Can A Family Be So Nasty As To Landfill All Our Belongings That Were Kept In My Mothers Loft

[Mohito]

Mother passed away and my 2 sisters emptied the house within 2 days I had a lot of belonging in the loft(easily fill a transit van) lots of crystal wedding albums wedding giftslots of toys all our photos ,wedding dress, videos from our stay in australia , I organised to empty loft as the house had been emtied to find the loft bare then contacted sister to be told it is in landfill what can I do

[Mamyalynne]

If you have no reason to doubt your sister then it does indeed sound like a very cruel thing has been done.

[Peaspeculiars]

Thats shocking Mohito - and I'm very sorry for your loss.

Do you normally get on with sisters? Did they not think to include you in the decision at all?
If they have done this, and it really is bad form, I'd get in touch with the local council of where your mother resided and explain the situation. Find out if the belongings were put in the bin (may have not been emptied yet) or if they went to the local tip and ask if the council can do anything to help.

Would your sisters be so mean as to keep hold of your treasured belongings and say that they had been thrown away?

[gingejbee]

My initial thought...has it really all been dumped?

[Canary42]

I'd sue the bitches, they had no right to dispose of your possessions.

[thesecondlaw]

That's awful. Nothing else I can say. I'm so sorry.

[bednobs]

how were they to know they were your things if they were in your mum's loft?

[Peter Pedant]

// what can I do ? // not an awful lot to be honest

emptying a house within two days is pretty sporting
I usually give my tenants, 28.

there is no law on this that I know
you have to take a deep breath and try to forget it

can we please keep to law on this thread ?

If a deceased tenants child came to me and said the wrong child has emptied the house,
I would say - I am sorry this is a family matter and you are gonna have to sort it out amongst yourselves

If it were your mothers stuff left to you in a will
then it is a different matter
but it looks pretty obviously that it was your own, stored in your mother's house
its gone you are going to have to accept this

[EDDIE51]

I'm with bednobs on this. Did they know the stuff in the loft was yours?
If they did it was wrong to throw it out without asking if you wanted it.
But legally there is nothing you can do, they just did what they had to do by emptying the house.( I wonder if they stand to benefit from the sale of the house? If they do then that may explain why they were so fast at clearing the house for sale.)

[Peter Pedant]

legally they cant dispose of someone else stuff
and should give notice but honestly this is a non-starter
family photos - total value five shillings ?
wedding dress - used once - bit old fashioned... a pound ?

and the tip of an iceberg of a family quarrel

[jno]

bednobs, it sounds as if it should have been pretty clear whose the wedding photos etc were. Even if they'd been her mother's, daughters have no particular right to help themselves: that's what wills are for.

[DaisyNonna]

Peter, are you saying that things have no value apart from monetary?

[hc4361]

Did the sisters do it themselves or just hire a clearance company to empty the house? The company would have no idea the things in the loft were yours and just do as instructed.
Did the sisters know your possessions were in the loft?

[Peter Pedant]

// Peter, are you saying that things have no value apart from monetary?//

Yes I am
this is the law thread - and not the bleeding heart mimsy complaint thread

and they didnt help themselves
they threw them into a landfill

gone - there isnt even a list of what went - as a law case this is a non started no matter how heart breaking

[Canary42]

Seeing the responses from those more conversant with Law, I withdraw my earlier advice. Sorry.

[lcg]

in answer to your question - yes family can be so nasty and do this type of thing. unfortunately, unless you can prove what was up there and how much it was worth financially (not sentimentally) you cannot sue them. but....if it makes you feel better, you can scream and shout at them, tell them what you think of them.....but it may be the last time you ever speak to them. if you are cool with that option, then i would do that. you never know, it might make you feel a bit better and you won't ever have to put up with them again, for anything. i did something similar, and i have to say that not speaking to my family is the best thing that ever happened to me - peace and quiet, no more *** and i don't have to suffer their company or stress either. before i did that, it was constant drama, selfish behaviour and the most *** family going. now i live my own life and couldn't be happier. i have no possessions dating from before that period either (for similar reasons) and while that hurts, they are only possessions.....not what is important in life.