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Lawyers Who Write Wills Are Sharing The 40 Weirdest And Craziest Requests Their Clients Have Made
Your last will and testament is one of those things you probably don’t want to think about while having a walk in the park. It's also one of those things you’ll be so glad you did.
Apparently, making it loud and clear what happens to your property when you die, whom your belongings go to and who’s gonna be in charge of making things happen after you’re no longer here makes everything so much easier for your closest ones. And although we’d much rather never think about death altogether, reality makes us do so.
So in order to see just how complex, interesting, and sometimes pretty weird last wills can be, we take a look at this Ask Reddit thread. “Lawyers who put together wills, what is the craziest/oddest thing someone wanted to put in theirs?” someone asked and received more than 8k comments. Below we selected the most entertaining stories, so pull your seat a little closer!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Not a Lawyer, but an aging woman my family knew left her house(large, and in a very affluent neighborhood) and estate to family friends for so long as her cats were alive and taken care of in said house. After they died, the house was to be sold and the remaining estate donated.
The weird thing is, it's been like 20 years and the cats are still alive.
Also, they've changed color.
Nitka Tsar 3 years ago
I wouldn't even be mad, if I was that old Lady and was watching them from the afterlife.
Monday 3 years ago
I'd be happy, since now a few new cats have a great life!
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Auntriarch 3 years ago
A chap moved into sheltered housing with his border collie, he didn't have to give up the dog, but he wasn't supposed to replace her. By the time he died the dog had changed sex once, and changed name 4 times
Angie Chan 3 years ago
I have a similar clause in my will regarding the care of my dogs. I won't even be mad if additional dogs get rescued and cared for. Have at it!
Kate Jones 3 years ago
While I’m not rich, my family has money. When my parents pass it'll just be me so I'll inherit everything. I have my pets set up in a trust. I know that sounds silly but it's important to me. They mean the world to me and I'd hate for them to be separated. They've been together their whole lives. I'm giving everything to a specific person with the stipulation that they do not give away the pets if they are still alive. The estate is to be sold and the profit is to be placed in the trust. They will get a generous monthly stipend that is enough for them to live comfortably on. But a part of the funds must be used to pay for the care of the pets. I've set specific care instructions and named my lawyer as the person to enforce the terms of the trust so they will have to provide proof of care for the animals. If they can't keep them or have to give them up at some point then they are to be given to a specific animal shelter and the remaining funds in the trust are to be given to them.
Kate Jones 3 years ago (edited)
Just adding that pet trusts are a pretty common thing. Especially for people who are alone and don't have immediate family. You don't have to just be a weird cat lady. If you really love your pets they can end up getting lost in the shuffle of your death or end up with people you would never want them with. They love you so take care of them!
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RELATED:
#2
My great aunt who had no children put in her will that after a certain percent of her money was distributed evenly amongst her nieces and nephews, the remaining money would go to my dad provided he use it to throw a big family reunion party. Even after her death she brought the family together, it was a great party in her honor!
#3
When my grandfather passed his will asked that I clean out his shed, and I alone.
I found marijuana seeds, old reel style film pornography, which was hilarious and a bunch of other unsavory paraphernalia. 50's flick knives too.
Your Neighborhood Alien 3 years ago
Welp, someone asked on the original thread! OP Wrote: There was so much collected wierd s**t. He had two old standup double door fridges, that were not plugged in, being used for storage inside his shed. Intricate metal drug pipes, as well as intricate little ivory boxes. Designer coke spoons, presumably from the booming 70's cocaine obsession, a hot box, which I had to google what it was (cocaine 70's) An entire fridge was dedicated to old fashion porn, on slides. Which was more adventurous than you'd expect, lots of knives and switch blades.... oh and a crisper draw filled with plastic d**k whistles. Literally little plastic penis shaped whistles. All colors.
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Dave Hinckley 3 years ago
I wonder if the seeds were still viable. They may have been a special strain.
jack sprat 3 years ago
When my ex-wife's grandfather died, we cleaned out his house and found tons of old porn mags from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. The ones from the 50s had Betty Page pictorials in them. I'm a huge pin-up girl lover and Betty Page is the queen of them all. I kept them, of course.
#4
Not a lawyer, but I work at a law firm. One client left $100,000.00 to his two cats so they could "maintain their current lifestyle".
Candi Cabaniss 3 years ago
I've done similar for my dogs. Whichever of my children gets the dogs receives extra money. It's not that I'm concerned about RooRoo not having his yummies. It's that the dogs will be an additional cost.
Angie Chan 3 years ago
Ditto. I don't want to financially impose on the person in my will who is set to care for my dogs.
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Ivana Bašić 3 years ago
This should be normal. They can't provide for themselves like kids can.
madbakes 3 years ago
Yeah, but that's a lot of money to provide for animals that live 10-20 years.
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kath morgan 3 years ago (edited)
Our cat is in the will too! Not for that much though… just that whoever takes him on will get a bit of money towards his care.
#5
Not a lawyer but my mom put in her will that if she dies under suspicious circumstances that my sister and I won’t be left anything. She watches a lot of true crime.
Joe Reaves 3 years ago
More importantly does she live in a town where no one locks their doors
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Zenozenobee 3 years ago
Interesting family dynamic if you suspect your kids of planning your death....
notnow 3 years ago
My third laugh of the day. This was a really good laugh. I watch crime shows and I'm telling my husband what the killer did wrong. FREE Advice here: Just don't do it.
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Michael Largey 3 years ago
So whoever inherits if you two are cut out is now the likely killer. Your mom has only transferred the suspicion.
Sarah Bell 3 years ago
Well that would stink if someone else did it for a reason other than money and her daughters aren't left anything because someone else decided to be bad lol . What if it is proven that there was no foul play it just looked suspicious
#6
Might be late to the party and not a lawyer, but my great-grandad had a clause in his will that stated something along the lines of, “if any of the beneficiaries decide to dispute the contents of the decedent’s estate, their share becomes $1 and nothing else.”
Seemed like a pretty good way to maintain harmony among his survivors.
Snorkeldorf 3 years ago (edited)
Late husband was one of 10 beneficiaries of his aunt's estate. No husbands, no children involved. We wanted to buy her house and it needed a lot of work. The info was that if the offer was reasonable and more than half the beneficiaries agreed, that was fine and it was a done deal. We worked on it for so long to figure out what we could offer/afford and what was reasonable. Offer was presented (we lived in an apartment). Two people (mother and daughter who were both ridiculously wealthy) objected. So, majority apparently did not matter. We were declined. One year later, attorney came back and said if we wanted the house at our offer price we could have it. To this day I have no idea what that was all about. I still live in the house 26 years later. Lost my husband a while back. From what I hear, the rich b***hes thought we were going to buy the house and flip it for a profit, which, honestly, any of them could have done. We made it our home. Some people are just mean, greedy little entities.
Peacemaker21 3 years ago (edited)
"Hey bro you have some weeds on your lawn, you should pluck those out!" "Alright that's it only a dollar for you!"
Michael Largey 3 years ago
Completely unenforceable in many situations. Heirs have rights under the law, and you cannot lose a right by asserting it. Suppose my uncle Louie leaves me and my four siblings a million bucks - to be divided evenly - and his will has that dispute clause in it. Could I as executor hand each of them $10 apiece instead of $200,000 and say "If you dispute it, you only get a dollar."? No, the Probate Court would not let that happen.
Sterling Hill 3 years ago
My ex had his mother (who is now dead) write her will stating that the other 2 grandchildren get their inheritance immediately (quite a lot too) but our son would not be eligible until I am dead and my mother is dead AND in the meantime if he (the ex) needs the money for any reason, he can use it as he likes. Mean don't even go there!!
#7
Lawyer here.
Wrote in my own will that I wish to be cremated and my funeral shall take place 3 miles off shore. My ashes are to be placed in a small wooden boat. Members of my funeral party will then compete for a $10,000 prize from my estate by shooting flaming arrows at my remains. Crossbows are prohibited.
Benita Valdez 3 years ago
If this is legal it's the perfect workaround to have a viking funeral
GadgetGirl 3 years ago (edited)
I wish I was related! It would be interesting to see all the elderly relatives trying to work a longbow.
