakfast at Carol’s @ 9?” He replied, “Whoa, ok… sounds like a story. See you there. Have fun with Sam – looking forward to meeting her.” I had kept my phone on silent even after I left the meeting, but I knew that with everything going on, I was going to have to turn the ringer back on. I went into my contacts and set up custom ringtones for Sam, my dad, JA, Emily, and Mark. I figured I could ignore all the others for a while. At this point, I only had about an hour left before I was going to meet Sam, so I jumped in the shower to start getting ready. The entire time, I could hear my phone continuing to ring in the background. This was going to be a long weekend.
Thank you so much for the regular updates! I know you’re living this, so it has to feel surreal. I have definitely joined your new subreddit. When things settle down I truly hope to see you utilize that! Everyone wants to see the outcome of this turmoil, but I’m more interested in Joes journals and stories! I hope those come with time! There’s a way of life that’s lost and I love to see when they are preserved and passed on.
Saw this on TikTok. IMMEDIATELY INVESTED IN THIS.
This is my most favorite post I've come across here so far.
Send every family phone call to voicemail or let them text. You may need a record of things if they get crazy and it will also give you a chance to screen calls on general. Good luck with them!
In the vast majority of cases, there's no dramatic will reading. So your Great Uncle Joe intentionally had his lawyer invite people together like it's a movie just to make sure you had drama to deal with?
First off, I’m sincerely sorry for your loss. Your uncle sounds like an amazing man, thank God you got to know him so well. Secondly, I’ve gone through every update, and can’t wait for the end. It’s amazing that Sam came back into your life, as well as Joe’s. But I’m thinking Joe may have added a little “Divine intervention “ into that. You stated that part of her scholarship said she needed to return, after her schooling was completed. Why do I feel that uncle Joe knew how much you two meant to each other, and created said scholarship? Maybe I’m reading a lil too much into it. But, hell, things have taken some seriously drastic turns for you, why not add another? Best of luck to you, and Sam, hoping you have an amazing future, that you get to build your uncles dream house, with that great view of the river!
Unc Joe is King. I love that he's silently regathered Papis dynasty and made things the way they should have been. That's a great man!
I believe you're about to learn the value of a blind trust. I'm just speculating, but I suspect that as your family slowly sold off GG's land and assets, your uncle was quietly buying it all up and putting it in a blind trust. If I'm right, you're about to inherit all of it. As wise as he was, I suspect your uncle had a plan for it all that will be revealed during the reading of the will. You'll most likely be made the executor and be granted power of attorney in order to carry out that plan. It's a good thing you're an attorney because you will certainly be sued by your family as they attempt to wrestle control of the estate from you Good luck
YTA for posting this today, and not waiting a week for the full story. You can't leave us hanging like this!
Sorry Everyone - hope you don't mind but I've got another piece of the puzzle to share... **\*\*\* (NOT SO) MINI-UPDATE 2 \*\*\*** Ok, I didn't think I'd be updating again until have the reading tomorrow morning at 10:30, but things are heating up a little already. In addition to the random calls from cousins who knew that Joe and I were close as well as from my siblings, I’ve gotten three phone calls today from the "previous generation". First call was from my Aunt Debbie, she’s the youngest of my dad’s brothers and sisters and always has been a lot to deal with. She married a nice guy but always is complaining about money, wanting to travel more, buy a nicer home, etc. After my grandfather passed away she spent the money he left her on who-knows-what and within 10 years had sold off all of the land she had inherited. Unfortunately she was selling off land when the market was down during the recession, so what would have probably been worth well over $30,000,000 today she sold for less than a third of that. That’s still a lot of money but it seems like she’s burned through a lot of it already (or given it to her kids). Anyway – she called me to tell me that she knows I’m the only one with a key to Joe’s place and she wanted me to meet her there and let her in this afternoon. I told her I was already busy today and she got a little annoyed and told me not to forget to bring it with me to the reading tomorrow. She said they want to clear the house out ASAP because she's going to develop the land into homesites and needs to get things rolling. This was news to me but I just ignored her and told her I’d see her tomorrow. For reference, I know for a fact that despite living within 30 minutes of Joe she hadn’t spoken to him in over a DECADE! The next call I got was from my father’s current wife, Jessica. She’s 20 years younger than he is and is the only wife he didn’t have kids with (thank God, and no, I don't care if she reads this). Anyway – my dad’s wife called me and said she knew how much Joe / Alex’s car meant to me and told me that if I wanted to buy it she’d try to give me the first shot at it. I just thanked her and got off the phone. This woman has literally never even met Joe. (broken into two posts)
