Sister Shows Up at Wake with Lawyer Letter and a Handwritten Will

Dear Abby,

My mother passed away two weeks ago after a sudden stroke. I’m the one who cared for her the last five years—handled her meds, paid her bills from her checking account, kept her house from falling down around her. I run a small landscaping business, so I’m used to getting my hands dirty, and that included Mom’s final years.

My older sister Crystal walked out eight years ago and hasn’t spoken to Mom since. No birthday calls, no Christmas cards, nothing. So imagine my surprise when she shows up at the wake, smelling like an ashtray, and waves a letter from some lawyer claiming Mom promised her the house. She said I have to hand over the keys or she’ll sue me in probate court.

I told her to take it up with the judge and walked away. But then Uncle Hector, Mom’s brother-in-law and a retired sheriff’s deputy, pulled me aside. He said he saw Crystal slip something into Mom’s nightstand drawer the night before she died. After the funeral home took Mom’s body, Hector checked the drawer and found a handwritten note that looks like a will. The signature is shaky, and it’s dated two days before Mom’s stroke.

When Crystal saw Hector and me whispering, she stormed over and loudly accused me of stealing from Mom for years. She claims a neighbor I barely know will testify that Mom said I was “bleeding her dry.” I have no idea what she’s talking about. Mom was on a fixed income, and I kept her afloat.

I’m exhausted. I just want to bury my mother in peace and get back to my life. Crystal says she has a valid will and a lawyer. I say she has a forged note and a bluff. Uncle Hector is holding the note for safekeeping.

Abby, do I have to hand over the house? Can I call the probate judge myself to sort this out without a lawsuit? I’m tired of fighting a sister who abandoned us and now wants to cash in.

Sincerely,
Tired of the Casserole