Perfumista Perfumista 3 years ago
Wills are typically read after the funeral arrangements are taken care of. Lawyers tell clients not to put their burial wishes in their will.
Load More Replies... Kusotare 3 years ago
Why be cremated first? Save on the cost of cremation and call it a twist on a Viking Funeral. (I want to come!)
Lola G 3 years ago
Maybe in the event that no one wants to participate or hits target?
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MelodyHope666 3 years ago
That's illegal everywhere but in Iceland so let's hope he lives in Iceland
#8
I (early 20s) was forced to write a will due to the health insurance i get at work, and, amongst sensible stuff, the in-house lawyer said it was totally okay for this clause to be added:
"My funeral wishes are that i be buried in a coffin which has been springloaded, such that opening the coffin would cause alarm to future archeologists"
Then a bunch of stuff about if this is to costly i'd be cremated and have my ashes scattered in a specific place.
Angie Chan 3 years ago
Mine was to be cremated, have the ashes compacted into jewels, then distributed to my remaining family members so that they can protect and cherish the literal "family jewels."
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago
Forgot to add “and my body set to fly out when the spring opens the lid”.
Swamparella McJudgeface 3 years ago
My will states that the song "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead" be played on repeat
#9
Just last week I handled a matter where the parents left millions in artwork to various people, wads of cash to various charities, and only left their kids the family cats. Turns out they did it because the kids got them the cats to comfort the parents in their old age and the parents f*****g hated the cats but the kids wouldn’t let them get rid of the cats.
Joe Reaves 3 years ago
Someone who was now required to feed, house, provide medical care for, and be tied down by pets that they never asked for and apparently couldn't get rid of without upsetting their only family. I love cats, but if someone first of all gave me a pet I wasn't expecting and then refused to let me get rid of it, I would be seriously pissed!
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V Martinez 3 years ago
I'm fine with cats and other animals. I'm fine with everyone having their own preference on pets. The issue I have is the kids not letting their parents get rid of the cats. The kids had no right to tell the parents what to do.
Kay Kelly 3 years ago
Right, once a gift is given the gifter has no control.
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NicNor5560 3 years ago
Same as me. I love books but I don't like when people push books at me: recommends, gifts, etc. Most of what I received were really not to my taste. "It's so funny!" It wasn't. I understand the cat thing. I love cats but don't push them on me.
#10
My own grandmother specified which of the children and grandchildren should get which of the family recipes, and somehow felt the need to include commentary about why certain decisions were made. One recipe was this Prohibition era recipe for beer which I knew my uncle, also a home brewer, wanted, but she left it to me, with the comment that "I know you wanted it, Teddy, but she has the second-best penmanship of the girls and will make you a copy."
And then like eight pages later, in among the specific descriptions of her vast collection of romance novels (really,) was a line: "And [specific Jude Devereaux title] to Spidey, who will please subtract about half the hops before she copies the beer recipe for her Uncle Teddy so that any of us can drink it. Our Jon had his IPA last summer and just about died."
Uncle Jon just about burst into tears laughing and Uncle Teddy had long since left the room because he has no f***s whatsoever to give about romance novels. Uncle Jon, of course, was still in the room because there was also still Yuengling.
And no, I have no idea how she got this will done. My guess is she wrote it herself and the law students who come to her independent-living building signed off on it. It was...elaborate, that's for sure. Total value of the estate was well under eight thousand dollars, so it was mostly a funny last letter from Grandma.
Flash Henry 3 years ago
My granny swore up and down that she would give us her book of recipes in her will. She was a fantastic cook, and had some signature dishes, but never would tell anyone the recipes. Well it turns out she had all of said recipes memorised and got too lazy to sit and write them down.
Laugh or not 3 years ago
That's sad. Sorry for your loss of both granny and her food.
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Kathy 3 years ago
I read somewhere about a wealthy grandmother who left her estate to her two grandsons. One, a chartered accountant who was really into playing the stock market, got the bulk of her estate, while the other, a talented but untrained cook who had inherited his grandmother's love of baking, now also inherited his grandmother's very unique and innovative recipes, plus enough money to set up a small bakery. Within 10 years, the chartered accountant had twice filed for bankruptcy and was now living on handouts, while his brother already owned a large chain of bakeries and was about to open his first Paris branch. Just goes to show that it isn't the money that you inherit but your inherited talents that will make the difference in the end.
NicNor5560 3 years ago
The more complicated a will the more it costs. The student had fun signing because he made a load of money off of her.
Marco Conti 3 years ago
I would hope the recipes can be photocopied (if not scanned and distributed). I mean, we have had some kind of reproducing technology for decades. If you are making beer, it will taste the same regardless if the recipe is the original.
#11
I am a qualified solicitor, my favourite two are:
1. A lady wanted to create a trust fund of £100,000, for her pet fish. When I asked if it was a special kind of fish, she confirmed it was just a normal goldfish but she wanted it to be fed fresh avocado every day and be looked after by a local dog walker after she died. She was absolutely serious.
2. Another lady confessed she had a secret daughter, and she wanted to leave the daughter some money and photographs without the rest of her family finding out. Even her husband does not know. That will be a fun conversation when she passes away.
Panda Who Mumbles, Constantly 3 years ago
A normal goldfish, if given the proper care can live up to 20+ years. And people can get as attached to a goldfish as they are to a dog or a cat. So, I think it is a perfectly reasonable request for a lady who loves her goldfish. It might be just a 'normal' goldfish to other, but to her, it is HER friend.
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 3 years ago
Aww, now you made me tear up. But yes, i agree completely
Load More Replies... Laugh or not 3 years ago
Her fish is special because it is hers. Nothing wrong with that. Not sure avocado is a good diet for them, though.
kath morgan 3 years ago
That’s sweet to provide for a pet, regardless of species. We should take responsibility. Also average life of a goldfish in captivity is low, but they can live a fair while in good circumstances.
#12
Saw this answer from a similar question some time ago. When a dad died he set up financial installments so long as his daughter remains under a certain weight. Dude was controlling her diet from the grave.
James G. Currie 3 years ago
That one can be fought and won by a first year law student. I'm surprised it passed probate.
Rhyme Like A Lime 3 years ago
You have to actually challenge it though for it to go through. If she's been used to being controlled for all these years even after he died she might not have had the strength to fight it
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#13
My sister’s mother in-law is leaving her house to her three sons. If one wants to sell out his third of the house, he has to sell it to the other two brothers for $1.
Trisha Howson 3 years ago
Hate it when a family dose this causes so much trouble. I've seen things like this sometimes take years for something to happen almost like they wanted them to have drama over it
Juan Ghote 3 years ago
Well it's either going to end in a 3 way split or a 3 cornered sh*tfight..
Rose the Cook 3 years ago
Grandfather on my father's side left the farm to all six kids equally but all had to agree for it to be sold. With the town rapidly growing the youngest, by considerable years, withheld consent until the rest died. It is now a big industrial estate and youngest uncle is very wealthy. It should be noted the others were unable to afford fancy lawyers but he could.
Kusotare 3 years ago
Wow, Mom. Way to get your kids to fight each other long after you're gone.
Monday 3 years ago
They don't have to fight each other at all. They just have to be civilized humans and come to an agreement to share the profit from the sale. Either they all agree to sell the house together and split the money, or they draw up an agreement where 2 brothers sell their share to the last brother for $1, and then that brother sells the house and splits the money. All they have to do is not be d***s to each other for one transaction.
Load More Replies... Marco Conti 3 years ago
Then the obvious choice is to sell the house and split the proceeds three ways. Except, there will be one sibling too attached to the house and want to keep it. It's a recipe for disaster.
NicNor5560 3 years ago
So, who lives in it? All three? What if they hate each other or already have a family of their own and wouldn't like to live with others?
Michael Largey 3 years ago
The key here is that each brother may only demand a dollar for his share of the house. Neither the will nor the law, however, could not prevent one of the other two brothers from offering more than a dollar - for instance, one-third of the assessed value of the house.
#14
I work in probate. The oddest thing I’ve seen in a will is to euthanize their beloved horse, have it cremated and it’s ashes scattered with the decedent. Lucky for her horse, she named a horse that was already dead so the one she got afterwards lived to see another farm.
Cat Palmer 3 years ago
Not uncommon in prehistoric / early historic cultures, but definitely very weird by today's standards!