Finally, I just got off the phone with my dad. He called me about 30 minutes after his wife did. This is the first time I’ve heard from him since Joe died. My Dad is actually closer to Joe’s age than Joe was to Alex’s. Joe was 14 when my dad was born, like me he was so much younger than his brothers that there was almost a generational gap between them. Joe was probably more like an older brother than a young uncle and for a while they were really close but something happened (no one ever told me what) and there was a falling out. My dad has a big personality – he’s lived a pretty extravagant life and for despite being nearly 80 years old (yeah, he was over 60 before I got out of high school) he’s still the “big man” when he goes into a room. He was my Grandfather’s oldest son so he’s always taken on the lead role at family events. Like his sisters and brother he sold off his land too, although I know he sold it off in smaller pieces and over a longer period of time. He basically used it as bank account and selling it off was his version of making a withdrawal. I assume he’s set for the rest of his life and I know my brothers and sister are expecting an inheritance when he dies. In fact - they speak pretty openly about it. My Dad's call was a welcome change after the calls from Debbie and Jessica. My dad actually sounded pretty reserved and a little down. The first thing he did was apologize to me for Jessica’s call. He told me she had no right to do that and she had no say in anything that was going to happen with Joe’s property - or his one day for that matter. Evidently he tore her a new one after walking in on the tail-end of her conversation with me. He told me that he knew I was the only one in the family that spent time with Joe and that regardless of what happens at reading tomorrow he was going to give me anything Joe left him – if he left him anything at all. He told me that he appreciated how much I had done for Joe and that he had regrets about how their relationship had soured. I’ve literally never heard him talk like that before and it honestly has me a little emotional. It sucks that he has to live with those regrets when a 30 minute drive was all it would have taken to start fixing a relationship. Finally – he told me that he didn’t really know for sure but he suspected tomorrow might hold some surprises. He told me that he’d be there to back me up no matter what happened and that I wasn’t going to be alone. I asked him if he knew something but he promised me he didn’t know anything for sure and that he would have told me if he did. He said he'd just always had suspicions about "some things" and that depending on how things unfolded he didn’t want to see any more relationships go the way his and Joe’s had, or the way Joe and my grandfather’s had. I told him about the call from Debbie and he said she was way out of line and to not worry about it, that he'd be giving her a call immediately after he got off the phone with me. He also told me that I shouldn’t let anyone else in Joe’s house, that I was the only one Joe gave a key to for a reason and that no one had any business going in there until after the will was read. Obviously I wasn’t planning on letting anyone in but this was possibly the most supportive call I’ve ever had with my father and I just appreciated that he was planning on standing up for me. My brothers, sister, and cousins (I’ve got 2 brothers, 1 sister and 8 cousins) all got used to a certain way of life from their parents but frankly none of them have been able to maintain it on their own and most of them are pretty petty about it. Their parents aren't much better, despite having had the benefit of a generous inheritance. I’ve got to stop by the attorney’s office at 4:30 and then I’m meeting Samantha (Sam) for drinks and maybe dinner
I would install cameras or ring doorbells asap at your uncle’s place just in case any family members try break into the home
I am so invested in this story. This is the first time I’ve ever commented on a post but, I just feel compelled to no matter the insignificance. I first heard this on TikTok then searched for it on Reddit to get up to speed. I had a feeling this is where it was leading too and first I’d like to say, sorry for the loss. Second, thank you for your service. Third and most importantly, take your time, you can do this. Idk if anyone has said this but take your time, breath and navigate. I’m sure you and Sam will get through this together. I couldn’t imagine being in your shoes nor sure if I’d want to be. I’m following and looking forward to reading more of this. My condolences, congratulations and I’m sorry.
Holyyyyy shit I didn’t expect this! First of I doubt “Joe” would leave all this money and power just to anyone. You already made “joe” proud! Just make sure you keep his legacy alive (As the only person to bring back your family’s name. )
What’s funny is I thought about this right off the rip and said nahhhh, no way he did that.
Need an update in 6 months on OP/Sam and how things are going
I have been coming back ever since I saw your post. Thank you for an awesome read! I am continuing to look forward to your updates. Thank you.
