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In Ghel's BETTY THE RESTAURANTER thread we were discussing inheritances and I mentioned one I knew. earl colby pottinger asked I post it and here it is.
This is absolutely bare-bones with a lot of details left out, otherwise it would go on for over a page. I didn't get the details until after this was all over but it was quite the tale...
'Willy' was an elderly gentleman who went to my church. He was the last of seven kids. His father held several patents and had been wealthy; the money was in a trust for his kids - worth some $4.5-5 million. Willy's sole relative was a great niece ('Wilma') who was married and had a son. Son was about as bright as a turnip, which comes in later.
Willy was already in the early stages of dementia/Alzheimer's and finally had to go into a home. Wilma goes to court to get Willy put in a cheaper home as "the cost of the home in was in was draining the trust". Judge threw that out pretty quickly but the law office knew this woman was going to be nothing but trouble and beefed up the administration account. The senior partner was adamant that any time spent dealing with this woman was to be paid for.
Willy didn't do well in the home and passed on. Wilma couldn't be bothered to attend the funeral but was there for the reading of the will. It was obvious that as she was the sole heir she expected she was going to get it all.
Wrong. Willy left her and her husband $10,000. And he'd rewritten the will to set money aside for the great great nephew for college - tuition, room and board as long as he attended. The rest went to various charities. Wilma went berserk. She had a copy of the will and wrote all of the charities (including our church, an old historical building with foundation problems). From what I heard the letter was totally vile - accusing the charities of stealing from her poor family on the verge of starvation (totally untrue, her husband had a fair bit of money he's gotten from his parents), of Willy being brainwashed by the law firm and the charities, etc. The senior partner had to get involved to calm down the storm she created. And Willy had left his home to the county for a park, I heard that Wilma kept complaining to the Governor until the State Attorney General had to write and tell her to stop - the land was never hers and they weren't about to pay her for it.
Meanwhile son took a few classes at the community college, Wilma tried to get paid room and board but as he was living at home the law firm said no, which didn't sit well with Wilma. Son didn't abide by the rules of the trust and failed to let the law firm know of his plans despite two certified letters (one of which was hand-delivered). At this point the money was now earmarked for a second round of charities. Wilma went completely apeshit, the law office had to hire security to keep her out of their building as the situation got so bad.
Wilma wrote the second round of charities and again accused them of anything and everything, demanding they give her the money. Again, the senior partner had to get involved, and IIRC $500/hour his time added up.
Finally the last of the money was distributed. Wilma was told to come in, security had been hired and two beefy guards stayed with her at all times. The senior partner told Wilma she was entitled to the last of the administration fund and would she like it? Hell yes, and NAO! Senior partner said she would have to sign a waver indicating she understood the trust was dissolved, this was the last of the money and under no circumstances could she contact the law firm again. She readily signed, she wanted that money. And she got it - something like $1500. It would have been more like $30,000 but so much had been spent dealing with her it had drained the account. Wilma wasn't happy, but she was told her signature meant she couldn't harass the law firm anymore. The senior partner got up, told the guards to escort Wilma out and left.
Wilma wrote some letters to the law firm which were tossed into Willy's file unread. She tried to call and was hung up on after being reminded she could not do so. She finally went away, much to the delight of the law office and my pastor whom she harassed for the church's money...
As I said, I had to leave out a lot but even so...
This is absolutely bare-bones with a lot of details left out, otherwise it would go on for over a page. I didn't get the details until after this was all over but it was quite the tale...
'Willy' was an elderly gentleman who went to my church. He was the last of seven kids. His father held several patents and had been wealthy; the money was in a trust for his kids - worth some $4.5-5 million. Willy's sole relative was a great niece ('Wilma') who was married and had a son. Son was about as bright as a turnip, which comes in later.
Willy was already in the early stages of dementia/Alzheimer's and finally had to go into a home. Wilma goes to court to get Willy put in a cheaper home as "the cost of the home in was in was draining the trust". Judge threw that out pretty quickly but the law office knew this woman was going to be nothing but trouble and beefed up the administration account. The senior partner was adamant that any time spent dealing with this woman was to be paid for.
Willy didn't do well in the home and passed on. Wilma couldn't be bothered to attend the funeral but was there for the reading of the will. It was obvious that as she was the sole heir she expected she was going to get it all.
Wrong. Willy left her and her husband $10,000. And he'd rewritten the will to set money aside for the great great nephew for college - tuition, room and board as long as he attended. The rest went to various charities. Wilma went berserk. She had a copy of the will and wrote all of the charities (including our church, an old historical building with foundation problems). From what I heard the letter was totally vile - accusing the charities of stealing from her poor family on the verge of starvation (totally untrue, her husband had a fair bit of money he's gotten from his parents), of Willy being brainwashed by the law firm and the charities, etc. The senior partner had to get involved to calm down the storm she created. And Willy had left his home to the county for a park, I heard that Wilma kept complaining to the Governor until the State Attorney General had to write and tell her to stop - the land was never hers and they weren't about to pay her for it.
Meanwhile son took a few classes at the community college, Wilma tried to get paid room and board but as he was living at home the law firm said no, which didn't sit well with Wilma. Son didn't abide by the rules of the trust and failed to let the law firm know of his plans despite two certified letters (one of which was hand-delivered). At this point the money was now earmarked for a second round of charities. Wilma went completely apeshit, the law office had to hire security to keep her out of their building as the situation got so bad.
Wilma wrote the second round of charities and again accused them of anything and everything, demanding they give her the money. Again, the senior partner had to get involved, and IIRC $500/hour his time added up.
Finally the last of the money was distributed. Wilma was told to come in, security had been hired and two beefy guards stayed with her at all times. The senior partner told Wilma she was entitled to the last of the administration fund and would she like it? Hell yes, and NAO! Senior partner said she would have to sign a waver indicating she understood the trust was dissolved, this was the last of the money and under no circumstances could she contact the law firm again. She readily signed, she wanted that money. And she got it - something like $1500. It would have been more like $30,000 but so much had been spent dealing with her it had drained the account. Wilma wasn't happy, but she was told her signature meant she couldn't harass the law firm anymore. The senior partner got up, told the guards to escort Wilma out and left.
Wilma wrote some letters to the law firm which were tossed into Willy's file unread. She tried to call and was hung up on after being reminded she could not do so. She finally went away, much to the delight of the law office and my pastor whom she harassed for the church's money...
As I said, I had to leave out a lot but even so...
I AM the evil bastard!
he reminds me of a friend I had whose dad was in the military and if anyone knows if you're a child of a someone who served then you get something like 80% of your tuition paid for by Uncle Sam here in the US. It's like the GI Bill for the enlisted but as a child of a enlisted you get it too without having to serve. I'm not sure the exact numbers and what the criteria are to get it but I do know anything that helps you PAY for your tuition is a wonderful thing! Anyways, my friend wasted it. Went for about one semester and dropped out because... he was bored and would rather just work at the t-shirt shop he'd always had a job at. 
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