TheElderNom 3 years ago
So like in the olden time when you wanted stuff, people and animals with you into the afterlife. I do understand wanting to bury a loved one with precious items, but taking something living with you I do not understand.
#15
"No, ma'am, in order to bequeath something, you actually have to own it."
CPooh 3 years ago
Not true, at least in the US. You can bequeath anything you want. The probate court will just ignore or invalidate the bits that aren’t possible to follow. ( I’m a lawyer in Texas. I have written wills.)
Dynein 3 years ago
Well *technically* yes but the end result is still the same. You can only *successfully* bequeath something when you actually own it.
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AmAndA_Panda 3 years ago
Yeah my mother in law has her condo going to my brother in law in her will. She just refinanced it for almost it's full value. "Yeah, but I left it to Bill, so he'll get it when I die. No, he won't owe any money because I left it to him." That's not how it works mom...
#16
When my grandfather passed it was discovered they they had been closet millionaires. No one in the family knew, but some good investments and frugal habits learned during the depression had turned out well for them. Of course they had 11 kids, so it got parceled down to about $100,000 each. Side note: Parents were encouraged to give their kids a slice and I just put a down payment on my first house -- thanks memere and pepere!
Alicia Montagu 3 years ago
I called my great grandparents that way (from France). it made me smille to read that!
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#17
Lots of people sending their friends and family on weird errands to spread their ashes (leaving money for people to take trips and spread their ashes around the world).
Pet trusts are a fun one: leaving a whole whack of money in a trust to be used for the care of the pet during their life.
However, my favourite ever (that I obviously didn’t draft) was a lawyer who left the bulk of his estate (millions in today’s dollars) to whatever Toronto-area woman had the most children at a specific date some years in the future. I recall the winner had 10.
Trisha Howson 3 years ago
That's a nice idea shows he really cared doubt anyone knew about it either. Glad that woman an her ten kids got it
Nicola Doyle 3 years ago
It was during the depression and was well publicized so women were having extra children to get the money.
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BlooNoosh 3 years ago
The last was The Great Stork Derby: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Stork_Derby It wasn't anonymous generosity; it was a pretty gross prank that had women competing to produce as many babies as possible for money.
T. 3 years ago
Thanks for the link! The one with the babies doesn't sit right with me either, but the distribution of his other stuff is hilarious.
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Snowfoxrox 3 years ago
I had a very uncomfortable discussion with my dad in regards to his wishes. He asked for me to rent a small plane and toss his body out over the mountains nearby. I looked at him.. he was serious. I explained that he was asking me to break several federal laws... I suggested that perhaps we could look into natural burial or cremation and placement at some of his favorite golf courses. His main thing was he didn't wanna be stuck in a box in a cemetery.
NicNor5560 3 years ago
My husband is leaving me money especially for a cruise trip so I can drop his ashes into the sea. I have to make sure I have a pair of scissors (to cut the plastic bag - I'm not sure how it's tied).
AK to LV 3 years ago
He might be worried that if you tried to dump his ashes by just opening the top the the ashes could fly back on you? Ashes are given in a regular plastic with a twist tie hold the opening together IF the decedent doesn't pay for an urn. My grandmother didn't want to pay all that money, a couple of hundred dollars, on an urn when she wanted her ashes spread. I took her to the funeral home so she could make her own arrangements and pay for it. She didn't want the family to burdened with it when she died. I was pretty freaked out at 25 and dealing with it.
Load More Replies... #18
My grandfather and his law partner opened a small law firm "out of a broom closet", in a small Midwestern town in the 50s. Most of their cases were wills and contracts, small town stuff. His very first client was an old farmer who wanted his will made, that left, among other things, a taxidermied dog to his only son. By the mid 60s the firm was rapidly outgrowing their tiny office. A local lawyer died suddenly, leaving his office on the town square up for grabs. They took it sight unseen, my granddad and his partner got an awesome lease on huge law office suite on the town square, 30 yards from the courthouse. The first client guy died the very day they got the keys to the new office. His son was the first client at the new office, he came in with the taxidermied dog while they were literally moving boxes. He dealt with his father's estate, and planned his own estate. And then he asked my grandad to store the taxidermied dog for a week while he fumigated. My grandfather agreed to put the dog into an unused office, and the guy went on his way. When my granddad moved the dog into an upstairs office, he found a locked wall safe that hadn't been mentioned in the lease. The property owner had no idea it was even there, let alone the combination, and told my grandad he could have whatever he found. My granddad called his best buddies, a couple of young lawyers, doctors, a realtor, and the local mortician, to come help him crack the safe. They tried to crack the safe, even using one of the doctors stethoscopes. Much to their chagrin, they failed miserably. Feeling defeated, they finally called the local locksmith, who managed to get it unlocked. They paid the locksmith before he looked inside, not knowing what sensitive material they might have found. That was a good call. There was no money, but they found a mason jar full of hashish, and a couple of quarts of moonshine. It all magically disappeared, and by complete coincidence the parties they threw were the stuff of small town legends. The guy came back for the dog a week later, and my grandfather told him that he thought the dog was a lucky charm. The guy redid his will a few years later, and left the taxidermied dog to the firm. It was still there when I was a little girl in the 80s, every time my granddad would bring me to the office I would pet it the whole time.
#19
My vindictive grandmother left my aunt $20 as a reminder of the $20 my aunt stole from her once.
GadgetGirl 3 years ago
I saw my father's will some time before he quit talking to me. He bequeathed to my mother "$1 to spend however she pleases". He was convinced that she had been spending tens of thousands of dollars on...something? ...with no receipts or goods to show for it. Math did not reflect this. He was also convinced the box of love letters she has saved in her hope chest was from an affair. They were in his handwriting and talked about his family and things they did. There was never an affair.
#20
i got some rock my grandpa really liked.
General Anaesthesia 3 years ago
The link to the bottom left of the photo leads to the original post on Reddit.
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ChariotLee 3 years ago
I got my grandfather's marble egg, the reason being was every time I came to visit, I took it out of its stand and carried it around. It was so smooth and it fit perfectly in the palm of my hand. I still have it. I love it.
Laura Ketteridge 3 years ago
This would be so cool if the rocks were diamonds, rubies, emeralds...
#21
A furby collection from models collected in the late 90’s. They were convinced they would retain future value.
This was 2011.
Amy S 3 years ago
Don't worry, you'll have your beanie baby pension to fall back on.
Load More Replies... Angie Chan 3 years ago (edited)
I have that same red furby. I was given it as a gift when I was in military school, and the danged thing learned to sing Reville when it woke up. I immediately removed the batteries. I checked it a decade later, and when it woke up singing Reville, I removed the batteries and it has not seen a battery since. That thing is cursed.
GadgetGirl 3 years ago
If you sell to the fandom, you might have something. Just selling online though, you won't make much.
ZeroCapacity 3 years ago
Next you are going to say beanie babies are worthless. Pfffffft right
#22
My grandfather left me $1.00, he had dementia and confused my dad ripping him off with me. He left the rest of the family between $100,000 And a few million each. They all said they felt horrible because they knew the details, but not horrible enough to give up any of their share. The way I see it is it was never my money to begin with, so it's not a loss. I'm just glad my sister got a hundred thousand,she needed it more than any of the others.
CPooh 3 years ago
I’m calling bs on this. I’m not aware of anywhere in the world that freely allows people with such significant dementia to make enforceable wills.
MyCatsTheRealPanda 3 years ago
You'd be surprised what money can get done..
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AsexualShrimp 3 years ago
That’s good that OP doesn’t feel bad. If it was me, I’d feel horrible.
Auntriarch 3 years ago
I'd feel horrible if I was one of the others. I can't imagine not sharing with my brother
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#23
My friends mother had in her will “that cat gets to live in my house alone until it expires” the cat lived there for a few years alone with a caregiver checking on it. Yes she was rich.
Debbie Barnes 3 years ago
I don't see the problem with this. This was the cat's home. Good for her!
Jihana 3 years ago
Well.. Seems awfully lonely to be locked in an empty home with only onr person you see not even every day fir a few minutes. It seems more like torture for the poor cat.
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Scott Rackley 3 years ago
I have rescued a cat (around 10 years old) whose owner had passed. Raised from a kitten by this old woman. The cat was very very sad for half a year or so till my cat got her to open up. So, don't have a problem with this at all.