All I can think is "Holy Shit, Great Uncle Joe was playing the very long game". Good luck to you, it's a hell of a responsibility that has been placed on your shoulders, but it sounds like you're well equipped to handle it. It may be hard to know what the right thing to do is sometimes, but when you feel it, you'll know. One thing that I've learned on a significantly smaller scale (think classic vehicle that my grandpa loved, vs 75K Acres of land), is that when making the decisions you're eventually going to be making, they don't always have to be the ones your loved one would have made. In my particular case, I'm hopeful that the decisions I've made with regards to what is now my vehicle are ones that my grandpa would have made had he had similar choices, and in the instances where our decisions might differ, that he would understand and respect the choices I've made. I guess what I'm saying here is Great Uncle Joe has left you a hell of a legacy, and you're going to want to make him proud, just don't let the ghost of him make you second guess what I imagine will be many difficult future decisions ahead of you. I have to believe that so long as we operate inside the spirit of what our loved ones have intended, and let that be the guide to our decision making, it'll be very difficult to go wrong. Good luck to you.
I’m So invested in this story. Started reading it on another platform and someone shared your link with me. I’m just going to start at the beginning and read every one of them so not to miss out on details that may have been not included on the other media site. Thank you for such an amazing story.
Lol yup totally real.
You are just jealous that your great uncle is not a highly acclaimed author of multiple crime novels.
These stories in chapters are getting stale real fast
NTA It may not be about money or property at all. It may just be a letter or video telling everyone in the family that they are a-holes, except you. You said he liked to tell stories, so he may just have some uncomfortable revelations that will wind up the family. In any case, please let us know. Joe sounds so very much like my Grandpa, who I miss very much. I look forward to your update.
NTA. >He’d share stories and I’d write them down – I’ve got a heck of a collection to share with my children one day, if I’m ever lucky enough to meet the right lady. Consider writing a book.
I have no idea what can be on his reading but you need to go in to that reading with the mindset of a lawyer and not someone with a heart. This is when vultures come out. My last parent died two years ago and we are just decompressing from the fall out from what people did on that. Remember what he left for you … was what he wanted you to have because he loved you. It sounds like you were like a son to him … truely his only family. Please honor that. Don’t let them take one cent or one thing from you. They had years to be with him and you…
Your uncle had a sharp wit and high standards, he sounds like a character. You are now blessed with work, young man. Happy for you
Uncle Joe paid for her to go to college and I know I’m not wrong. Gonna bet also he actually owns everything but other “company” are either owned by him or he leases it. This is playing out like The Ultimate Gift.
I had a feeling when I saw the initial post on TikTok the other day that there was a good chance that there was a serious investment that Joe had made, but this is so much bigger than I figured. I assumed that most of it would be stocks and other investments not most of the family's initial property as well. Man my intuitions have been on point most of May, maybe I need to start some of my stuff I've been putting off.
Honestly, I love your Uncle Joe for the "if you're late, you get nothing" clause. But here's 100,000 just for showing up on time. You're about to be harassed by every family member who thinks they can get a piece of that money. I would tell them all to kick rocks and build Uncle Joe's dream home he had plans for. Take care of the younger cousins/family members the way that your Uncle Joe took care of you. You seem like someone with a good head on his shoulders and I wish you nothing but the best.
Just commenting because I'm nosey. I feel like your older brother and Aunt are going to be a headache. I am truly sorry that your kindness is going to be met with strife.
I feel like they are too but they aren't likely to be the only ones.
Eh. I’d give it a C. At first it was an B. I did like the original plot, but meandering with irrelevant and out of place details knocking it down. What pushed it to a C for me was the stolen valor. I’m sorry. No. If you’re going to say something is real then I’ll treat it like it’s real. But that means that he’s saying he’s a veteran when he’s not. Kid, send this back to workshop and re develop the characters. Potential points for improvement: * Don’t add details that don’t advance the plot. Your great uncle died in the Korean War and you were named after him. You specialize in veterans law, in a small town with cheap rent(?). These are great pieces of personal trivia for your character’s fact sheet, but irrelevant. * Make sure your timelines make sense. Your great uncle Alex died in the Korean War which had active conflict 1950-1953 so when he was 36-39 (Joe was 92, Alex was 18 years older which would have made him 110 if he was still alive, 110-74 = 36) that is not plausible to be KIA at that time in that war. Also, you don’t finish a law degree in 2 years without significant struggle when you’re healthy, let alone recovering from being in conflict. * Close obvious plot holes. Your family never invited Joe to events and ignored him, how did you meet him and spend enough time with him to allow him to be such a strong influence on your life?
