In the movie Wall Street, Michael Douglas had the famous line of "Greed is good." Well, for some people, greed is this horrible thing that turns into a fun competition for them. Can I rip my other family members off of this one rich relative's estate? If I do, then I win. I have never seen the point of fighting over a dying person's belongings; to me it cheapens their life somehow. Let me share what happened to my husband.
My husband's uncle was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He lived on the family estate, which he had separated in his will to his two nephews and two nieces, my husband being one of the nephews. Well, as soon as the uncle found out he was sick, his niece (who is in her early twenties) began "whispering" in his ear about how if he kept the will as is, some of the property would eventually go to "outsiders" (the outsiders were my kids from my first marriage He thought it was a sin for my husband to marry a divorced woman and she knew this and RAN with it!) She did this day and night and eventually drove him herself (with her equally greedy mother) to the attorney's office to have the entire estate left to her. She even had her mentally disabled sister written out of the will! The week after he died, she had all his worldly possessions, the entire family estate, out on the front lawn, selling to the highest bidder. And the property? Well, she has to fund her world travels somehow, so guess what's happening to the "family estate" that is supposed to stay in the family? As soon as probate closes, it's on the market!
My husband has cut all ties with that particular part of the family and cannot understand why his mother wants anything to do with them. He didn't particularly care for any part of the inheritance except for some personal items that had been promised to him that she sold at the estate sale, but he was terribly angry for his brother's sake. This woman has literally been rubbing her newfound wealth in his mom's face, buying expensive handbags and new cars while they are struggling to get by. The part that makes me mad is how she treats my in-laws and my kids; like they are dirt beneath her holy feet. She and her mother make me sick, and I am only comforted by the fact that in the end, they will face judgement for their greed and gluttony. I don't think their punishment can come soon enough. Luckily I have a husband that refuses to force us to endure any more of their nonsense. Evil creatures!