Eldest daughter gets jilted out of her inheritance after her parents give the house to her younger sister, family fallout ensues she gets asked to bail them out of a bad living situation: ‘I flat-out refused’

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Sep 5, 2024 6:00 AM EDT

Welcome back, fellow internet enthusiasts. Grab your popcorn and a fountain drink because this next story is an entertaining take on inheritance games that renters and tenants may never truly understand. 

Homeownership is a journey of self-empowerment that teaches you to manage your money, roll with the punches, and maybe learn a little bit of light plumbing. Not only that but when you're paying a mortgage, you're effectively building generational wealth that can transcend your lineage and help your kiddos out in the future! But for those of us who have never had the chance to get out of the renting cycle, homeownership is a fleeting dream that seems only achievable by discovering a time machine–that is, unless you have a pair of parents who own the house you grew up in. 

Luckily (or unluckily) for the Gen Z girls in our next story, her parents were wise enough in the 80s to crack down and put a downpayment on a modest house. After raising two daughters in this home, they decided they wanted to downsize and move closer to the city, but instead of making a fair assessment of their children's future inheritance, they decided to simply give the house to their youngest because 'she's more attached to it'. 

I suppose their oldest daughter may just be a slave to renting for the rest of her days and will miss out on that generational wealth opportunity.

Keep scrolling to read how the oldest daughter reacted to the loss of her future inheritance and how one misstep turned into a petty family feud that may last longer than the crumbling foundations of sisterhood. 

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    FOR RENT
    via manley099 - Getty Images Signature via Canva
  • 02
    AITA for refusing to let my parents move in after they gave my sister (F23) my childhood home?
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  • 03
    I'm a 23-year-old woman who moved out of my parents' house two years ago when I got my first job in a new city. My childhood home holds a lot of memories for me, and while I was excited to start my own life, I always
    via Popular_Surround_301
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    assumed that one day, I'd either inherit the house or at least have a say in what happens to it. My younger sister, Rachel (F21), is still in college and has been living at home while studying.
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  • 05
    A few months ago, my parents told me they were planning to downsize and move into a smaller apartment closer to the city. I was surprised but understood their reasoning. However, they then dropped a bombshell: they were giving the house to Rachel.
    via Popular_Surround_301
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    I was shocked and hurt. They didn't ask for my input or even give me a heads-up. When I asked them why, they said Rachel needed a stable place to live while finishing school and that she'd always been "more attached" to the house
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    than I was. They assured me that I was always welcome to visit, but it felt like they were brushing aside my connection to the home. To make matters worse, they also mentioned that they planned to use the money
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    they'd save from not maintaining the larger house to travel and enjoy their retirement. It felt like they were giving away my inheritance without a second thought. After a lot of back and forth, I decided to distance myself. I
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    stopped visiting as often and only spoke to them when necessary. Rachel didn't seem to understand why I was upset, saying that it was "just a house" and that I should be happy for her. But it wasn't just a house to me—it was my childhood home, and I felt betrayed.
    via Popular_Surround_301
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    Now, things have taken an even more dramatic turn. My parents' downsizing plan didn't go as smoothly as they'd hoped. The apartment they moved into turned out to have numerous issues-leaks, noisy neighbors, and al difficult landlord. They called
    via Popular_Surround_301
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    me last week, asking if they could move in with me temporarily until they found a better place. I flat-out refused. I told them that they'd made their choice when they gave Rachel the house, and that I wasn't going to bail them out now. My
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    parents were furious, accusing me of being petty and vindictive. Rachel also got involved, saying that I was overreacting and that family should stick together. My husband thinks I'm justified in my decision, but
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    some of my friends have said that I'm being too harsh and that I should help my parents out. Now I'm left wondering if I'm letting my hurt feelings get in the way of doing the right thing. So AITA?
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  • 14
    Sebscreen NTA. They aren't obligated to give you the home and you aren't obligated to house them. I'll ask the obvious: why can't Rachel take them in at her new house?
    via Sebscreen
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    Lilpanda21 Yup, if Rachel is that vocal about "family sticking together" and "it's just a house" she can house her parents temporarily then?
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    Vegetable-Cod-2340 'Family sticks together' and 'Family is Family' is just another way to say 'treat us better than we treat you'. Also, there is nothing wrong with being petty and vindictive,
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    they make it seem like it's a bad thing, but nothing is being hurt except the parents and Rachels's feelings, and Op is not obligated to safeguard those no matter what they say. I would also bet money that Rachel made the suggestion
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    that they go to OP's. That she's already made the home hers and it would be too destructive for them to come back to hers and she wouldn't want them to feel awkward returning to the house.
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    Reasonable_racoon Rachel should give the house back to the parents. It's "just a house" after all.
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    Dresden_Mouse Why they don't come back to the house? They didn't just gave the house but took your part from it, it's their choice? Sure, but it has consequences, they can screw you and then tried "the family comes first" line.
    via Dresden_Mouse
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    No_Interview_2481 Is no one picking up on the fact that she's 23 years old and she's accusing her parents of spending her inheritance. Her parents are still alive. Why does she think she's entitled to their money now? Why is she so petty and vindictive about how they spend their money?
    via No_Interview_2481
  • 22
    OneTwoWee000 NTA Why can't they move back in with Rachel??? How is their homelessness your problem?
    via OneTwoWee000
  • 23
    Thecardinal74 IT'S THEIR MONEY AND YOU AREN'T ENTITLED TO IT for I sake, I'm tired of people being upset that their parents spent the money they worked their entire lives to accumulate. You save up for your bills and your being able to
    via Thecardinal74
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    enjoy life once you stop working, you don't break your back all your life to give a handout to your children. That mentality needs to stop. THAT SAID, NTA Your parents are clearly playing favorites, and the family home
    via Thecardinal74
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    clearly had space for all of them, they can go back there for now. You are right to limit your engagement with them, they clearly don't respect you, and you should not be forced to "respect" someone who doesn't respect you.
    via Thecardinal74
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    Good on you for standing up for yourself, but accepting you won't get a dime when they die now is going to make it a lot easier to plan for your own future.
    via Thecardinal74

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