Blood may be thicker than water, but when there’s a shiny inheritance on the line, all bets are off. Suddenly, everyone’s a real-estate guru or legal advisor. When there’s something valuable at stake, even the closest families can fall apart.
That’s exactly what happened to one Redditor, who found himself in the middle of a drama that would make even the Kardashians jealous after inheriting his grandpa’s house. You’d think it would be smooth sailing, but, spoiler alert, it’s not even close.
Family connections and a shiny new inheritance are a combo that never disappoints when it comes to stirring up some serious drama.
Image credits: Aubrey Odom / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
The author of this story is considering kicking his uncle out of the house he inherited because he went back on their original deal.
The young man was very close to his grandpa, and he inherited his entire estate when he passed away.
Before leaving this world, grandpa made a deal with the young man’s uncle, allowing him to rent the house for 3 years and buy it at the end of the contract, for a set amount.
The young man wants to kick his uncle out of the house because he refuses to buy the house for the price they agreed on, trying to get the young man to sell it cheaper.
The OP (original poster) is a 23-year-old man who was very close to his grandpa. So, when he passed away, he left him everything, including the family home. Sounds straightforward, right? Well, not quite.
You see, just before grandpa died, he made a deal with the OP’s uncle to rent the house for three years, with the option to buy it for $377K when the contract was up. Well, that contract is about to expire, and things are about to get messy.
Now, you’d think that the uncle would just buy the house, move in, and live happily ever after. But nope. Instead, he asked the OP for an extension on the contract because, apparently, interest rates were through the roof, and he was not ready to commit. After some pressure from grandma, the OP agreed to extend the contract for another three years.
In a normal world, the uncle would be grateful, maybe send a thank-you card, and quietly wait out the new contract. But where’s the fun in that? Instead, this uncle started playing Bob the Builder and kicked off construction on the house. But the thing is, he didn’t even have permits for it. And, when the OP called him out, his uncle said it was “his house” and he could do whatever he pleased. News flash, uncle, it’s actually not your house.
When the uncle sent over his dream contract, the OP shut it down. He wasn’t going to agree to a 5-year contract with relaxed rent terms, no construction restrictions, and permission to sublet. Grandma flipped out, claiming the OP wouldn’t have inherited anything if it wasn’t for her and he should just give in. Sounds a bit like guilt-tripping, right?
Grandma’s playing the classic guilt card, hinting that the OP should just cave because his uncle is “family”, as if that magically turns a bad deal into a good one. Guilt trips might work when you’re convincing someone to come to Sunday dinner, but they shouldn’t be a bargaining chip when contracts and big money are involved.
Experts say that using guilt to manipulate someone’s behavior can backfire. Whether you’re doing it on purpose or not, it tends to shut down any chance for healthy conversation or bonding. The end result? Relationships get strained, people get resentful, and everyone’s left feeling worse off than before. And let’s be real, if guilt paid the bills, we’d all be living in mansions by now.
Image credits: MART PRODUCTION / Pexels (not the actual photo)
But the OP wasn’t about to give in to his family’s manipulation tactics, so he drafted his own contract: three years, no subletting, and no construction without his approval. Basically, he’s not here to mess around.
Now, his uncle says he can’t come up with the full $377K they agreed on and can only manage $350K. But the OP isn’t having it. He insists his uncle pay the full amount or he could find somewhere else to live. And, of course, the rest of the family have started accusing the OP of forcing his uncle out.
So, the OP is wondering if he is a jerk for giving his uncle an ultimatum and not agreeing to his terms. Well, netizens voted him “not the A-hole,” saying he’s got every right to protect the home his grandfather left him. And let’s be real, his uncle’s been acting shady from the jump. Ignoring the terms of the original contract, making demands, and starting construction without permission? Red flags all around.
The OP’s lawyer-approved contract isn’t even unreasonable. In fact, it mirrors most of the original terms, only tightening the leash on his uncle’s wannabe “Property Brothers” antics. The uncle agreed to the price from the beginning, so it’s only fair he sticks to it.
Legal experts would likely back the OP on this one. Contracts are binding agreements for a reason, and the uncle’s attempts to weasel his way into more favorable terms (after repeatedly overstepping boundaries) don’t hold much water in the eyes of the law. Renegotiating the purchase price mid-process is a no-go – it’s not the OP’s fault that his uncle can’t afford the original agreement, and he’s under no legal obligation to reduce it.
To find out more about the situation, Bored Panda reached out to the OP for some comments. He told us that his uncle isn’t willing to negotiate the selling price and his final offer is 350k, to which the OP hasn’t responded yet, but he is planning on doing so soon and posting an update on Reddit.
We asked the OP about his relationship with his uncle and grandma. He told us that he was never close to his uncle. “There always seemed to be a feud between us. Particularly when I got my current job at the same company, he constantly would berate me for having a higher position and paying job and tell me that I didn’t deserve it due to my age,” the OP shared.
However, the OP had always been close to his grandma, as he spent a lot of time with his grandparents while growing up, sharing a big part of his life with them. He admitted that having that relationship ruined over the house situation has been emotionally challenging for him.
We wanted to know if his grandfather ever expressed his specific wishes for the house before he passed away. The OP explained that his grandpa’s death was pretty sudden and he was only added to the will 6 months prior. “The only thing he really told me when he showed me his will was that I should prioritize taking care of myself as his intention is for the estate to help me have a comfortable life,” the OP shared.
What do you think of this story? Should the OP lower the price, or is it time for his uncle to pack his bags? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
Netizens side with the young man, saying legally, it’s his home and he shouldn’t give in to any pressures from his family.
Funny how uncle could afford construction when he wanted to. NTA, don’t delay any further, serve notice that lease will not be renewed and intent of full possession. As so much time has passed, I suspect the house is now worth significantly more than $377k.
Can anyone show me of an example of the “its family” argument that wasnt gaslighting, abusive, manipulative or awful?
Grandpa left the house to OP for a reason. If the “family” goes NC with OP, he hasn’t lost much. Hope OP has a good lawyer. The comment about “unauthorized construstruction” on the house could be enough to get unc + his GF out.