#24
Had a friend who had a toxic relationship with his uncle. When his uncle passed he was surprised to find he was in the will. Turns out there was a handwritten IOU that read “I’m leaving you 15k BUT you have to come get it from me. I’ll see you in hell!” My friend laughed.
P. Mozzani 3 years ago
But, it's everyone's right to call the shots in her/his own will. We may see it as "mean," while the decedent may have had another opinion.
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#25
Here’s one from one of my dad’s law partners. He had a lady come in with an itemized list of books and wanted her will to contain all of the books and who will get what based on her choosing. So basically she decides who gets what specific book instead of letting her beneficiaries decide. The truly astonishing thing is how many books and how specific they get. According to dad’s law partner her list is at about 2,000 books to be divided among about 30 people. She is apparently very specific and comes back at least once a year to add all the new books she’s gotten.
WildHoneyPie 3 years ago
You never know. Some books can be worth big bucks. When a former library director of our local system retired, a book on the windowsill in his office (the absolute worst place for a book) was valued at $50,000.
Angie Chan 3 years ago
I found a book in a thrift store for $3. I was able to sell it for $500.
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Random Anon 3 years ago
Assigning books to people individually does indicate that she knows the books would mean something to those people. That means she is really observant and knows these people quite well.
NicNor5560 3 years ago
My lawyer told me it would cost me less if it was just an annex to the will, which I did. I own over 3,000 books. Same with any other listing for collections people have. Then you can change your lists if you want and it will cost way less than changing the entire will. There is no signature either on these annexes.
LynzCatastrophe 3 years ago
Don't diss the books, for all you know there could be some rare finds. My dad has a fantastic record collection and after looking through it a few times, he has some great prizes in there. I'm willing to go to war over the record of The Aristocats.
Alleman Jennifer 3 years ago
...And she can change the amount of money she stashes in any given book to whoever w out having to go back and rearrange her will.... smart. If you get a lame random book when someone dies, look in it.
#26
My dad told me this about when my grandpa set up his will.
Basically, he first wanted to discuss the "who gets what" with his family first before putting it into writing. Smart, because that can nip a lot of issues later on in the butt.
So, my grandpa is sitting down with his two sons, discussing who gets what. And my mother and my aunt are there, and they're having a lot of ideas on how to split everything, whether item A is equal to monetary value B, and, most importantly, what their respective part of the family could do with what item/possession.
At some point, my grandpa had enough. He told the wives to leave the room because "hey, quit arguing about my stuff and money like that. I am not dead yet!".
But the most poignant thing he said was that he was dividing his earthly possession up between his sons. Not their wifes, not his grandchildren. He had two sons, and they would get the lions share.
There were provisions in there for individual items that he would ask people about. Do you want this? Would that thing make you happy? Could you use X? And he put aside certain monies to be divied up between the grandchildren, cousins, etc.
But he was very firm on who gets what and he communicated it very clearly. This is my stuff. I decide. And the only imput I value is by the two people I've known all their lives.
Well, he died and everyone was informed and knew what to expect.
My grandma is still alive. Years ago, around the same time that will was being drafted, she decided that most of her most valuable possessions should be similiarly taken care of.
She labeled all her jewelery. Put them in those little plastic bags that you freeze stuff in, because the bags my grandma uses for that have little labels on them that you can write on. Made the whole thing easy.
And then she eventually decided "why wait" and distributed them as gifts. She was getting up there, and she pretty much never had occassion to wear jewelery any more except for one or two beloved items.
I feel that there is an important lesson here: Deal with this kind of stuff early, communicate clearly, preferably when everyone involved is actually there, live. Everyone witnesses it and can't deny it later.
Not that there was any danger of that happening in my family, I think.
But I guess my grandparents knew: Inheritance, and money in general, can rip families apart. And if you want to curb that risk, no matter how insignificant it may seem, you gotta address the problem head on. You cannot hide from the problems caused by your death, just like can't hide from death itself.
Peace of mind, and a family not at risk of engaging in litigation against each other, is worth some time and effort.
kathoco 3 years ago
There's a crazy number of people on this site that think the expression is nip it in "the butt". It's nip it in "the bud". Like a flower, when it's a bud, you cut it so that it will not get bigger.
Angelynn Wichman 3 years ago
Anytime I hear nip it in the butt, I think of a rooster that a good friend of mine used to have. It was fascinated with my backside and would chase me around the yard until it, literally, nipped my butt. Then he would go on his merry way. RIP Harry the Rooster you a$$hole.
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Huddo's sister 3 years ago
My grandparents did that, in particular with their paintings. They were all paintings done by my grandmother and other family members. We (my mum, uncle, brothers, sister and I) took turns choosing one at a time. In wise foresight they gave my little brother (who was disabled) his choices to have in his room right away, because he died only a year or two after. For the rest of us, our names were on a label on the back of the frame until my grandparents died.
Kusotare 3 years ago
My in-laws are doing something very similar, which I think is great. One of the biggest reasons they're doing it, though, is because they know their son will do everything he can to cheat his sister (my wife) out of her share of the estate. He's already trying to bleed the parents for as much as he can get.
GadgetGirl 3 years ago (edited)
My mother wanted to gift my daughters her most valuable jewelry at my oldest's wedding. I said I didn't think that was the best timing, and she decided to wait. At the wedding, my MiL gifted my daughters her most valuable jewelry. Awkward.
Sterling Hill 3 years ago
My grandfather gave me things 'to take care of' before he died. I didn't want to take them because they were special to him but he said 'thing is, when you die, the people who loved you are planing your funeral, getting flowers, calling people and the rest of your family is driving a truck up to your front door and cleaning out your house.' Well I have to say that's exactly what happened. My brother even took his car to pile stuff in... Grandpa had seen a lot in his time. RIP Grandpa!
Bee she/her 3 years ago (edited)
My great grandmother is working on deciding who gets what. My parents are getting some decor that was special to my mom and the entire bedroom (they never got nice stuff) and my brother and I are slowly taking things. It’s good to start deciding early so there’s less fighting over it later.
ShareMusic 3 years ago
When my dad was dying of cancer, my parents made a very specific will and inventoried all their valuables and property, and held a family meeting. We all knew what to expect. My dad passed away and my mother eventually moved in with one of my sisters. My sister, mom and my mother's sister formed a trust to handle everything. My sister eventually acquired power of attorney, dissolved the trust, and took everything and squandered it. When my mother finally passed, my sister was deeply in debt and the rest of us got nothing.everything
MyCatsTheRealPanda 3 years ago
This happens so often. I'm sorry it happened to you. I can't imagine treating my loved ones like your sister treated you and your family. Yuck.
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Bubs623 3 years ago
I honestly always thought it was 'nip it in the bud' not 'the butt'. I think my life has been a lie.....
MyCatsTheRealPanda 3 years ago
No, no, you are not the one living a lie...
Load More Replies... #27
I had the first son so my dad decided to leave me more. Except he did the math wrong and it came out to 105%. He had dementia.
Valley Girl 3 years ago
Yeah, all those girls born prior will be ok. Soon they'll hit 14 and be ready to marry a nice mature man
Load More Replies... P. Mozzani 3 years ago
There is no way that an ethical lawyer would draft a Will for a person with dementia.
#28
Not a lawyer but my grandpa put in his will a chocolate bar for everyone one of his grand kids. Well I have like 12 cousins and very difficult to track down where a couple of them went. All this estates and money he had in will was at a stand still for months because they couldn’t find my couple cousins. Had to show court we put in effort to hire someone to track them down etc. The lawyer that was helping execute the Will was blown away that this lawyer allowed this and why he wouldn’t highly suggest not to do it. But I’m not complaining cause I got a Toblerone out of the deal!
judeen homan 3 years ago
Read that second to last sentence again, and again. None of it makes any sense at all.
Lazy Panda 3 years ago
The lawyer helping execute the estate after death (Lawyer A) wondered why the lawyer who helped write the will (Lawyer B) let grandpa put the candy bar requirement in the will, rather than telling him not to include it.