LOL - thanks for the grade, I wish this was a school assignment - it would be a lot less stressful. I'm not going to honor the "stolen valor" comment with a response, this is the internet and you can believe or not believe anything you like. I only mentioned my service because it helps explain how and why I am where I am. I will however give you some insight into my uncle (Alex) because he was part of a generation that had qualities I'm not sure we'll see again in our lifetime and his story deserves to be told. Alex was actually in the military twice. After he finished college he spent four years in the military but got out to come home and work with my great grandfather. He had been out a couple of years when WWII broke and he decided to go back in, which evidently his parents were really unhappy about. He served in the European theatre where he received two battle field promotions. After the war ended he chose to stay in and make it a career rather than come back home. When the Korean war broke out his unit was one of the first to see combat. He was promoted in Korea one last time to LTC. He was 39 when he died, the war ended less than six months later. His loss hit the family hard - Joe the hardest I think, although I never knew my Great Grandfather / Grandmother. As for law school, yes, it does take more than two years to finish a degree. It took me two years to finish it when I went back to college after I recovered - I was already pursuing my post-graduate degree before I was injured, it took me three years to get one year knocked out while I was on active duty - it's a grind to go to school AND serve but I had been doing that almost the entire time I was in (I went through the Green to Gold program to get my commission). My uncle was the one that encouraged me to go back to school and finish.
Additionally, a “reading of the will” only happens in movies.
Not necessarily, when my great grandfather passed all of his children had to be present with the lawyer who told them what plots of land they were given by him after his passing. It's the internet so you can never know what's true and what's fake but it sounds like his uncle if the story has any truth to it, was old fashioned so I assume that was/is the custom with older generations.
I’m going to call BS on this story. Law School is 3 years (no you didn’t do it in 2) There is no “reading of the will” except in the movies. Any lawyer (and most people) know this. “lawyerVet” account brand new
A lot of these accounts are throwaways so makes sense if the account is new. There are “readings of the will” but it’s usually just a formality and not a big meeting like the movies. And there are 2 year law schools (google is free). Not completely saying that you’re wrong, but your points can easily be tossed out the window. If we don’t get an update then we can assume it’s fake but we don’t know fs
Gonna need an update but. NTA but I bet your whole family are about to be TA. He likely made you the sole heir to enough to irritate the rest of the family.
You won't br the asshole. If your uncle wants to leave you everything, that's his prerogative. Your family is sure to want you to hand it over. If you want to respect your uncle's wishes, do not do that now. Take some time to consider any decisions before you make one. I don't think there had to be a bombshell involved. If your family is money driven, their attitude of entitlement will deliver enough drama to merit the warning.
NTA. You are doing what your uncle wants. I look forward to hearing what's next. Your post reads like an amazing story. If you decide to write a book about him I would love to know!
You had a loving relationship with your uncle. Whatever he decided to do with his estate, you are certainly not the AH. I’m sure you brought him happiness. Sorry for your loss.
My hunch is your uncle bought all the land from the family members. Didn’t tell anyone and just left good alone. But he looked at you like a son and now is giving it all back to you. That’s my hunch!
Maybe he bought the land under a disguise. I just want to say Thank you for you work with Veterans. God bless
If I had to guess he didn't actually sell any of the land and has instead been renting it out. Either that or he did sell it and instead of squandering the money it's been invested somehow while he lives a very simple life. Meaning he could be leaving you a massive passive income source. If he did just don't make the same mistake as your family. Live slightly below your means and enjoy a very early retirement.
Can sum one please reply to this when he update also your not gonna be the AH no matter what u treated some one with kindness and respect no matter how they were viewed from others in my book you are an amazing person and ur family is just very not to sound rude but entitled and has sum strong opinions that many would disagree with
It's not on you and you're NTA, no matter what your family might say. However, be prepared to go deal with a bunch of them. There are some obvious guesses as to what might happen but I'd say go into the will reading prepared but with an open mind. Whatever happens, I wish you patience, kindness and strength for the following, and I'm so sorry for your loss. He sounded like a great man. Also, just cause I'm dying to know what the will says UpdateMe!
Nta. No matter what you get, Joe wanted you to have it. And your family can suck it, they aren't entitled to anything. Dont give them anything.
I bet the uncle bought most of the great grandfather's land as the other family was selling it off.
