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Sick to my Stomach

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JMann4

Member
Hi,
I recently went to another state to attend my mother's service and to be with my family at my mother's home--with the executor of the will, to go through my mother's belongings and choose what we would like to buy and have. The executor of the will is not related but has been a family friend of my mother's.

From the day I arrived, the executor was unkind to me. She told two of my relatives she didn't like me. She was my mother's friend but I have never had a conversation with her where we sat down and visited. She does not know me. My understanding is that she did not like me because I moved from the state where I lived near my mother when my mother was ill. I had been having trouble with my teenage son and had consulted counselors, teachers, some family members...and had decided I needed to move him nearer to his sister and father to help him get back on track. It worked and he is doing exceptionally well and we are very close. Before I moved, I had been taking my mother to doctor appointments but also spending time with her, going out to eat, visiting. My mom and I had an easy relationship and enjoyed each others company.

A sister that I do not get along with felt obligated to travel to be with my mom in my absence. She became close to the executor of the will.

What transpired is that comments were made--in front of everyone--how I was not there for my mother and I was scoffed at when I said I had to take care of family stuff (meaning my son).
When I picked out some of my mother's belongings, the executor of her will rolled her eyes and talked behind my back saying I took too many pans and too many dishes...but I have in writing how she said "The more you take the less I have to deal with." My mother was a bit of a hoarder so there were plenty of dishes left after I took the ones I did. Anyway...as one of my items, I chose a knife block my mom had. We got to choose certain items. The executor wrote it down and everyone laughed when she said something about me getting the knifes that came with it. No one countered my wanting it.

I went to pick up the knife block two days later when three relatives were there at my moms house. Later that day, the executor called my sister and two of my sons to tell the them I stole the knife block and she was calling the sheriff. She claims she verbally told me I could not have it after I had chosen it because, my brother, who is buying my mothers house, wanted it to stay with the house. It was not on the list of things that stay with the house. And no one heard her say I could not have it.
Because she got a hold of my older son and told him I stole the knife block, he texted me and told me I am a thief and if I don't return it, I am dead to him-forever. Do you believe that? Where does this hate come from? I mean, I am nobody. I keep to myself, I chose items at moms house not just for me but also for my daughter and niece. I didn't do anything except be there. Even when I read at my moms service, the 4 people (including the executor) moved out of my line of vision and away where they didn't have to hear me or see me. I felt ashamed for absolutely no reason-only because she did not like me. Wow. She should have been decent. She wasn't.

I have texts from my niece who was there who said she couldn't believe how mean I was being treated. It's pretty crazy. So while dealing with my mothers death and the service and the tension between family members, I had to deal with the executor who was awful to me. I lost ten pounds that week! I think about it and it makes me sick to my stomach.
Is it petty to take her to civil court because I feel I was emotionally targeted at a pretty vulnerable time? She was supposed to be objective and just execute the wishes of the will but she was talking to relatives behind my back a lot and the rift we had in our family is now worse because of it and will require years of repair.

Normally, I let hate like this go. But this was bad. She was wrong and I know my mother would have been ashamed of her for acting like this.
Thank you for hearing me.
 


Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
What US state?

Also, your ONLY question was asking if it's petty to take the administrator to court because you got your feelings hurt over some unkind words and a set of knives. To me...yes, that's petty.

EDIT: I do offer my condolences at the loss of your mother. As you stated yourself, you are very emotional at this time. Please take some time to grieve before you start worrying about material things. I would suggest that you speak with a therapist to help you in your time of grief.
 

quincy

Senior Member
Hi,
I recently went to another state to attend my mother's service and to be with my family at my mother's home--with the executor of the will, to go through my mother's belongings and choose what we would like to buy and have. The executor of the will is not related but has been a family friend of my mother's.

From the day I arrived, the executor was unkind to me. She told two of my relatives she didn't like me. She was my mother's friend but I have never had a conversation with her where we sat down and visited. She does not know me. My understanding is that she did not like me because I moved from the state where I lived near my mother when my mother was ill. I had been having trouble with my teenage son and had consulted counselors, teachers, some family members...and had decided I needed to move him nearer to his sister and father to help him get back on track. It worked and he is doing exceptionally well and we are very close. Before I moved, I had been taking my mother to doctor appointments but also spending time with her, going out to eat, visiting. My mom and I had an easy relationship and enjoyed each others company.

A sister that I do not get along with felt obligated to travel to be with my mom in my absence. She became close to the executor of the will.

What transpired is that comments were made--in front of everyone--how I was not there for my mother and I was scoffed at when I said I had to take care of family stuff (meaning my son).
When I picked out some of my mother's belongings, the executor of her will rolled her eyes and talked behind my back saying I took too many pans and too many dishes...but I have in writing how she said "The more you take the less I have to deal with." My mother was a bit of a hoarder so there were plenty of dishes left after I took the ones I did. Anyway...as one of my items, I chose a knife block my mom had. We got to choose certain items. The executor wrote it down and everyone laughed when she said something about me getting the knifes that came with it. No one countered my wanting it.