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Seonag Udell 3 years ago
It might have been a giant white chocolate toblerone
Load More Replies... #29
Had a very attractive woman with terminal cancer try to get herself stuffed by a taxidermist and given to some rich guy that had been basically a sugar daddy to her for a few months. She said "He would give me a million dollar a week allowance as long as it was in an official will that he could see." I sent her to a lawyer who I knew that would do about anything for a buck because I didn't want to end up in the news when she died. That was 2 years ago, no clue what happened to her.
Kusotare 3 years ago
A guy who has been stuffing her wants her stuffed post mortem so he can continue stuffing her? Is that right?
aj B 3 years ago
It is generally illegal to turn human remains into taxidermy projects, in most countries. The woman's sugar daddy wanted it in a will to have her corpse stuffed and properly turned into a doll (because lets be honest that's probably his plan) and promised to basically make her last days (terminal cancer after all) filled with whatever she can get for 1 million dollars a week. Provided she showed him an official will with this included. Lawyer didn't want to be part of the news cycle where this would Definitely end up in court, so tossed her to the equivalent of an ambulance chaser since he wouldn't care about the legality until it was actually in court. At least that's what I'm seeing.
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Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago
This is creepy, especially since the woman has apparently disappeared.
#30
When my great grandad died in his will he stated that his coin collection be split equally across his family. There was like 8-9 of us and 3 potato sacks full of coins. So we all gathered round a table and each took one coin each until nothing was left. Among the coins was an Iron Cross, which was quiet odd as the only person on that side of the family that went to war was his dad, and he served with the ANZAC’s in WW1.
AcrylicMasquerade 3 years ago
As phil blanque says, this is likely spoils of war. The Anzacs fought German and Turkish forces during World War 1. The iron cross was a medal used until 1918, I believe, before being used again in Nazi Germany from 1933 on.
Kathy 3 years ago
My grandfather was a talented painter, and when he died, his 6 surviving children discovered that he had left all his unsold paintings, about 50 of them, to "my children" without specifying which paintings were destined for which child. After the reading of the Will, there was a lot of infighting going on, with the various sons and daughters claiming that "he said he was going to leave this one to me!" and "but he always promised me I would get that one when he died!", and the atmosphere got very acrimonious. Then my mother (who as a daughter-in-law wasn't in the Will), suggested that the paintings be divided up into 6 fairly equal parcels, each parcel assigned a letter and that they would draw lots to see which of them got which parcel. No one was particularly happy with the results, but at least they weren't fighting anymore!
#31
I research land and often go through wills to determine ownership of property.
“To my wife I leave a length of rope long enough to hang herself.”
Peacemaker21 3 years ago
Happy ending: "She should then use the rope to pull the stone in our front yard the distance of 12 inches. She will then find all my money, the whole 2 mil, kept in a chest in the hole below the stone."
J Baker 3 years ago
Sad ending "The money's been poisoned and her greed will be her undoing."
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Fancy that 3 years ago
Wow. In death, I wonder if he was so cruel in life. Or if she were. Or were they to each other.
Random Anon 3 years ago
I guess there is some story to be told, possibly of deceit and betrayal, but that line is truly hilarious.
#32
My father is heavily involved in my great aunt and uncle's lives since their health has begun to decline (both mid 90's with no children), and has seen their will.
They have a small fortune (in excess of £1,000,000), and have left it all to a local dog's home.
When he asked them about it, my great uncle's response was "nobody has helped me in life, so I won't be helping anybody either."
Auntriarch 3 years ago
That's a bit mean, to say that to people who are actually helping him right now
Sarah Bell 3 years ago
But someone is taking care of you now ....but you shouldn't be caring for someone just to get put into their estate after they pass. But I'm glad thst it is going for a good cause . Hopefully they change their reasoning and the person's father still cares for them even if they leave them nothing .
ADHORTATOR 3 years ago
It' s his money, so he can do whatever he wants to with it. Better giving it to the dog's home than to a church
MyCatsTheRealPanda 3 years ago
That's true it's his money but kind of an a*****e thing to say to the person that's actually helping you.
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#33
I'm not a lawyer, but my grandfather saved his kidney stone so that he could leave it to my cousin. They never really got along.
Auntriarch 3 years ago
They wouldn't let me have my great grandfather's glass eye, I'm still a bit cross about that
Fancy that 3 years ago
I did not mean to laugh. Honestly. I am sorry for your loss.
Load More Replies... Random Anon 3 years ago
Lol this is brilliantly funny offensive rather than offensive offensive.
Kusotare 3 years ago
My grandmother made a bracelet from her gallstones. I don't know who got it when she [unalived], but I wish I had it. I thought it was cool.
#34
In my Mums will, which I have seen, she has left me the kitchen table and chairs.
She lives on a South Manchester council estate.
My brother gets the sideboard.
Debbie Barnes 3 years ago
This sounds a little ungrateful to me. Perhaps she worked and saved for these items of furniture, which is why she valued them so much. Perhaps she should give them to a charity shop where they will be appreciated?
Robin Roper 3 years ago
I see nothing ungrateful in this post. I believe the OP is acknowledging his/her mother had very little of value (counsel estate is equivalent to public housing) and she is leaving them these precious items. No were in the post is a hint of ungratefulness, it is a statement which you have assigned this definition to.
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Jill Bussey 3 years ago
Be careful before you dispose of the furniture. I found a bundle of gold jewellery in the back of an old sideboard.
Amy S 3 years ago
Just the house belongs to the council, the belongings belong to OP's mum.
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Gini Sarver 3 years ago
i’m assuming it is a matching set and they’re surprised she’s splitting the set lol
#35
I’m the executor of my grandmother’s will. I also get the house and everything in it and a share of life insurance that’s split three ways between myself, sister, and mom. My mom has always said that all my dad , my grandmothers son-in-law, would like to have is some table. Well in the will there’s like a whole paragraph that states how my dad gets nothing, he doesn’t lay a finger on any thing in the house or any money. How my dad is basically worthless and deserves nothing and how he was a c**p dad and that she begrudgingly has my mom in the will. Thanks grandma I’ll appreciate the awkwardness.
James G. Currie 3 years ago
*A week after the funeral* "Oh, hey, Dad, I just bought a new table, could you help me dispose of the old one?" (Gives dad the table and some appropriate accessories that go with...)
Fancy that 3 years ago
It maked me curious about how the daughter felt about her dad and was he a horrible man? Because if ANYONE treated my dad that way, I would be finished with them. Fück the house.
ethan kraner 3 years ago
great way of figuring out how to curse without censcors
Load More Replies... Sarah Stalder 3 years ago
Why would the son-in-law feel entitled to everything. I mean she put his wife, her actual daughter, in the will...no matter how begrudgingly. Some people just think they deserve special treatment.
#36
My grandfather has in his will to say “hi so-n-so.” Just so he can say that he mentioned that person in his will. He tells lots of people in the family that they are ‘in his will.’ It’s a joke that only he thinks is funny and he won’t be around for the punch line. I think it’s brilliant. He has about 10 people mentioned.
James G. Currie 3 years ago
I've been told that the easiest way to prevent a successful challenge of a will by a family member is to expressly mention them in the will... Don't know how accurate it is, but there ya go!
#37
Client wanted her ashes spread at the restaurant (on the beach) where she met her husband.
phil blanque 3 years ago
At an outdoor table: "Waiter there is dirt on my eggs!." Waiter examines the food and says: "No, madam, that is just Mrs..Westinghouse. Not to worry...she was totally organic."
James Bailey 3 years ago
I guess if it was barbeque place, they might be used to ashes all over the place.
Robin Roper 3 years ago
This would have to be done under the cloak of darkness as disposal of ashes in public places is illegal in most places. Ashes disposed of at sea have to done a specific distance from the shore.
Elaine Morinelli 3 years ago
Isn't that the Boat House in Santa Barbara? Great food, amazing view!
#38
Lawyer here. Probably the woman who wanted to gift the frozen semen of her dead dog.
Cat Palmer 3 years ago
I guess if it was a rare breed or a show champion and so worth something to breeders this kinda makes sense? Kinda?
Hiram's Friend 3 years ago
Know a girl went through law school on the proceeds from her dog's semen. Best of Breed at Westminster.
Load More Replies... GadgetGirl 3 years ago
Why not encourage her to donate it to the appropriate akc breeder ivf company?
#39
My wife has clear instructions to use some of my life insurance to buy a dilapidated house out in the countryside, tie my corpse to a chair, and throw a raging party in my honor inside.