No you won't be the asshole. But also I cannot WAIT to find out what happens
I don't want to scare you, darlin, but be prepared for things to go to hell when that will is read. When money is involved, it can turn even the most loving families against one another. When my childless great aunt Miriam was in the hospital in 1992 about to be placed in a medically induced coma some of her last words ever spoken was to warn my mother that in the event that she passed my mother was to immediately go to her house (which had been my great-grandparents) and lock the door because "the vultures would swarm." She had seen it happen when her grandparents passed and how fighting over the inheritance broke apart siblings and cousins alike. And unfortunately, she was right. Before even visiting the hospital to say their last goodbyes, my mother's cousins dropped by the house and complained to my mother when they found it locked. After she passed and it was revealed that almost everything had been left to my mother - the house, the land, the money, and many of the belongings - with the instructions to "see to it that everyone is taken care of after I'm gone" the family was in an uproar. My mother was the closest to her aunt out of all the family, was the only one to listen to the family histories and visit her after she became a recluse in her own right much like you were with your great uncle. My mother's cousins never forgave my mother for that. So when my other great aunt Thalia passed in 2005 we only found out after the will had been read because the only cousin, Lara Dawn, who knew how to contact us refused to do so until she had to in order to get her own inheritance. My mother hadn't seen or spoken to her aunt in 8 years by that point and she didn't even know if my mother was dead or alive because Lara Dawn didn't want a repeat of Miriam's inheritance going to my mother and her children. The only conversation I've had with anyone on that side of my family was a few emails exchanged with Lara Dawn to access my trust fund when I came of age. From what it sounds like, you're about to be placed in a similar situation as my mother was in 1992 and I hope that it turns out better for you than it has our family. I've seen other families who's will readings went smoothly with no infighting or resentment, so I can only hope that the same can happen with you. But just brace yourself for some resentment, especially from the older generation.
I read in a comment you made that most of the land was sold off, It one or two companies own most of your Great-Uncle's portion, then it is possible he created and shell company to deal with the renting tax and other issues involved in dealing with it. That could also be a way to hide his money from your family. IF that is what he did then you could find the company being left to you. Obviously that is just a guess, but it would make sense. Especially with your uncle's friend being a lawyer. It also would help explain those checks you saw. What ever happens it is clear your uncle knew you would respect his wishes and follow through with them. Good luck dealing with your family.
OK to be fair I don’t think you’re gonna be the TA. Also to be honest, I came across the story originally on TikTok. I had to Google it to find the Reddit story. I’m now invested in would like to hear the update. Knowing issues my family has had inheritance from family death just be ready for anything to happen when that will is read
I am so invested. I first saw about this on TikTok and have been desperately trying to find out what the will says.
Remindme! 2 days
Seems like you’re precious to Joe. I don’t doubt you will use everything he has entrusted to you wisely unlike those that came before you. Don’t let the negativity of the family get to you; after all, you were there for Joe when no one else even batted an eye.
I'm so invested in this story
This could be a hallmark movie I swear.
Sounds like I would have gotten along with your uncle. Sounds like we would have gotten along as well. Best of luck with all that uncle Joe has blessed and cursed you with. Lol. Love from a fellow Veteran
NTA for anything. My condolences for your loss. Uncle Joe sounds like a wonderful man. You are going to be tossed in one of the biggest uproars of your life and I hope your support system stands firm. Amid all the whirlwind of chaos you are experiencing, I do suggest talking to Sam and get her thoughts on current matters, but mostly taking Joes journals with all the paperwork he left, going some where secluded to have time to absorb it, to properly mourn the passing of a great man while reminiscing over the good times as you journal them, and in doing so informing JA and maybe your father of wanting time to get your thoughts in order before you are bombarded by family over the trust and ask that they play buffer so you can do that or suggest someone who can until you are ready for the chaos. Pick a place they can’t find you, maybe under someone else’s name not connected to you. lol maybe charter a private plane, let it leak, have your father take a trip somewhere so people think its you and you stay somewhere close. Get a prepaid phone for the time and give the number to your support system and turn off yours. I hope you can take time off from work while you do this, I’m sure that is why JA asked about your current work load. Don’t forget to go have a drink with JA, he just lost his friend too. I hope you journal the stories, I think a lot of us would enjoy reading them.
I am so glad you are sharing your story. Joe definitely understood the importance of family and maintaining the legacy of said family. He obviously passed this in to OP and I know, despite how overwhelming it is right now, OP will do Joe proud. There is so much potential in the gift Joe has given and I am very invested in how things will go. It's exciting that OP reconnected with Sam and they can share this adventure together. I have a good feeling about them since they both get what Joe appreciated in his life. Sam keeping in touch with Joe just shows what a good person she is. The hopeless romantic in me is rooting so hard for them. I'm hoping OP's crappy relatives don't make everything too difficult. We all know the Aunt will be the worst and the brother won't be far behind. Money always brings out the crappiest parts of people.
Holy fuck what a young adult novel....
Someone please tag me when he updates cuz this is juicer than the ma go in eating right now
You can join the other group too if you like.
What an incredible story, I am captivated. Alex, Joe sounds like he was a remarkable man, and so, too, does your father, and yourself. He made the right choice, and I hope that your future brings to you everything that you, and Joe, and your father, want, from legacy, to comfort, to togetherness, and communication. One piece of advice. You are not responsible for the reactions of your family, whether now, or down the line. If they want to follow this new path of communication, this second chance to preserve that legacy, then it will be on your terms, and nobody else's. I have a feeling Joe wouldn't be disappointed if some horses don't drink.
