This Guy Thinks I Owe Him My Inheritance

[Music] brought to you by the Every Dollar app. Start budgeting for free today. So, I have a question. Um, kind of a more of a moral question. Uh, my stepmom, she passed away in February and thank you. Uh, I was her life insurance beneficiary. Um, so we had had a conversation in November about it. So, I was expecting to to be a beneficiary, but the problem now is is that um now my stepdad technically he was my stepdad, married to my mom for a couple years. Uh my stepmom is technically his ex-wife. Um but I just, you know, came into my life at the same time and uh he was expecting to get this money and from his divorced wife's death. I'm sorry, what? His divorced wife. Yes. That's weird. Funny. It's the funny part about it. And they had been married for 20 plus years. Uh she basically took care of everything for him. He never paid a bill. He never But they weren't married anymore. No. How long have they been divorced? Oh, I don't even think they were legally married. Um, but she had helped raise his kids. How long have they been split up, kid? Probably uh 2012, 2013. Okay. So, 15 years they've been apart, give or take. Couple years. How old are you? I'm 27. Okay. And this goop calls you up and says he has rights to this morally. So, the the problem is now is that his health had been declining the last about 5 years. And so she he was living with her. He went he moved back moved back in with her and she was essentially taking care of everything for him. Food, uh, doctor's appointments, all that recently. And Yes. Yeah. So when she died, he lived in her house. Living with her. When she died, he lived in her house. Yes. Yep. What a mess. And she was married. She had never been married. Okay. How much did she leave you? She left me with419,000 and she did actually end up having him be the beneficiary of her 401k which turned out to be about 135,000. Okay. So, this guy's um what 50 or 55 60 years old? Um he is uh my stepdad is 61 62. Okay. How is he your stepdad? She was your stepmom. So that's that's affectionately my stepmom, but uh she really was just always always in his life even when he married my mom for a couple years. So he really was my stepdad and and still is. Um but that's I more affectionately call her my stepmom. God, this is so confusing. All right, stop a second. I got to get this figured out cuz it's intriguing. All right. So, the lady that died, the lady that died, did she raise you? I lived with her when I went to college. Why? And we grew very very close over. How did you So, so your mom see she is she technically your stepmother or you just called her that? Hey, sorry for the interruption. This is important. No one likes to think about dying, but one day your family will have to deal with everything you leave behind. So, the question is, will it be easy or a total nightmare? That's where Knockbox comes in. Knockbox is a kit with 15 categories and clear instructions that give your family an organized plan so they're not sifting through old paperwork and guessing passwords and dealing with lawyers. So, leave your family memories instead of a mess. Grab your Knockbox kit today at knockbox.com/ramsey for the best discount available. That's knockbox.com/ramsey. Is she technically your stepmother or you just called her that? I just call her that. Okay. So, she was not So, your mom and dad don't have anything to do with these people. Nope. No. My My mom and my technical stepdad, they had been separated now for a good couple years. So, this is just a woman that you met while you were in college who lived with her. Y'all got close and she left you just south of half a million dollars when she died. Correct. And then some guy who she kept and he's not your stepdad either, who has no relationship to you, who he was he's been freeloading for the last 20 years on this woman. And she it's not like he was just freeloading. She was also carrying him around in the wheelbarrow. Like he called and said, "Whoa, whoa, I want that money, too." Well, he he was my stepdad. He he was married to my mom for a couple years, but they've been divorced for a while and he essentially So, was he married to your mom before uh or after this between this lady? I bet. What year was he married? What year did he divorce your mom? Oh, that was probably 2013, I'd say. It's been a while. I do. I thought the lady that died was with him in 2013. Um, no. Just my my stepdad and my mom. Their marriage was only a couple years, pretty short. Um, okay. He was my stepdad was with his ex-wife, who I call my stepmom. Yeah. For I I do wild family situations for a living, and this makes me want to drink. Um, yeah. No, it's just on air. on air. Yeah. I'm trying to see if there's a flask under the desk here quickly. Somebody get John a bourbon. Okay. Um All right. So, the answer to your question then is now that we've gotten through all of that, have we have we gotten through it? It's I'm I'm through it as far as I'm going to get. Um I'm entangled web we weave. Okay. And the problem is is that you are caught up amongst all these spiders. And these spiders all have sticky stuff and they all interact and intersect, but none of it is your fault, nor is any of it your obligation. And so when you had a conversation with her before she died, she said, "I'm going to make you the beneficiary on my life insurance." Is that correct? Correct. Okay. And then that was her wish. The lady that died left life insurance to the person she wanted it to go to. End of story. And by the way, she Bubba the parasite gets nothing. But no, no, she she picked some money for him, too. So she was very thoughtful in how she did it. Oh, no. But but he he doesn't get any of this 419. No. Zero. That's what I'm struggling with. You don't need a struggle. There's no need to struggle. Struggle's over. That's why you called us. Are you living in the house with this guy? No. No. Uh me and my husband are Oh, good. You have a life. You have a life and you're going to try to like be normal people now. Yeah. Pay your house off with this money. Congratulations. Yeah. You No, you do not owe this guy a dime. Not morally, ethically. As a matter of fact, quite the contrary. It would be immoral and unethical to give him any of it because the lady that died left it to you intentionally. If she wanted him to have it, she had an opportunity to do that in December when she was making these decisions before she died. No, it would be wrong to give him the money. Don't struggle with this. He's a He's a guilt He's a travel agent for guilt trips. Get away from him. Create your free every dollar budget today. The simplest way to budget for your