Afterwards, when everyone is good and hammered, douse me in accelerant and burn the house to the ground with me still inside. Party ain't over till the house (and me) is no more.
Laugh or not 3 years ago
Sounds illegal in most countries. Bodies can only be managed by professionals. Also, depending on how fast it is to read the will and execute it, the body would be in quite a state.
Gianna B D 3 years ago
I hate how many of the entries on this list are just "Do something obnoxious with my body. Haha I'm hilarious and edgy."
Michael Largey 3 years ago
Why should the wife throw away a large sum of what would then be her money?
Nimues Child 3 years ago
A quick read of what happened after rocker Gram Parsons' death would let this person know that this is a very bad idea that will not turn out as they had hoped...
#40
Lady wanted her small dog to be buried with her. If the dog happened to be alive when the lady passed, she wanted the dog put down and then join her.
Laura Grönlund 3 years ago
If the dog is old too, is it better that it ends up in some shelter, never gets a new home and is put down anyway. All alone, without their special person...? I read a story of a well known breeder, who, right before she passed away, ordered all of her dogs to be brought to her, beside her bed and be put down.
Load More Replies... phil blanque 3 years ago
The rest of the story is that the dog had a will too...that stated the human would be put down if the dog died first.
Sarah Bell 3 years ago
If that was me I would just ask that it was taken care of until it passed of old age or disease/illness . I've already told my spouse thst if something happens to me ( ,I'm in bad health ) thst he had better care for them like I do because he know how much I love them and if he doesn't I'll hauntbhim for the rest of his life . If he is unable to care for then then he can give them to one of my relatives that would care for them properly but for the most part I think he'd keep them for our kids .
Sarah Bell 3 years ago
And if I am cremated then I would like their ashes to be placed beside mine in a safe place. My plans are already to be cremated and who ever dies second gets cremated and the remains are mixed or if the 2nd is buried the first person's remains are buried with the 2nd .
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GadgetGirl 3 years ago
People are so afraid that no one will be able to care for their pet like they did. No one will love it as much, or spend as much on vet bills, etc. Sadly, it's sometimes true.
TheEndIsNigh 3 years ago
Ugh, I used to hate getting those awkward calls, wanting to put "Pookie," or "Buttons," or "Mr. Bojangles" down because it was Aunt Gertie's dying wish. Sorry, not going to murder a healthy animal.
#41
(Not a lawyer) But, my grandpa (not by blood) had two blood daughters who disowned him when I was really young as they'd been brainwashed by their mother. When they found out he was sick, they came snooping around asking about the will and we wouldn't let them near him, but we let him know. In his will he left them each a dollar with the note "So you can't say I didn't leave you anything".
Duane Ringlein 3 years ago
Had a falling out with my parents years before because of the way they treated my late wife. My Dad passed first with everything going to my Mom, and when she passed (I attended both funerals) my one sister was the executer of her will. By law, since I was mentioned she had to send me a copy. The last line was "The exclusion of my son Duane Ringlein is intentional. I just laughed and filed my copy in a folder called humor. I never expected or wanted anything.
While discussing the colorful requests found in various last wills, it's remarkable to see how people imprint their unique personalities and life stories into their final decisions. Some take a whimsical approach, ensuring their posthumous plans will raise a smile or spark a thought-provoking discussion.
If you're interested in exploring further quirky and heartfelt last wishes, you might find these fascinating stories about wills with unexpected requests rather entertaining.
#42
Not a lawyer but my grandmother’s will stated that my father had to outlive her by a certain amount of time (I honestly don’t remember exactly how long, I was 15). My father died less than a month after she did, so instead of things going to my father the next step was the estate being divided between me, my sister, and two cousins. It was so bizarre!
Sally Horrocks 3 years ago
That's usually a clause that's added to cover a couple dying in an accident.
#43
"Not a lawyer" but I worked with plenty of estates and trust accounts over the years. This particular scenario isn't so much about the will itself being strange, but the circumstances that led up to the trust account being opened:
I used to work at a bank in the estates department. I was an administrator who had to manage the files including encroachments upon the capital (i.e. "I want to take some money out now, please").
I had this one account - multi-million dollar trust for one single beneficiary - the son of the deceased. What's interesting is that the son killed the parents... with a hammer in grotesque and brutal fashion. He plead insanity.
He would call once a year from the penitentiary / mental hospital, requesting $50 for commissary (to buy chips and gum). The call was always strange. He was very polite, very doped up. The quality of the call was always very "tinny" like he was far away from the phone.
Rose the Cook 3 years ago
Where did I get the idea that if you kill somebody you can't be a beneficiary of their estate?
Michael Largey 3 years ago
"Not guilty due to insanity" still means not guilty. The ability to inherit would not be impaired. However, the insanity part would definitely impair getting access to that money.
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AmAndA_Panda 3 years ago
Generally in the case of someone who isn't mentally stable enough to be in control of money like this, a proxy is appointed. If he pled insanity, I'm fairly certain that's what would have happened.
#44
My great uncle's official will gave the contents of his Outhouse to the City Council of a nearby town after they'd tried to take his land twice to build a new water treatment plant. He spent quite a few years fighting eminent domain claims and just wanted to give them something in return. As a joke his kids boxed up all the books and magazines in the out house and dropped them off at City Hall
Kusotare 3 years ago
Eminent domain is a necessary evil of a democratic government. It's an easy target in the media, but in the US, eminent domain laws require the payment of fair market value for private property used for public purposes. The public purpose has to be stated and has to be vetted in an open process, so the utility of the purpose can be contested and heard by a court. I used to work in the field, and the vast majority of people whose property is purchased by public agencies for public projects do quite well for themselves. You don't hear about those. You only hear the stories about "the big bad government out to screw the little guy." Yeah, it happens, but not very often.
Load More Replies... #45
Not a lawyer, work for a will writers / trusts specialist in the UK, currently studying toward my TEP. One of our earlier clients passed recently. Turns out the man she left almost everything to, including the residue of her estate--which was considerable--was her regular taxi driver. She had also named him as her executor. He had no clue. The woman named as her executor and main beneficiary on her previous two wills, a close friend of many years, was understandably flabbergasted and contested the will. We responded to her solicitor's Larke v Nugus request, informed Mr Taxi Driver (who didn't even know our client had passed) and the will was upheld. Aforementioned friend was left a legacy of £5000 if I remember correctly, but her nose was clearly out of joint. Bonus observation: it takes a lot less than £5000 being up for grabs to make families turn against each other. Can get really nasty. One of the most startling things I've learned in my short time in this business.
Mental Liberals 3 years ago
Like the governments, corporations, elitists, and big pharma: Profits Before People
The Starsong Princess 3 years ago
It’s always suspicious when an elderly person, after having the same will for decades, changes it to leave their estate to a new “friend”.
#46
I once wrote a will for a guy who thought he could get away from giving his ex-wife half his assets by putting them in a will for his kids. Doesn’t work like that, buddy boy.
CPooh 3 years ago
Actually, it DOES work that way in the US and other common law countries. Once the divorce is done, exes are not entitled to any of your property. (Technically, neither are your kids. It’s yours. You can leave it all to the dog if you want.)
Deborah B 3 years ago
I think OP is talking about at the time of divorcing, not after his death.
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Ansi 3 years ago
That so weird. Why should the ex-wife get anything? That is why you got a divorce.
Michael Largey 3 years ago
That's the same as asking "Why should the ex-husband get anything? That's why you get a divorce." What's going on here is the legal principal called Community Property. What was held in common during the marriage is to be divided in some matter at the time of the divorce.
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#47
Not a Lawyer, but helped drive a dear elderly friend of mine to his appointments to have his will redone after his wife died. He was a member of a VFW, that was very badly mismanaged, to the point they were coming to him to bail them out of debt for thousands every other month. At the same time this was happening, the commander of that VFW had his wife begging to 'borrow' money for their personal account as well. He tried to have it put in his will that while he had planned on leaving the majority of his money to the VFW, he could not in good faith leave the money, knowing it would be so badly mismanaged, and probably used to offset the addictions of people in charge. Attorney would not allow that, but he did agree to hold a letter with the man's explanation for after his death. I am assuming the attorney did send it, because I know the commander and his awful wife have been stirring up trouble with the man's family, trying to have his will contested.
