mother is hiding the money

In Wisconsin, my mother is hiding her and my father's money in bank accounts that he doesn't know about. She is putting my sisters name on some of the accounts. How can my father find out about these accounts and can he pull some money out and give it to me?

tarts05 said:

In Wisconsin, my mother is hiding her and my father's money in bank accounts that he doesn't know about. She is putting my sisters name on some of the accounts. How can my father find out about these accounts and can he pull some money out and give it to me?

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She is hiding her own money. She has every right to do so. Dad can do the same if he wishes. Why does it matter to you?

why it matters to me

She is hiding the money from him. It matters to me because he is older than she is and not able to stand up to her. I want to know if there is a way that he can track it down? and if he puts the available money in my name, or my sisters name then it won't be available to my mom to hide it.

tarts05 said:

She is hiding the money from him. It matters to me because he is older than she is and not able to stand up to her. I want to know if there is a way that he can track it down? and if he puts the available money in my name, or my sisters name then it won't be available to my mom to hide it.

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Once the money is out of his name, there is nothing he can do. It works both ways...I see a family war brewing.

You need to ask your mother if she has prepared a last will and testament and hope and pray that she has. And also mention in the conversation that if she is hoping that she is putting one sibling's name on an account hoping that the sibling will split it up in the estate after she dies, that this is NOT a good idea since the money automatically belongs to the sibling whose name is on the account as a joint co-owner. But of course she won't listen and she won't figure out another way to handle this, and so the war begins after her death when the other siblings don't get anything.

{Quote}How can my father find out about these accounts and can he pull some money out and give it to me?{Unquote}

You gave yourself away with the above. What you're really afraid of is that you're not going to get YOUR hands on the money.

my father's wishes !!

My father wants the money divided between all (4) kids. Mom favors 1 of us and barely talks to the rest of us. That is the issue. He wants it divided equally and she refuses to do a will. He worked all his life for this money, she barely worked at all. No, this isn't about me. I am worried about the stress that this is causing him. Now it's a new issue, we have most of the money, but how do we put it in our names without his or hers attached? This is what he wants !!

The easiest way to track down everything in your mother's/father's name is to do a credit report. That won't list bank accounts unfortunately, but that's a step in the right direction.

As for what you need to do...your father can make a will without your mother's consent...he can leave everything he has (since they're married, half of everything they currently have if all the assets and money was made during the marriage...but if stuff was inherited or your father had some things before they got married..it gets tricky and really depends on your state's marital law as to ownership rights). Get him to make a will that will divide everything equally between the 4 children. Unfortunately, if most of the money has been taken out of the joint account your parents have by your mother and placed in other accounts...can't get that money back really...since it's a JOINT account and the money jointly belongs to your mother as much as your father regardless of who actually made it...one of the "perks" of being married.

The accounts that your mother has made without your father's knowledge and made jointly with your sister will solely belong to your sister upon your mother's passing IF your mother doesn't have a will that outlines that specific amounts from the account(s) are designated for beneficiaries...and since you've said she has no will...that won't be the case.

This is a really messy situation and if your mother really is that much of a problem, tell your father to divorce her, doesn't sound like it's a happy marriage and that way legally things will be much simpler as to what belongs to who and who will inherit what.

...but how do we put it in our names without his or hers attached?

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You can't.

This is what he wants

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He has to do this himself. Remember, Wisconsin is a community property state. Mom is taking money out of a joint account with her husband and has every right to do so as it's her money too.

FancyForrester said:

The easiest way to track down everything in your mother's/father's name is to do a credit report. That won't list bank accounts unfortunately, but that's a step in the right direction.

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How EXACTLY is the OP going to accomplish doing a credit report on her parents without committing forgery?

BlondiePB said:

How EXACTLY is the OP going to accomplish doing a credit report on her parents without committing forgery?

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She said she has her father's cooperation...everything I outlined she do involves her father...what part of that wasn't clear?....she and her father (since he's elderly obviously, she'll be the one setting things up) can have a credit report run....

FancyForrester said:

She said she has her father's cooperation...everything I outlined she do involves her father...what part of that wasn't clear?....she and her father (since he's elderly obviously, she'll be the one setting things up) can have a credit report run....

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Please point out where the OP stated she has her father's cooperation.

All I see is that she stated what dad wants/wishes - just like a lot of other posters who want to contest wills.

BlondiePB said:

Please point out where the OP stated she has her father's cooperation.

All I see is that she stated what dad wants/wishes - just like a lot of other posters who want to contest wills.

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This is the English Language and from the OP's description, her father is wanting to make changes...her mother is being the difficult one. Wanting and wishing to do something for someone implies cooperation in helping that someone achieve the task...no?......and since this is clearly different from a situation of contesting a will...comparison doesn't apply at all.

The trust department of a bank or a certified estate planning professional can advise you how to set up what you want.

FancyForrester said:

This is the English Language and from the OP's description, her father is wanting to make changes...her mother is being the difficult one.

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Since the monies were in a joint account anyway, all the money would be the property of the surviving spouse to do with as she pleased. Apparently, the mother has reason for doing what she is doing - like the OP being a PITA, borrowing money & not paying it back, etc.

When asked by HG in another thread about title to property that the OP co-owns with a brother, no reply was given. The problem was about cutting and selling trees.

Wanting and wishing to do something for someone implies cooperation in helping that someone achieve the task...no?......and since this is clearly different from a situation of contesting a will...comparison doesn't apply at all.

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1want
Pronunciation: \ˈwȯnt also ˈwänt & ˈwənt\
Function: verb
Etymology: Middle English, from Old Norse vanta; akin to Old English wan deficient
Date: 13th century

intransitive verb
1: to be needy or destitute
2: to have or feel need <never wants for friends>
3: to be necessary or needed
4: to desire to come, go, or be <the cat wants in> <wants out of the deal>
transitive verb
1: to fail to possess especially in customary or required amount : lack <the answer wanted courtesy>
2 a: to have a strong desire for <wanted a chance to rest> b: to have an inclination to : like <say what you want, he is efficient>
3 a: to have need of : require <the motor wants a tune-up> b: to suffer from the lack of <thousands still want food and shelter>
4: ought —used with the infinitive <you want to be very careful what you say — Claudia Cassidy>
5: to wish or demand the presence of
6: to hunt or seek in order to apprehend <wanted for murder>