The Bubbo wrote:

> After much finagling and sibling rivalry I managed to inherit my mother's
> Wedgwood china (I think my argument that my mom gave my sister the Saab was
> pretty much the end of the debate). I've had this china since May and Friday
> night was the first time I'd really gotten to use it.
>
> I had a complete set of Wedgwood before, but my ex got that in the Great
> Division of Property (I also lost my KA food processor, but I got the buffet
> crammed full of serving dishes).
>
> After the night of the first real use, David accidentally drops a bread plate
> and shatters it. I'm not mad, i know it was an accident, but that damned
> thing, that small 6 inch plate, costs $23 plus shipping.

Bummer. There is nothing quite like an inheritance to bring out the worst in
siblings. I have seen several families fall apart from fights over their
parents' estates. It's a damned shame. Even the most seemingly fair minded
people sometimes have distorted versions of fairness.

My wife and sister were executors of their father's will. The father had cut the
brother out of his will after an argument with him, but he later relented and
gave him a 20% share with 405 going to each of the other two. When they split
things up they gave him an equal share. They figured that he would have been
upset if he had been short changed and that family harmony was more important
than the money.

A friend of mine was executor of his father's will and one of the assets was a
building that had housed a donut shop which happened to be in his city. His
brother and two sisters are scattered across the country. He had the property
evaluated and arranged the financing to buy it off the estate. The day before the
deal went through his sister called and said that she and the other brother had
discussed it and thought the offer was to low. He told them it wasn't an offer,
that is it. Take it or leave it. Now they are going to have to wait for the
property to be sold, perhaps at a lower price. He is very comfortably retired at
48. He doesn't need the money, but the rest of them do.