Man refuses to share inheritance with half-siblings; stepdad says he's obligated to. AITA?
When this man is torn about the money he just received, he asks Reddit:
"AITA for not splitting money left to me between my siblings?"
My dad died when I (16m) was a baby. My mom remarried when I was 4 or maybe 5. I don't really remember a time my stepdad wasn't around, though that's not a very good thing.
He's a crappy stepdad and a crappy dad to my siblings (stepsister who is 15, brother who is 10, sister who is 9 and brother who is 7). My mom stays with him though and just let's him not be involved or even nice to his own kids because she doesn't want to be alone.
My dad's family has been in my life always and am very close to them all. My dad's only sister and I were extra close though. She adored me and always told me I was just like my dad and he was the best man she knew.
She said he would be so proud of me. She died a few months ago and left the bulk of everything to me, which she had a lot of assets.
My mom and stepdad were annoyed when they heard because she left my cousins all something even if not as much as me,, but nothing for my stepsister or siblings who they considered her their aunt as well (dad's family has included them in some stuff to be nice but they're not considered grandkids or anything like that).
My mom told me what I got should be split equally between us all. I said it shouldn't because my aunt wanted stuff left to me.
She told me if I asked my grandparents to give me access to the money now, that they would, and that we could all benefit from it. I told her they would do that but I'm not going to ask.
My stepdad told me my siblings will now realize we (me and my paternal family) hate them and don't want them and they will see what a bad brother I am and what a good sister his daughter is (she actually hates our siblings and has never had a good relationship with them). He says I'm obligated to share.
Mom told me I was hogging more than I would ever need and not thinking of their futures. AITA?
Let's find out.
justpeepinatu writes:
NTA your mom and stepdad want access to that money and are using your siblings to get it.
victoriousseahorse writes:
You sound like a smart and reasonable person, OP. You know you're NTA. We all know your mom and stepdad are.
Regardless of the reasons your mom+SD give or feel like you are treated differently by your paternal family or not, you are your dad's family and your beloved aunt didn't owe your half/step siblings anything, not by blood not by any other relationship she chose to have with them or you. She chose this for you. I hope your memories of her will be bright forever.
brennanbouru1011 writes:
The aunt is related to the cousins. The step and half siblings are not related to her at all. At some point non-related people who are in the extended family of people who are related to you are no different from totally unrelated people, friends or a charity for homeless cats.
That the parents feel entitled to the assets of the deceased father's family for their unrelated children is strange. They want it, sure but trying to pressure a 16 year old to turn it over now is really A H behavior.