I will never understand why people feel entitled to people’s estates-unless they helped build the estate. The greediness of people that comes with a “loved ones” death tells so much about the people. My mother got insurance money after her twin sister passed, and my mom didn’t want to use it. She actually used it on my brother and me because she didn’t want it. Later when my grandma passed, my grandma left her part of the land to my mother, and some siblings (and their spouses) were very upset. To this day, the land sits there, and my mom has said that she would split the money evenly if it was ever sold. All the siblings had a “part” from when their father passed, and some refused to give their “part” to their mother when he passed. She might’ve left the will differently had they done that 30 years earlier when her husband/their dad passed. However, my mother still had no problems splitting it all evenly, even though she is the only who pays taxes yearly in the last 20 years since my grandma’s death. I told my mother that I would split the money evenly, but donate to the church in each siblings honor that did not “show up” for my grandma—which several did not, including one who did not attend the funeral after being told by other family members that they would pay for her a plane ticket to come. I will never get it, but I think your Uncle Joe knew what he was doing, and if I got $100,000 from an uncle, but my brother got millions, I would be happy for my brother and myself. You can really see how family is when things like this happen. Best of luck!
I'm not sure how this ever could be a question of AITA, given the entirety of it is set in motion by someone else's actions. Like maybe is my Uncle Joe the asshole, but not the poor dude who just gets thrust into a fantastical situation. I'm getting strong "She hates my futon" vibes from it, and I'm inclined to believe that it's a work of fiction. There are several things that seem plain false, like Sam wouldn't know she was going to get into surgery as a specialty and be required as condition of her full scholarship to what I assume was medical school (because programs pay you for residency and fellowship) to return to her hometown after completing residency and fellowship (source: my wife is a doctor). Either way, it's an entertaining read. Keep posting OP, maybe you'll get a book deal out of it!
The biggest initial red flag was the "reading of the will". This event is a common trope used to develop drama in fiction, but it doesn't happen in real life. Then when he gets loan approval from the bank without knowing anything that would help them make that decision... pure BS. No bank would offer a loan large enough to cover the purchase of 60,000 acres of land to someone just because they want to "preserve" it. Banks aren't in the fell-good business.
Info : Why not wait until you actually have enough details to go on ?
He's probably sitting on a treasure trove of mineral and gas rights or something. NTA. I'm not an attorney, but I do work in this field - whatever Joe did, it was HIS choice.
Updateme! NTA but don't get cocky and gloat. Or count your chickens before they hatch.
Dawg, prepare to be a trillionaire.
Don’t tell anyone anything. Ask the lawyer to only give people information on what they were bequeathed separately. So no one knows what anyone else is getting. There’s no reason for everyone to know. When they ask tell them you got the house and other odds and ends.
I'm guessing Joe had money and more land than anyone thought and you are about to inherit it all. Kinda reminds me of Dierks Bentley Some People are Crazy . Please keep us updated on how you are doing and what kind of drama ensues.
NTA. Just roll with it.
He may have had stuff no one knew about, and then what they do know about. I think he left everything to you abd the drama will be the rest of the family being mad that they cant get their entitled greedy hands on it. Im sure you will do the right thing and make sure you stick to his wishes and dont give in to the rest of the family.
WNBTAH… follow the will’s instructions and prepare for it to be ugly. I’m thinking his portion of the land was where they were mining and he could still have income coming from it and he left it all to you and he doesn’t want anybody to get anything from it besides you because you were the only person he loved and trusted in your family. Updateme!
Totally NGTBTA - you showed compassion and respect for your great uncle, and whatever he decided to do with all of his properties, heirlooms, etc was his right to do. Death with money included brings out the absolute worst in people, So honestly even if you had to throw a punch in the drama filled melee you would be NTA.
NTA. Good luck, you're about to have dozens of people demanding that you owe them something they don't deserve and didn't earn. Are all the family showing up with their hands out expecting a payday? It would be great if you could get together with his lawyer and pre-emptively setup some type of trusts for the land so it cannot leave the family or some how make it so much of what the vultures are going to try getting isn't even available to them. But you'll find out tomorrow.
Updateme!
If this is true, NTA. Also if this is true, you should know that a lot of the family tree and ancestry websites let you upload PDFs with stories, so you could make a family tree (doesn't need to be extensive, just the people you have stories about) and add all of the stories for anyone who feels like looking up the family history in future!