I went to pick up the knife block two days later when three relatives were there at my moms house. Later that day, the executor called my sister and two of my sons to tell the them I stole the knife block and she was calling the sheriff. She claims she verbally told me I could not have it after I had chosen it because, my brother, who is buying my mothers house, wanted it to stay with the house. It was not on the list of things that stay with the house. And no one heard her say I could not have it.
Because she got a hold of my older son and told him I stole the knife block, he texted me and told me I am a thief and if I don't return it, I am dead to him-forever. Do you believe that? Where does this hate come from? I mean, I am nobody. I keep to myself, I chose items at moms house not just for me but also for my daughter and niece. I didn't do anything except be there. Even when I read at my moms service, the 4 people (including the executor) moved out of my line of vision and away where they didn't have to hear me or see me. I felt ashamed for absolutely no reason-only because she did not like me. Wow. She should have been decent. She wasn't.

I have texts from my niece who was there who said she couldn't believe how mean I was being treated. It's pretty crazy. So while dealing with my mothers death and the service and the tension between family members, I had to deal with the executor who was awful to me. I lost ten pounds that week! I think about it and it makes me sick to my stomach.
Is it petty to take her to civil court because I feel I was emotionally targeted at a pretty vulnerable time? She was supposed to be objective and just execute the wishes of the will but she was talking to relatives behind my back a lot and the rift we had in our family is now worse because of it and will require years of repair.

Normally, I let hate like this go. But this was bad. She was wrong and I know my mother would have been ashamed of her for acting like this.
Thank you for hearing me.
What is the name of your state (and your mother's state, if different)?

Being falsely accused of theft can be defamatory but I am not seeing that your injury is severe enough to justify a lawsuit.
 

PayrollHRGuy

Senior Member
The only possible cause of action I see would be defamation the problem is your recoverable damages would be virtually impossible to quantify because you really have none.
 

quincy

Senior Member
The only possible cause of action I see would be defamation the problem is your recoverable damages would be virtually impossible to quantify because you really have none.
Reputations do not come with price tags so injuries to reputations are always hard to quantify.
 

commentator

Senior Member
Yep, it would be beyond petty to try to take this to civil court because "they weren't nice to you." Though you may have gotten your feelings hurt, the bigger and more mature thing to do here is go on doing the best you can, forget "taking someone to court" here, and just let it all go. Your son is a free agent as to who he chooses to believe, your niece may have thought you were being treated mean, it may all have been a really bad experience. But for now moving on and finding for yourself the very best next life is the most healthy and likely to have a good outcome thing. It is one of the major changes of life, that whole deal of closing out the passing of a parent, and who gets what sometimes turns into an ugly thing that carries on through the rest of the inheritors lives. Don't let that happen to you, just be the bigger person and forget it.
 

quincy

Senior Member
Whether a legal action is worthwhile really depends on exactly what was said, to whom it was said, and how the words have affected JMann. It is not always easy to simply "move on" from false accusations.

A state name would be nice.
 

Just Blue

Senior Member
Because she got a hold of my older son and told him I stole the knife block, he texted me and told me I am a thief and if I don't return it, I am dead to him-forever. Do you believe that? Where does this hate come from?
I'm just going to comment on this ^ statement you made. It's really unbelievable that your son would so readily believe the executrix if you and he hadn't already had a difficult relationship.
 

JMann4

Member
What US state?

Also, your ONLY question was asking if it's petty to take the administrator to court because you got your feelings hurt over some unkind words and a set of knives. To me...yes, that's petty.

EDIT: I do offer my condolences at the loss of your mother. As you stated yourself, you are very emotional at this time. Please take some time to grieve before you start worrying about material things. I would suggest that you speak with a therapist to help you in your time of grief.
I'm not worried about material things. Didnt it come across that she was the one calling the sheriff on me so who is the worried one?
I can absolutely accept that this is petty and just let the rift in my family be what it is. She caused a further division...so unnecessary..but I can heal and walk away. Just throwing my situation out there for feedback. If its petty, does matter what the state is? Thank you for your reply.
 

quincy

Senior Member
I'm not worried about material things. Didnt it come across that she was the one calling the sheriff on me so who is the worried one?
I can absolutely accept that this is petty and just let the rift in my family be what it is. She caused a further division...so unnecessary..but I can heal and walk away. Just throwing my situation out there for feedback. If its petty, does matter what the state is? Thank you for your reply.
Yes. State names matter. Laws vary from state to state.
 

JMann4

Member
I'm just going to comment on this ^ statement you made. It's really unbelievable that your son would so readily believe the executrix if you and he hadn't already had a difficult relationship.
Yes we did. The last few times my son and I were together were so nice and I had been hoping we would continue to work on issues we had, and just play nice with each other, but instead he bonded with a family member who isn't crazy about me. And his anger toward me got fed. It's a loss upon a loss.
 

quincy

Senior Member
Thank you for providing the state name. Is this the state where your mother lived?

What is the value of the "knife block?" Was a complaint ever made to the police or did the executor only threaten to report the "theft?"
 

LdiJ

Senior Member
I'm not worried about material things. Didnt it come across that she was the one calling the sheriff on me so who is the worried one?
I can absolutely accept that this is petty and just let the rift in my family be what it is. She caused a further division...so unnecessary..but I can heal and walk away. Just throwing my situation out there for feedback. If its petty, does matter what the state is? Thank you for your reply.
What I find to be extremely petty is your older son saying that you were "dead to him forever" over a freaking knife block.

However, that does not mean that you could in any way successfully sue the executor over something like that.
 

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