Executor, Pt 2

As a follow up to my last post I wanted to point out one of the most difficult aspects of being the executor of my Mom's estate: my family.

Not all of them, but a specific member of my family, who manages to make the most trivial of things a drama, has decided to get a lawyer and demand an accounting of all things related to my Mom's finances.

Some background is probably due here. My Mom wasn't rich or anything, but she had a great pension that made assisted living, and memory care, something that was affordable. Well, affordable up near where my eldest brother lives, not near me in LA. Still, her retirement was comfortable and she had a little saved up in her bank account, but not a lot. Her house was where all her assets went. She used the value of that house to help every member of my family at one point or another, refinancing it to get equity many many times, so she had a small mortgage left over when she passed away.

Now, one thing that was not explicit in her will was that the house, currently occupied by my nephew and his family, be left to said nephew, since buying a house in California is stupid expensive and problematic, as anyone with cash will buy up a house out from under anyone that needs financing. So my Mom wanted to give the house (well, small mortgage) to him. She was very close to him and wanted to do something special for him. In the will there is just a mention of a special dispensation, it wasn't explicitly stated. And it was understood by all of us (her children) that he would get the house.

Well, fast forward to today. One of my siblings has retained a lawyer and is demanding an accounting of all the finances, which is a right allowed by law. However, this sibling is also a giant pain in the ass and I can't help but think this is some bullshit meant to fish for more money, since there wasn't much in the way of money left to us. Which is funny, since they are paying a lawyer (I assume), thinking they will get more, when there isn't any. Unless they screw my nephew out of the house, which they might be able to do by forcing me to sell the house at market value, rather than turning it over, at no cost, to my nephew.

Now, here's the really stupid part of all this: my nephew is the son of this particular sibling. Can I get a slow clap for the parent of the year, folks?

So, to sum up from the last post: if you can get a lawyer to be the executor of your estate, do so. This is all a giant pain in my ass.