Jeremy Van Portfliet 3 years ago (edited)
Veterans of Foreign Wars, it is a building called a post in most major cities, it where we go to try to relax with other Veterans.
Load More Replies... #48
Not really the question but related: A lawyer once advised my 90 years old aunt to adopt me (24 at the time) to avoid paying inheritance tax. Now I'm not a big fan of tax avoidance... but her last name is "Falcon" in my language which is immensely cooler than my current surname. Almost would've done it. Edit: A lot of people are asking why I haven't or saying I should have. There were several things giving me grief about that plan, not only that I really loathe tax avoidance from all my heart. In the end it wasn't even necessary. My aunt just gifted me parts of the land she wanted to bequeath to me. So neither the gift nor the inheritance have/will come over the tax exemption amount.
Mental Liberals 3 years ago
Tax avoidance is A GREAT idea! It's how the rich get richer! It's a tiny payback for what the government r*pes from you, with little to show for it, and NO say in where YOUR money goes! Sad you so against keeping more of what YOU earned!
#49
A relative worked for a firm preparing wills and was confronted by an Executor who had an edict to “scatter the deceased’s ashes from a microlight aircraft”. He couldn’t fly one. She kindly pointed out to him that the drafting said nothing about whether said microlight was in flight at the time of scattering.
#50
My favorite is Ben Franklin leaving money to the cities of Philadelphia and Boston with the requirement that it be invested for like, at least 200 years. It became millions.
#51
I advised on a will where the deceased had left considerable assets to people who were dead when the will was read. Nothing unusual in that, except that they were long dead when the will was made. The lawyer who made the will seems to have had doubts about his mental state, so sent him to a doctor for tests. The doctor gave him a full bill of health and said he was perfectly compos mentis.
#52
Not a lawyer (yet), but one interesting case in inheritance law that I came across was the one of a super rich owner of a private bank, who left his shares to his sons under the condition and restraint that they will act as managers of the private bank, but with a personal liability concerning the bank's debt. So what he did was giving them the money and commit them to lifelong work in the bank, while putting their own assets at risk. So when one of the sons decided to sell his shares because he was old and sick, the courts had to decide whether he gets any money from the will - the condition was NOT fulfilled anymore as he gave up the manager position. One other son wanted to sell his shares, of course that would not have been allowed under the condition either. Edit: For those interested, these are the court rulings for the case: OLG München 21 U 1836/07 and BGH IV ZR 202/07.
#53
Obligatory not a lawyer, just something that I experienced many years ago. I used to sell shitty software from a store in England a few years back. One of the pieces of software we used to sell was a Will Maker program that never sold one copy. So, I'm sitting there on the till when a very smartly dressed older gentleman comes in, pushing 90, I would imagine. He seemed confused and slightly lost so I went over there and asked him if he needed help. He said yes he did, he was looking for something that would help him make his will and he didn't want his family to know because they were all fighting over his house and his money. I was slightly taken aback but I showed him the software we had. He looked at it (rather closely as his eyesight was very poor) and nodded to me that this will be fine. I gave him the disc for free. He thanked me profusely and quietly left the store. I just stood there for a while watching him leave.
#54
Not a lawyer, but worked for one and edited any changes he had wanted to make on Wills as he was older and not very tech savvy. There was one older woman, about 84 years old who was, in simplest terms, quite insane and would call every single month to change her will. It would always be small details such as removing her daughters because they haven’t called her in a while, or increasing one child’s percentage and lowering another’s based on whether she was mad at them or not. But, one part she would never change was what she would leave for her dog. She wanted to leave her dog $25,000, plus more money for the care of her dog and to make sure she lived comfortably. Sadly, her dog passed away before her and she had to remove that part from her will. So she just went back to playing with the percentages her daughters would receive.
#55
Worked with a client who wanted language that her cats would be euthanized and buried with her. We had to explain why legally we couldn’t do that. The moral part just went over her head. One of the few clients who ever got under my skin.
Ansi 3 years ago
I always feel they contradict themself with that attitude "no one will love my pets as much as I do, so they are coming with me". Then they show that "love" by killing their pets for no reason. You know, you won't know if they are there or living their best life with a new owner. You are dead! Poor animals.
Stacy Parker 3 years ago
A good friend of mine fought a pet kill order. You car read about it here. https://www.sfgate.com/pets/yourwholepet/article/Saving-Sido-How-one-dog-sparked-a-movement-2463520.php
#56
My old landlord took 2 years to boot me out because her mother who owned the place died and she wanted to sell the place. But her mothers carer said the mother verbally promised the house to her. Even though it was not written in the will it still took 2 years of fighting in court to clear things up. No, the carer didn't get it in the end even after all the appeals.
#57
my grandmother left $300 for her son who left the family to give to his “fat wife” to “take to dinner” lmao
#58
My friend’s father was insane. Born poor and had polio. Served in w2 and built a business. 10 businesses in various industries, 9 rental homes in 3 states, bunch of cars and person property. Sent 5 kids and their kids to college. Took care of his infirm wife for 11 years without a break or assistance. But he was also an a*****e. Refused to tell his kids anything, forbade them from know about his condition or visiting him in the hospitals for the ~4 years it took him to die. He had transferred all of his assets to a living trust and used a variety of shoddy lawyers to make sure his setup kept running for 2 years after he died with his kids blind to it. It took almost a decade to get access, figure out what he had, and unload it. Burned up almost half of what he’d accumulated. No apparent reason aside from stubbornness.
#59
Okay caveat not a Will, but I was reviewing a client’s prenup and the paperwork stated that in the event of a divorce, they use a coin flip to determine who would keep any joint property. After 30 days if they didn’t decide what they wanted to do, their ex would then be able to have claim over the home and do with it as they wished. Oddest thing I’ve ever come across.
#60
I had a Russian client. Son of an oligarch. His father created a trust which provided dispositive provisions for if he was kidnapped and not found within a certain number of months. Freaked me out. I believe the will had similar language too, but I can’t remember now. Edited: now that I think about it. I believe there was a separate document (in addition to the trust) that provided that his will should be effective to the extent he was kidnapped and not recovered within a certain period of time.
#61
Not a lawyer, but I plan on adding a line to my will, saying the real killer is in the room here's hoping they believe me
#62
Adopting your girlfriend. Not technically that but still.
Don Williams 3 years ago
That was done by a billionaire in the U.S. in an effort to shield his property from a massive payout due to repeated horrific actions over a DUI.
What do you think ?
GirlFriday 3 years ago
My grandmother passed away 4 days ago. She left me her napkin holder (she made it in ceramics the year I was born), her rolling pin (because we always cooked together and she got it for a wedding present in 1942), and set of bakeware that she bought off QVC because she thought I would use it. I gotta tell you, I am so happy about all of it. That napkin holder has been like a lighthouse welcoming me to her home for all these years. I absolutely loved cooking with her and am honored that she gave me her beloved rolling pin, and the bakeware is nice, and while I don't really need it, every single time I put a meal together I am going to think of her.
T J R 3 years ago
Also, I just realized that it says she passed 4 days ago, not 4 years ago....I'm so very sorry for your loss. I'm glad you not only have such wonderful memories of her, but specific items connected to those memories. They are the best things to have :)
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AZ Panda 3 years ago
Years ago...my aunt had a neighbor. Hermit of a guy..who lived in a quiet broken down little house. Wore the same clothes almost everyday. Had lived there with his mother and brother...both had passed. Went inside once..newspaper curtains, stacks of old newspapers (60es and up). Given this was one of the most oldest and broken neighborhoods in my town..that is saying a lot. My aunt would talk to him..fix him food..sent people to him for him to fix their TVs (guy was a genius at it..he never charged alot). Well...one years people noticed the papers in the yard piling up...aunt called.. someone had broken in his house...beaten him to death. Anyway in his will he left her a HUGE chunk of his estate. Turns out he was a millionaire. Had A Master's Degree in Physics. HIs mother been a well known headmistress in some school. His brother worked as one of the first translators for a presidental administration and translated many Russian Works to English. Just said my aunt was took good care
T J R 3 years ago
That's so awful that he was murdered, but how wonderful that your aunt was kind to him and he showed her his appreciation.
