A woman is seeking support from the Reddit community after inheriting everything from her late neighbor and close friend, Valorie.
The 32-year-old woman, who formed a close bond with her 68-year-old neighbor back in 2018, is now grappling with the dilemma of whether or not to share the inheritance with Valorie’s estranged daughter, Sam.
The poster describes her relationship with Valorie, saying, “We used to spend every Saturday morning outside taking care of our plant babies and chatting.” This routine developed into a deep friendship, which resulted in her learning about Valorie’s estranged relationship with her daughter.
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Valorie had been widowed since she was 55 and had her one child, who is now 44 years old. The two had been estranged since the early 2000s when Sam came out as gay, which led to her father disowning her.
The poster recounts Valorie’s biggest regret: “She told me that she had always wished she had tried to fight for Sam, but in the moment, she was so shocked that she watched the whole thing happen without saying a word.”
In an attempt to help Valorie reconnect with her daughter, the woman helped her draft a heartfelt message to Sam on Facebook. However, Sam never responded, though she saw the message. Valorie died before they were able to reconcile.
When Valorie’s will was delivered, the poster was shocked to discover she was the sole beneficiary. “I never expected me to be the only person who Valorie left in her will. Let alone to have been left everything,” she writes.
This unexpected inheritance has now become an issue with Sam, who recently reached out to the poster. “Sam was upset and demanded that I give her Valorie’s things. Claiming that I took advantage of an old widow,” the poster writes.
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This left the woman feeling defensive yet conflicted about her right to the inheritance, versus any moral obligation she may have to Sam. “I was upset when I first read Sam’s message and thought, ‘who does she think she is?’ She hasn’t spoken to Valorie in literal decades and never responded when Valorie tried to reach out. Now Valorie is her mother and that entitles her to Valorie’s stuff?”
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But as time passed, the woman has started to question what is the right thing to do. “I wonder if I should do something for Sam,” she notes. “I go back and forth if Valorie would want me to.”
In an effort to handle the situation legally, the woman has consulted with a lawyer, who confirmed that the inheritance is legally hers and Sam has no claim to it. However, she grapples with the moral implications, asking, “Should I give Sam something?”
Many Reddit users have insisted the poster stop engaging with Sam and let the lawyer handle the communication. However, others acknowledge that Valorie may have not been the best mother to Sam and her reaction is valid.
One Redditor suggests, “The obvious choice should be you call Sam and ask if she wants any personal things that belong to her mother. As per money, I don’t think you should give it to her because Valorie didn’t include her in will even if she could.
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