A Woman Was Left an Unexpected Inheritance by Her Estranged Father. Now Her Mom Wants the Money for Raising Her Alone
"My last memory of my father was when I was around 6 or 7, my parents were screaming at each other," the woman said
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Woman looking at her bills (stock image)Woman says that she received an unexpected inheritance from her late father, who abandoned their family when she was "6 or 7."
The 24-year-old says that her mother now thinks she should "gift" her the money because her father “paid no child support."
The woman, who detailed her story on Reddit, says she plans to keep the money for herself and will potentially use it for a down payment on a home, but is wondering if this makes her an "a------."
A woman is at war with her mother after inheriting one-half of her late father’s apartment.
The 24-year-old detailed her experience on the popular Reddit forum “Am I the A------,” a place where Redditors can go to seek advice about interpersonal dilemmas. In the post, the woman — who lives in Tallinn, Estonia — shared that she “had a pretty crappy childhood.”
“Even [though] I was never hungry, I was the unwanted child wearing second-hand clothes, and everything I owned was hand-me-downs,” she explained. She said that her father left when she was “around 6 or 7,” and her mother soon had a “long-awaited son” with her new partner.
“He got everything,” she said of her younger half-brother. “Name-brand clothes, new phones and even if my [mom and stepdad] wanted to say no, he cried and still got what he wanted.”
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Two women in conversation (stock image)The woman revealed her half-brother, now 17, recently told her that her mother and stepdad plan to sell the apartment they both grew up in so that they can renovate a new home, and will also use some of the money to buy him a BMW for his 18th birthday.
“I pretended that I was happy for him, not his fault he was spoiled,” she wrote — but admitted that the news “hurt,” as she “never got even a new bicycle.” However, the woman said that things took an unexpected turn “a few weeks later” when her mother called.
“She was sad to inform me that my father had passed away quite some time ago - she wanted to contact him about selling the apartment and found out that he is no longer with us,” the woman wrote.
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Shortly thereafter, she found out that her father had left her “everything he owned in Estonia” — which meant that she technically owns half of the apartment that her mother is in the process of selling.
The problem? The woman says her mother now thinks she should “gift” her share of the apartment because her father “paid no child support and she raised me alone." However, the woman said she told her mother that she plans to keep the money and may even use it for a down payment on a home.
And the decision isn’t sitting well with her family.
“Suddenly both my brother and mother are mad at me,” the woman said. “When I pointed out that my brother bragged about a car my mother explained to me [that] I am an adult now living my own life, and I should not expect my [parents'] support at the age of 24.” The woman added that keeping her half of the money means that her family will no longer be able to “finish all the renovations they started in the house.”
“My brother keeps sending me messages that I am selfish and don't care that it was his home too,” she continued, adding, “They are really mad at me.”
The woman concluded her post by asking whether keeping her 50% of the apartment sale makes her the “a------.”
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Young woman arguing with another woman (stock image)Related: Woman Cuts Off Sister Following Fight Over $60,000 Inheritance from Their Dad — Who's Still Alive
Most Redditors agreed that the woman should keep her legal share of the money — and not feel the slightest bit of guilt about it.
“NTA [not the a------],” wrote one person. “This is the only inheritance you're likely to get as I imagine your mom and step-dad are going to give the vast majority to your step-brother in their wills, or by large gifts while they're alive. Your dad left this to you and you should honor his wish.”
The same person continued, “Your mom and stepdad already bought the new place without the money from the flat. You're renting and would use the money to purchase a home - the fact that she's demanding you forgo purchasing your own place [because] she wants to renovate and buy a new car for your step-brother [...] proves that she doesn't have your best interest at heart.”
“Take the 50%. It was your father's wish. He wouldn't have wanted your mother to spend it on herself. It's yours,” said another commenter.
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