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Alec 3 years ago
There are quite a few here about people asking for their pets to be put down and buried with them. I am not too keen on the 'take them with you' attitude that seems to shine through in those, but at the same time I have to say that, if I were not absolutely sure that I had someone lined up to care for my furbabies as they deserve, I would rather see them put down, than left behind to suffer and be abandoned. I work with a rescue group and unfortunately I have seen that happen way too many times. This may not be a popular stance, but that is not a chance I am willing to take.
Auntriarch 3 years ago
I can see that. Especially if you are old and possibly a little bit paranoid and don't trust even the people who you could trust. Having said that, during the Gulf war we were told to leave pets behind if we had to be evacuated. If it had come to that, I would certainly have taken my dog to be put down.
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Bex 3 years ago
When my uncle passed away last summer, we we're all told there was going to be something "special" at his funeral. It was a clause written into his will that only his son knew about (so his son could plan it). Not even my Aunt knew what it was. So we go through the whole funeral ceremony and still nothing out of the ordinary, when at the end, instead of people we know walking up to the casket as pallbearers, in walks 6 men in full clown costumes. I mean, makeup, wigs, clothes, even the large shoes. My Uncle was a member of the Shriners and his request was to have the Shriners clowns carry his casket to the hearse, and then from the hearse to the graveside (And also have their tiny little clown car be the first car in the funeral procession, even in front of the car w my Aunt and cousin). Most people (including my Aunt) loved it. I didn't - I'm terrified of clowns. When we left, my sister had to ask them to go into another room so I could leave, bc I had a panic attack trying to walk past them to get out the door (They were lining the hallway that lead to the exit). *sigh* Kudos to you, Uncle Tommy. You got me one last time, and I miss you like Hell, lol
T J R 3 years ago
I'm terrified of clowns too and would've reacted exactly the same way. That is pretty funny of your uncle though.
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Bart 3 years ago
Didn't know you could make the government a beneficiary of a will... :-)
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Rosemary Booth 3 years ago
Sadly, I'm one of those chronically late people. I do try to be on time, but I can just never seem to make it happen. It's a big joke among my family and friends to tell me an event starts at an earlier time. I told my husband I didn't care if I was cremated or buried, but he has to make sure my body (or ashes) arrive at my funeral at least 1/2 hour late.
NicNor5560 3 years ago
For anyone who put any instructions in their will how to be buried, etc. it's too late. The will won't be read until several months after you passed. Start telling people what you want instead. It happened with my FIL, my father and my mother. The will cannot be read until you first get the death certification (6 weeks), then the solicitors do a search for any other wills if they exists (another 6 weeks), then they give it to the executor. It doesn't mean that person will read it right away.
Ivy la Sangrienta 3 years ago
We have some strict inheritance laws in my country. Each child is entitled to an equal share, and a child can't be completely disinherited, though many have tried. They have to legally receive at least 50% of their share. Case in point: my stepdad has two brothers, so they'd each have got a third of the estate. But, since the oldest son was a raging alcoholic their mum "disinherited" him, giving him only half of his third. He ended up dying before the mother in the end, so his three children divided up his sixth. My stepdad and his younger brother got the rest.
andrew jack 3 years ago
"I would like my son to have the pleasure of knowing that he was mentioned in my will. "
GirlFriday 3 years ago
My grandmother passed away 4 days ago. She left me her napkin holder (she made it in ceramics the year I was born), her rolling pin (because we always cooked together and she got it for a wedding present in 1942), and set of bakeware that she bought off QVC because she thought I would use it. I gotta tell you, I am so happy about all of it. That napkin holder has been like a lighthouse welcoming me to her home for all these years. I absolutely loved cooking with her and am honored that she gave me her beloved rolling pin, and the bakeware is nice, and while I don't really need it, every single time I put a meal together I am going to think of her.
T J R 3 years ago
Also, I just realized that it says she passed 4 days ago, not 4 years ago....I'm so very sorry for your loss. I'm glad you not only have such wonderful memories of her, but specific items connected to those memories. They are the best things to have :)
Load More Replies... AZ Panda 3 years ago
Years ago...my aunt had a neighbor. Hermit of a guy..who lived in a quiet broken down little house. Wore the same clothes almost everyday. Had lived there with his mother and brother...both had passed. Went inside once..newspaper curtains, stacks of old newspapers (60es and up). Given this was one of the most oldest and broken neighborhoods in my town..that is saying a lot. My aunt would talk to him..fix him food..sent people to him for him to fix their TVs (guy was a genius at it..he never charged alot). Well...one years people noticed the papers in the yard piling up...aunt called.. someone had broken in his house...beaten him to death. Anyway in his will he left her a HUGE chunk of his estate. Turns out he was a millionaire. Had A Master's Degree in Physics. HIs mother been a well known headmistress in some school. His brother worked as one of the first translators for a presidental administration and translated many Russian Works to English. Just said my aunt was took good care
T J R 3 years ago
That's so awful that he was murdered, but how wonderful that your aunt was kind to him and he showed her his appreciation.
Load More Replies... Alec 3 years ago
There are quite a few here about people asking for their pets to be put down and buried with them. I am not too keen on the 'take them with you' attitude that seems to shine through in those, but at the same time I have to say that, if I were not absolutely sure that I had someone lined up to care for my furbabies as they deserve, I would rather see them put down, than left behind to suffer and be abandoned. I work with a rescue group and unfortunately I have seen that happen way too many times. This may not be a popular stance, but that is not a chance I am willing to take.
Auntriarch 3 years ago
I can see that. Especially if you are old and possibly a little bit paranoid and don't trust even the people who you could trust. Having said that, during the Gulf war we were told to leave pets behind if we had to be evacuated. If it had come to that, I would certainly have taken my dog to be put down.
Load More Replies... Bex 3 years ago
When my uncle passed away last summer, we we're all told there was going to be something "special" at his funeral. It was a clause written into his will that only his son knew about (so his son could plan it). Not even my Aunt knew what it was. So we go through the whole funeral ceremony and still nothing out of the ordinary, when at the end, instead of people we know walking up to the casket as pallbearers, in walks 6 men in full clown costumes. I mean, makeup, wigs, clothes, even the large shoes. My Uncle was a member of the Shriners and his request was to have the Shriners clowns carry his casket to the hearse, and then from the hearse to the graveside (And also have their tiny little clown car be the first car in the funeral procession, even in front of the car w my Aunt and cousin). Most people (including my Aunt) loved it. I didn't - I'm terrified of clowns. When we left, my sister had to ask them to go into another room so I could leave, bc I had a panic attack trying to walk past them to get out the door (They were lining the hallway that lead to the exit). *sigh* Kudos to you, Uncle Tommy. You got me one last time, and I miss you like Hell, lol
T J R 3 years ago
I'm terrified of clowns too and would've reacted exactly the same way. That is pretty funny of your uncle though.
Load More Replies... Bart 3 years ago
Didn't know you could make the government a beneficiary of a will... :-)
Load More Replies... Rosemary Booth 3 years ago
Sadly, I'm one of those chronically late people. I do try to be on time, but I can just never seem to make it happen. It's a big joke among my family and friends to tell me an event starts at an earlier time. I told my husband I didn't care if I was cremated or buried, but he has to make sure my body (or ashes) arrive at my funeral at least 1/2 hour late.
NicNor5560 3 years ago
For anyone who put any instructions in their will how to be buried, etc. it's too late. The will won't be read until several months after you passed. Start telling people what you want instead. It happened with my FIL, my father and my mother. The will cannot be read until you first get the death certification (6 weeks), then the solicitors do a search for any other wills if they exists (another 6 weeks), then they give it to the executor. It doesn't mean that person will read it right away.
Ivy la Sangrienta 3 years ago
We have some strict inheritance laws in my country. Each child is entitled to an equal share, and a child can't be completely disinherited, though many have tried. They have to legally receive at least 50% of their share. Case in point: my stepdad has two brothers, so they'd each have got a third of the estate. But, since the oldest son was a raging alcoholic their mum "disinherited" him, giving him only half of his third. He ended up dying before the mother in the end, so his three children divided up his sixth. My stepdad and his younger brother got the rest.
andrew jack 3 years ago
"I would like my son to have the pleasure of knowing that he was mentioned in my will. "
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