Ask Amy: Siblings’ estrangement is a tangle over money
Dear Amy: My brother and I are both in our 70s. We've only spoken once in the last three years.
We lived miles apart for much of our lives, but still kept in touch.
After our father passed, our mother sold their home. My father had previously told my brother that when they sold the house, he wanted to give a certain amount of money to each of us.
Our mother did not honor our father's wishes, but did give us each a smaller amount. Years later she deposited a good sum of money into his account but asked him not to tell me. (I wouldn't have cared at all.)
Mom later called the bank and asked for the money back.
My brother was angry, but approved it, and then stopped speaking to her.
My mother moved closer to me and I was her sole caretaker for seven years until she moved into assisted living. She spent the rest of her money paying for her care.
My brother thinks I got more money from her than he did, which is not true.
He also expected me to give him money from the sale of my home because I had gotten more than the asking price.
I had sent him $1,000. I also sent him over $5,000 when he needed emergency dental care.
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