• FreeAdvice has a new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, effective May 25, 2018.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our Terms of Service and use of cookies.

Alcoholic and Manipulative Business Partner

Accident - Bankruptcy - Criminal Law / DUI - Business - Consumer - Employment - Family - Immigration - Real Estate - Tax - Traffic - Wills   Please click a topic or scroll down for more.

Uromastyx

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Wisconsin.

Family business restaurant has been in business for over 50 years, founded by my great grandmother. When she died, it was split between my grandmother and great-aunt (1/2 each). When my grandmother died, the business split between the great-aunt (1/2 of business) and my grandmother's two daughters, my mother and my aunt (1/4 for each of them). My mother is on her death bed; soon it will be my great-aunt, aunt, and I will inherit my mother's fourth.

The issue is, my great-aunt is an alcoholic. Shows up to work intoxicated, manipulates, starts fights, shrugs work off onto business partner, treats business partner as kitchen help - who she treats very poorly. She is ruining the business and causing customers to leave, because she is drunk on the job (she acts as a hostess and a bare-minimum waitress). I will soon inherit my mother's half and want her out.

She refuses to seek counseling and trying to confront her about her issues results in her making personal attacks, making up lies and lots of swearing. She is very controlling, and in the end, all business decisions come down to her way and her way only. As a result, we have many poor, under-performing workers who don't take their job seriously.

I would like to sue her, but my aunt is too passive for that and we are still taking care of my mom who will die soon.
 


Proserpina

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Wisconsin.

Family business restaurant has been in business for over 50 years, founded by my great grandmother. When she died, it was split between my grandmother and great-aunt (1/2 each). When my grandmother died, the business split between the great-aunt (1/2 of business) and my grandmother's two daughters, my mother and my aunt (1/4 for each of them). My mother is on her death bed; soon it will be my great-aunt, aunt, and I will inherit my mother's fourth.

The issue is, my great-aunt is an alcoholic. Shows up to work intoxicated, manipulates, starts fights, shrugs work off onto business partner, treats business partner as kitchen help - who she treats very poorly. She is ruining the business and causing customers to leave, because she is drunk on the job (she acts as a hostess and a bare-minimum waitress). I will soon inherit my mother's half and want her out.

She refuses to seek counseling and trying to confront her about her issues results in her making personal attacks, making up lies and lots of swearing. She is very controlling, and in the end, all business decisions come down to her way and her way only. As a result, we have many poor, under-performing workers who don't take their job seriously.

I would like to sue her, but my aunt is too passive for that and we are still taking care of my mom who will die soon.


Sue her for what, exactly?
 

Uromastyx

Junior Member
Ruining our business (being drunk in public and when conducting business and dealing with our customers), causing extreme amounts of stress and mental issues. She's lied to, bullied, manipulated my grandmother, my aunt and my mother into submission their entire lives, both in the business and personally.

I believe that our workers (three of which who have been working with us for over 30 years) would agree that they have also been bullied and harassed by her.

I honestly don't know what is grounds for suing, because I'm not a legal expert, but that's the only thing I can think of to do.
 
Last edited:

Proserpina

Senior Member
Ruining our business (being drunk in public and when conducting business and dealing with our customers), causing extreme amounts of stress and mental issues. She's lied to, bullied, manipulated my grandmother, my aunt and my mother into submission their entire lives, both in the business and personally.

A) The business isn't yours - and she has a controlling share versus your aunt and your mother.

B) It's not illegal to be a manipulative alcoholic nut.

If you're trying to have her share of the business removed or revoked, you need an attorney because that would not be easy. If it's even possible (which given what you've said here, seems unlikely at best).
 

Uromastyx

Junior Member
A) The business isn't yours - and she has a controlling share versus your aunt and your mother.

B) It's not illegal to be a manipulative alcoholic nut.

If you're trying to have her share of the business removed or revoked, you need an attorney because that would not be easy. If it's even possible (which given what you've said here, seems unlikely at best).
The business isn't mine, but it will be when my mother dies. However, my mother and my aunt DO own the business.
 

Proserpina

Senior Member
The business isn't mine, but it will be when my mother dies. However, my mother and my aunt DO own the business.

And once again, great-Aunt has the controlling share. If she wants to run the business into the ground it would appear she has the legal right to do so.
 

Uromastyx

Junior Member
That's... really depressing news. But thanks for all your help. I think she'll end up murdering our family business; my aunt is near mental breakdown because of her, and my mom is going to die.

We also considered buying out her half, which is something she yells at us to do frequently. How would one determine the worth of her part of the business?
 

Proserpina

Senior Member
That's... really depressing news. But thanks for all your help. I think she'll end up murdering our family business; my aunt is near mental breakdown because of her, and my mom is going to die.

We also considered buying out her half, which is something she yells at us to do frequently. How would one determine the worth of her part of the business?

I completely understand, and I'm not unsympathetic to the situation - it just seems like one of those trainwrecks about to happen.

Please standby though for others to respond.
 

LdiJ

Senior Member
I completely understand, and I'm not unsympathetic to the situation - it just seems like one of those trainwrecks about to happen.

Please standby though for others to respond.
I would like to know how old the great aunt is...and how long her behavior has been this way. It could actually make a difference as far as possible solutions are concerned. I would also like to know if the great aunt has any children.
 

Uromastyx

Junior Member
I would like to know how old the great aunt is...and how long her behavior has been this way. It could actually make a difference as far as possible solutions are concerned. I would also like to know if the great aunt has any children.
She is 64 and has been a heavy drinker since she was young. It's gotten progressively worse, and I'd say it crossed over into alcoholism about 10 years ago. Maybe a little bit longer - she went over the deep end when my great grandmother died, which was ~1992 I believe. So around 10-20.

I was too young to remember at that point. She's basically always been a crazy drunk to me, tbh.
 

tranquility

Senior Member
I agree with Prosperina, not only does the OP not have standing now, but also, when she does, there is little one can do without great expense with great uncertainty.
 

cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
Tranq, where this question is being discussed on another board, there is evidently an opportunity for the OP to buy the great-aunt out. Can you, or someone, address that process please? The poster has been concerned about how to value the business for such purposes.
 

LdiJ

Senior Member
She is 64 and has been a heavy drinker since she was young. It's gotten progressively worse, and I'd say it crossed over into alcoholism about 10 years ago. Maybe a little bit longer - she went over the deep end when my great grandmother died, which was ~1992 I believe. So around 10-20.

I was too young to remember at that point. She's basically always been a crazy drunk to me, tbh.
I was hoping that she was much older and that the behavior was much more recent...again, does she have any children?
 

tranquility

Senior Member
Tranq, where this question is being discussed on another board, there is evidently an opportunity for the OP to buy the great-aunt out. Can you, or someone, address that process please? The poster has been concerned about how to value the business for such purposes.
You pay someone to do so. Business valuation has too many factors to discuss with no facts. Better would be to look up some articles that discuss the factors.
 

Ohiogal

Queen Bee
Doesn't matter what the value of the business is necessarily -- matters what amount the aunt expects in order to be bought out.
 

Find the Right Lawyer for Your Legal Issue!

Fast, Free, and Confidential
data-ad-format="auto">
Top