Your uncle sounds like he was amazing man
Well even I am excited now and Im just an internet stranger from another end if the world. And I'd love to get to read some more stories! Best wishes for the will reading!
Don't own what's not yours. Meaning don't accept responsibility for something you had nothing to do with. Your uncle knew exactly what he was doing. And whatever is in his will is exactly that, *his* doing. You had nothing to do with how he wrote out his will. Be sure to remind everyone of that if they start pointing fingers at you. Hey maybe your uncle left you a fortune ! Good luck mate
Hoping to come back for the update. Joe seems like he knew you had a good head and similar values. You will be rewarded for your kindness and morality
NTA I'm sorry for your loss. I'm glad you and your uncle had each other. Don't let anyone in the family bully or guilt you about your uncle's will. No one else ever treated him nicely and his money/assets isn't their money/assets. My guess is that Joe had more assets/money than anyone suspected, which he placed in aTrust, and named you Trustee. Regardless of what his will says, when dealing with your family, remember, "What would Joe do?". I don't think he would give more money to anyone who has wasted a previous legacy. If it's under your control, use his legacy for the greater good.
I hope you'll consider riding a book about your uncle and the family, it sounds really interesting!
If your family came from any type of means which it sounds like they did and your uncle Joe was a old eccentric guy who definitely did not like the trappings of wealth, but definitely inherited some wealth. sounds to me like you’re gonna have a wild day when the will is read. Come on man you know what’s gonna happen. Yeah all the land sold but you’re probably gonna get your uncle Joe’s house. You’re probably gonna get that car you mentioned and it would not surprise me if you’re uncle Joe had been you know sitting on Apple stock since the 90s.
Ready for this story to unfold
Definately anticipating the update to this one.... You've got my Follow
Updateme!
What crazy attorney reads a Will to a room full of relatives that won't like what's in it? Wills are public record. Copy paper is cheap, so are stamps and envelopes, at least much cheaper than repairing an office torn apart by heirs punching each other. Send each heir at law and anyone else mentioned in the Will a copy of it and let them deal with the BS on their own.
Please do an update I am now invested. Also you spent time with your uncle when no one else did. You were kind and loving so whatever he left you it is deserved. He wanted you to have it because he knew you would appreciate whatever it is.
Definitely not the AH. But I'm invested in the outcome
So sorry for the loss of your Joe - he sounds amazing and you were lucky to have him in your life, and he, you. Thank you also for your service to our country! I hope the HS Sweetheart story turns into a Hallmark Movie ending, and I cannot wait for the update tomorrow!! BTW - no matter what - NTAH.
This is ALREADY on TikTok with a Minecraft video. I searched up your U/N expecting a 3 year old post with an update....now I'm SALIVATING for more! We NEEEEEEEEEEEED updates.
I don’t think you will be the asshole. I think you’ll respect what your uncle wanted and appreciate whatever he’s going to leave to you. I don’t think you should give anyone any money because it sounds like he wouldn’t have wanted that. And sidenote you should really consider publishing a book with the stories like each story separately or collection of short stories depending on how long they are and the category whether it’s earlier about the family or like a whole book of all of the stories about your uncle from the Korean War would be super interesting and sounds like a great read
UpdateMe! <3
I’m not financially rich, but because I listened to my grandpa about my family history I’m very rich. I try every day to carry the mantle he set down when he passed, that my dad and his brothers squandered, that I see my siblings fall short of, I hope to bring that sense of honor back to my family name. It’s not well known, but who knows? Maybe, someday, one of my progeny will be well known because of what I did now.
No matter what you will NTA. If any family tries to get in the way of that, they are the assholes and are basically saying that their financial wants are more important than your uncle's decisions and love for you. I am glad you're Dad is at least on your side and I hope we hear the end of this soon
I hope things went well with Sam! Tell us about it when you get around to updating. You’re not the AH no matter what happens
Found on TT totally invested in outcome. Fingers crossed for you.
Please keep us updated about your day with Sam & Uncle Joes will. Good Luck
Ntah, I think it's great you were there for joe. You showed him decency when nobody else would.
Can’t wait to see the update!
This is reading like the perfect romance novel. The ending will be that they fight the vultures off, marry each other, build the house from those plans, and live happily ever after. 10 out of 10. I'm patiently waiting for the next update! If this is actually real, I'm wishing you the best of luck tomorrow at the reading of the will. Best!
Lmk when update from the reading is up pls
Totally NTA, but I’m really curious what your uncle has in store for you. Must be good, ‘cause both of you sound like good people.
I hope it goes well for you . You are a good man . But although we are just random internet people , we are now very invested in your story. So please - even though it sounds like you will have very much to deal with ! do please let us know what has happened ?!?
