AITA for not letting my mom get anything from my grandparents will?

Shirley Stafford Hours
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In a quiet suburban home, the weight of a family legacy hangs heavy. A young man, barely 19, finds himself at the heart of a bitter inheritance dispute, clutching the keys to a 1993 Corvette that carries his great-grandfather’s dreams. His great-grandmother’s will sparked a firestorm, bypassing her daughter and grandkids to favor the youngest generation. Now, his mother’s pleas for a share of the estate—especially that cherished car—have turned family ties into a tug-of-war, leaving everyone questioning loyalty and fairness.

The stakes feel personal, almost cinematic, as old promises clash with legal documents. The young man stands firm, honoring his great-grandparents’ wishes, but the emotional toll is undeniable. Readers can’t help but wonder: where does duty to family end, and personal conviction begin? This story unravels the messy heart of inheritance and trust.

‘AITA for not letting my mom get anything from my grandparents will?’

My great-grandma passed away in March. In her will, she left everything to me (19M) and my siblings, skipping both my grandma’s and my mom’s generations—except for one item: my great-grandpa’s 1993 Corvette, which was willed to my mom. In November of last year, a few months before she passed, my great-grandma privately gave me the Corvette.

She told me she didn’t trust my mom with it and wanted me to have it instead. My great-grandpa had told me since I was a kid that I’d have the car one day, so this wasn’t a surprise to me, but no one else knew. Per the will, the house and everything in it was to be sold, combined with her savings, and divided among me and my siblings.

My grandma’s lawyer is the executor, but decisions about the house could be modified if all of us agreed. When she passed, my mom tried to convince me and my sister (20F) to let her live in the house for five years so she could save up and buy it. The will stated it should be sold, and I wanted to stick to that.

My sister was initially on the fence—she was worried a drawn-out legal process from a contested will would delay everything, and thought maybe it’d be easier to just let our mom live there. Eventually, we talked her out of it. But when she later found out that I had the car, since great-grandma gave it to me directly before she died, she blew up.

She said we were “taking what was rightfully hers,” cussed me and my dad out, and blamed us for the will’s outcome, even though we were just following what was written. To try to meet her halfway, my sister and I offered a compromise:

we’d let her live in the house for two years (not five), as long as she paid rent, and if she couldn’t buy it by the end of that period, we’d sell it. She went off again, so we dropped the idea entirely. Now my sister believes I should give the car to our mom since “we’re already getting so much.” But I said no.

My great-grandpa always said the car would be mine, and my great-grandma made it clear she wanted me to have it before she passed. My mom is fully capable of supporting herself—she has an income and is doing fine, so it’s not like she’s relying on this for survival.. AITA for sticking to what was given to me?

Inheritance disputes can turn families into battlegrounds, and this story is no exception. The young man’s decision to keep the Corvette and push for the house sale stirs up deep-rooted tensions. According to Dr. Pauline Boss, an expert in family dynamics, “Unclear boundaries in family legacies often amplify feelings of loss and betrayal.” Here, the mother’s hurt stems from being skipped in the will, while the OP’s stance reflects loyalty to his great-grandparents’ explicit wishes.

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The legal side complicates things. If the Corvette’s title was transferred before the great-grandmother’s death, it’s no longer estate property—meaning the mother’s claim might be shaky. However, as Forbes notes, 70% of inheritance disputes involve emotional rather than financial stakes, suggesting the mother’s anger may reflect deeper feelings of exclusion.

Broadly, this taps into a universal issue: generational wealth and fairness. The OP’s mother, financially stable, isn’t destitute, but her sense of entitlement clashes with the will’s intent to empower the younger generation. A sarcastic nudge—maybe she’s less upset about the car and more about being sidelined?

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Dr. Boss advises, “Healing starts with acknowledging everyone’s pain without judgment.” The OP could offer a gesture, like sharing the car’s value, to ease tensions while holding firm. Open dialogue, perhaps mediated, could help the family navigate this without burning bridges.

Here’s the comments of Reddit users:

The Reddit crew didn’t hold back, serving up a spicy mix of support and shade. Here’s what they had to say, raw and unfiltered:

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jillian512 − NTA. But if the car isn't titled to you, she could challenge your claim to it. You might want to prepare to buy her out of it. Whatever fair market value is. Probably best to go ahead with the sale of the house. If you wait, don't let *anyone* live there without paying rent. A formal lease is also necessary. 

cheekmo_52 − If these things were “rightfully hers” they would have been left to her. If the Corvette was transferred to you before your great-grandmother’s passing it was no longer part of the estate to be inherited by your mother. But that assumes the official title was legally transferred (paperwork filed) and that it happened prior to her death.

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Did you legally transfer title? Or is the title still in your great grandparent’s name? If the car’s title was not in your name at the time of her passing, it was part of your great grandmother’s estate, and since she bequeathed it to your mother in her will, your mother can defend her legal right to it.

PomegranateZanzibar − You’re fully capable of supporting yourself too. I have no opinion on what you should or shouldn’t do, but you’re kidding yourself if you don’t understand why your mother is hurt and mad.

HodorTargaryen − Info: Before this dispute, how was your relationship with your mom? Is keeping the car worth ruining that relationship?

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Tremble_Like_Flower − She will never pay you rent.. Don’t let her in.. Get everything sold and split up. See how she acts the whole way though and once all is said and done then with a clear head and the knowledge of how she treated you and your sister deal with mom.

I think you will find that true colors of her actions will guide your hand. No one here knows your family dynamics but try and be generous after the dust settles things are a bit simpler after you have done the heavy lifting and people show you who they are. Good luck.

Longjumping-Tie-6638 − yta the car was willed to her, so not only did you get everything in the will, you're now stealing the only thing that was actually left to her. why do you hate your mom?

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notdancingQueen − INFO what's the status on the car legal ownership? If it's in your name, then nothing else to be said BUT I would strongly advise to have it appraised and give your mother the value of it. That said, we all know this is not just a case of 'skipping the adult-adult descendants to give a leg up to the younger generation'....

It it was, your mother wouldn't be reacting this way. There's missing missing reasons here, also called context of the family dynamics, that we're not being told. Also, what about your mom parents? Is she in their will, or not at all? It would be good to have a fuller picture of the relationship between all your family, the 4 generations of it.

SalesTaxBlackCat − Wow, great grandmother was a witch. As far as you, you have zero compassion for your mother being left out of the will. YTA. I can’t imagine how your mom feels in this scenario.

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thfemaleofthespecies − Seems pretty unkind, tbh. Do you like your mother or no? 

KevinandKarens − I clearly was raised with a very different family dynamic but I could never imagine renting a family house, that I inherited, to my mother OR father (assuming it's paid off). My gosh the thought of profiting off ones parents (assuming they have been financially supportive to you growing up) just rubs me the wrong way.

These Redditors brought the heat, with some cheering the OP’s resolve and others calling him out for lacking compassion. But do these hot takes capture the full story, or are they just fanning the flames?

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This inheritance saga leaves us pondering where loyalty lies—honoring a loved one’s wishes or mending family rifts. The OP’s choice to keep the Corvette and sell the house reflects a commitment to his great-grandparents’ vision, but his mother’s hurt reveals the cost of rigid boundaries. Families are messy, and this story proves no will is ever just about money. What would you do if you found yourself caught between a promise and a parent’s plea? Share your thoughts below!

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