Woman Named Sole Heir To Friend’s Properties And Now Estranged Daughter Is Back To Fight For What’s “Hers”
The woman who earned it through loyalty versus the daughter who demands it through blood.
A grieving woman thought she was handling one last family task, until a message from her friend’s estranged daughter turned into a full-on inheritance showdown. OP helped track Sam down after years of silence, tried to bridge the gap with a heartfelt note, and then watched that effort go completely unanswered.
Then Valerie passed away, the funeral came and went without Sam, and suddenly Sam’s name was attached to the title as the sole heir to Valerie’s properties.
Here’s the full story of how one unanswered message turned into a messy, property-heavy family feud.
Let’s dig into the details
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Reddit.comOP explained that Valorie had a daughter (Sam), who was kicked out by Garry for coming out as gay. This happened in the early 2000’s and Valerie hadn’t heard from Sam ever since
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OP tracked down Sam and helped Valerie draft a heartfelt message to see if they could build a relationship again. Unfortunately, Sam read the message but never responded
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One day, OP returned from work to find out that Valerie had passed away. She decided to inform Sam about the funeral, but Sam didn’t attend. Shortly after, OP was surprised to find out that she was made the sole heir to Valeries properties
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Recently, Sam reached out to OP, claiming that she had taken advantage of her mom. She also demanded that OP transfer her mom’s things to her
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Despite OP being upset at Sam’s accusation, she has been wondering if she should give Sam a piece of the inheritance
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OP returned with an important Update
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Timeline of events
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Clarifying some things:
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OP decided to speak to a different lawyer for advice, especially since Sam has been sending more harsh messages
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OP is considering giving Sam only sentimental items
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OP got permission to start cleaning out Valerie’s condo
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It echoes someone weighing whether to contest a late mother’s will favoring their sibling.
OP says that she didn’t know Valerie as a bigot, but someone who was supportive to all people, regardless of their se*uality
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From OP’s explanation, Valerie’s letter was more than enough to explain herself to Sam. But seems Sam was not interested in building a relationship
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Final bit of the first update
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OP returned with a new update: The new lawyer agreed to be the middleman between both OP and Sam
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Interestingly, Sam was contacted by the probate attorneys about the will when Valerie passed away. At that time, she had the right to contest it, but made it clear that she wants nothing
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OP’s new lawyer also informed her that even if Sam had decided to contest the will at that time, the chances of getting a ruling in her favor would have been very difficult
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OP is now waiting to hear back from Sam
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We gathered some interesting comments from the Reddit community
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This Redditor experienced something similar years ago
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“Valorie was just a bad person, just like Garry. You decide how closely you want to follow her wishes & enrich yourself by hurting Sam once again.”
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“She disowned her child for being gay, and the full extent of her trying to make amends was a Facebook message. C'mon”
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“You have absolutely no character. YTA by a country mile. Sam is completely right about you.”
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“NTA. Valorie included only you in her will, not anyone else . So basically now it's up to you what you want to do with it.”
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“If Sam gets a lawyer don’t be surprised if the courts decide she has a claim to a share of her mother’s estate”
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“You could offer the daughter pictures and other sentimental items, but if she only seems interested in items of value.”
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OP went from writing that heartfelt “let’s build a relationship” message for Sam to getting nothing back, which is exactly what made everything feel so cold once Valerie died.
When OP found out she was named sole heir and Sam started demanding Valerie’s things, the whole situation flipped from grief mode to “wait, what?” real fast.
The condo cleanup plan got moving only after OP switched to a different lawyer, and Sam’s tone shifted to harsher messages at the same time.
The biggest twist is that Sam already had the chance to contest the will after probate contacted her, but she made it clear she wanted nothing, so now the demands look extra suspicious.
OP followed Valorie’s wishes exactly as they were written, while Sam is confronting years of abandonment and unanswered pain.
Valorie had time, opportunity, and legal support to include her daughter if she wanted to. At the same time, loss has a way of reopening wounds that never healed.
The question here isn’t only about ownership, but about responsibility after someone is gone.
What do you think OP owes, if anything, beyond honoring the will? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Sam might have wanted nothing when the will was read, but now she wants everything, and that’s why the family dinner is still simmering.
For more family fallout over money, read about a woman refusing to pay her sisters tuition.