My step-mum is flogging my dead dad’s possessions – I want my family heirlooms but she says I’ll have to pay market rate
GOING through the death of a family member isn’t easy, and while we assume it will bring family together, often times it can pull them apart.
One woman knows exactly how that feels after the lose of her father.
She revealed she was devastated after losing her dad, but it seems her step-mum has only made the situation worse.
Taking to social media she revealed she was now being asked to pay for her dad’s family heirlooms that had been passed down for generations.
The woman asked for advice on whether she was in the wrong for expecting the pieces for free – but almost everyone thought her step-mum was being a ‘total witch’.
She explained: “My dad died 18 months ago and everything was left to my stepmother but I did inherit a cash sum. That’s not the issue here.”
While she wasn’t fazed that her step-mum inherited most of her dad’s belongings – she was upset by how the situation was being handled.
“Stepmother is now selling off some of my dad’s possessions, including some furniture that belonged to my grandparents and has said if I want it, I have to buy it off her,” she continued.
This has left her distraught and she claimed her dad would be just as horrified by his wives actions.
“Aibu (AM I Being Unreasonable) for being really upset at having to buy my own Dad & grandparents possessions?” she asked on Mumsnet.
“I can barely believe it to be honest.
“I only want one sentimental piece that I don’t want going to a stranger but the whole thing has really upset me as I know my Dad would have been upset too and horrified.”
She updated the post saying that she had no idea how much it would cost to buy them back as her step-mum was currently getting them valued.
But people were just as furious as the woman for how her dad’s possessions were being handled.
They quickly took to the comments section of the post to share their thoughts.
One person wrote: “YANBU, that’s terrible. Does she want a lot of money?”
Another commented: “She sounds like a total witch, but if they belong to her you’ll have to buy what you want.”
Inheritance Tax in the UK
Inheritance Tax is a tax on the estate – the property, money and possessions – of a person who’s died.
There’s normally no Inheritance Tax to pay if the value of your estate is below the £325,000 threshold.
You can also avoid paying the tax if you leave everything above the threshold to your spouse, civil partner, a charity or a community amateur sports club.
If your estate’s value is below the £325,000 limit, you will still need to report it to HMRC.
If you give away your home to your children – including adopted, foster or step children – or grandchildren when you die, your Inheritance Tax threshold can increase to £500,000. This is called the “main residence” band.
If you’re married or in a civil partnership and your estate is worth less than the upper limit, any unused threshold can be added to your partner’s when you die.
This means their threshold can be as much as £1million.
The standard Inheritance Tax rate is 40% – but it is only charged on the part of your estate that’s above the threshold.
“That is horrible. She is heartless,” penned a third.
Meanwhile a fourth said: “No, that’s really incredibly scummy.”
“She is being totally unreasonable morally but legally she’s entitled to do that,” claimed a fifth.
Someone else added: “Wow. That is incredibly mean. I can’t understand the mindset of someone who would even think of doing something like that.”
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