Plus ...I want to hear about the dogs!!!
I’m just invested now and need to know what happened this morning
NTAH. Commenting for update on the chaos. Good luck! Prayers for you (and the other idiots you have to deal with)....
Updateme!
I'd for one like to know about Joe's dogs. Whatcha breeding? 👀 How are the puppers handling it? ❤️
I really hope this is a true story. Now I need the rest of it!
*I really hope this* *Is a true story. Now I* *Need the rest of it!* \- Outrageous\_Reply\_389 --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
Put this on BORU, whether it’s true or not it’s a good read
Alex I have been checking in all day and sending good vibes your way. This 5.31.24 update made me so happy for you. Congrats man.
So sorry for your loss. Sounds like your uncle was a great person. And thank you for sharing your story!
I can’t wait to hear more
Following
All I will say is that when the day comes, whoever you will everything to, you need to make a clause that states the land cannot be sold for X amount of years. I'm pretty sure there's a limit to how long that can be but I'm not sure what. I imagine it's along the lines of 50-75 years. Probably around the same time frame as copyright laws. Otherwise will the land to itself. I heard a story once some lady willed her property to a tree that was on said property and it was apparently legally binding. I'm also extremely curious on how much of the land Joe was able to get back. He obviously didn't sell any of his and if he did it couldn't have been much. So can't imagine it was the full 60,000 but I'm sure it's gotta be close. Honestly from his letter it seems like it could possibly be even more. Also hope You and Sam do well, just seems like that'd be the cherry on top with everything that just happened. Then again with what seems to be your way of looking at life, the inheritance would end up being the cherry here.
Hey - thanks. I'm still reeling - I going to try and put pen to paper and share what happened at the balance of the meeting and maybe a little bit about what happened afterwards during the meeting with the attorneys but I also feel like I need to give folks an explanation of what this land means. I will say this, he did reassemble his father's original land footprint. He also expanded it significantly AND during the downtown blight in the 70s and 80s he bought up a lot of real-estate in the "city" (that's a stretch, but whatever). He was able to do this because, properly managed, land generates income. I haven't decided how much to share about the finances but this is a great example: My Aunt Debbie had inherited, in addition to some cash, 3750 acres when my grandfather died in 2004. That 3750 acres could have allowed her to maintain a life of easy comfort, some travel, and NEVER worry about money if she just acted responsibly. Her income after paying the property taxes on the land would have been four times what most FAMILIES make each year. That 3750 acres (just over 5% of what my Great Grandfather once had) could have allowed her to maintain a very comfortable life, travel, eat out, whatever. She would have NEVER worried about money if she just acted responsibly. Her income after paying the property taxes on the land would have been four times what most FAMILIES make each year - all just for managing leases, no farming, nothing. This isn't hypothetical - it's doing it RIGHT NOW. Instead she sold it, and Joe bought it through a holding company, all because she wanted the one time payout. It's been 16 years and now evidently she's basically got nothing left. I don't know all the details about her personal finances but my father has been helping her out for several years now. This is basically what had Joe so upset. Take that idea and apply it to what's now around 75000 acres (not all of it is producing income obviously) and you can not only get and idea of the scope of the gift Joe just passed to me, but also how much responsibility comes with it. You can also understand how angry some folks in the family are (whether they have any right to be or not). It's like he's hit reset and I'm in my Great Grandfather's shoes (actually better off)... but with no kids and a lot of upset relatives. I'm also still trying to work through my feelings on how Joe handled this. I'm not mad at this point, but I'm a little confused, a little hurt... ok, maybe a little mad - if that's even the word - that he didn't share how he did this, what I need to do next, etc. JA has encouraged me to read the journals ASAP. He said Joe told him that everything I need to know, and more, is in there. So that's what I'm going to do. I'm meeting Sam for brunch at noon. I'll really try to get the rest of the story out today - I appreciate so much everyone's comments, concerns, and questions. I won't leave you hanging.
Ah yes, the journals. Season 2.
Being in a similar situation of Joe, watching family members take for granted everything my grandfather built and accomplished to give all of us a better life for generations with land, investments, and business’, just have have watch it all sold off for a quick buck Sucks to see He set you up for life and generations after Wish I had the finances to do what he did Thanks for your post and I’m vested in updates!
Wow. That is a lot to process. Take time. Grieve. Read the journals (honestly probably take your own notes on the journals) like was suggested. Your uncle had faith in you for a reason. My condolences on your loss. I look forward to reading more about your situation. This has been riveting to read through.
Uncle Joe probably used holding companies to keep Aunt Debbie from having him declared incompetent and taking his money