Wills - A disgruntled father making a final point

by Listener 10 Replies latest social entertainment

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  Listener

  An unusual and amusing Will was contested in an Australian Court a few years ago.
  
  The deceased man separated from his wife in 1959 and shortly after the wife was baptized as a JW. In the following years their four children also got baptized. Apparently this enraged the deceased for the remainder of his life, who was himself a Catholic.
  
  His Will included two conditions that his four children were required to fulfill before they would qualify to receive their share of the inheritance. They were required to attend his funeral and be baptised in the Catholic Church within three months of his death. His four JW adult children did attend his funeral but didn't become Catholics.

  The adult children sought to have the condition of becoming a Catholic as being void or of no effect. The Court, after several hearings, made the decision that they could not inherit their share as they did not fulfill the condition. The money was then divided amongst 13 other relatives (including grandchildren)
  
  http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinodisp/au/cases/nsw/NSWSC/2014/1059.html?stem=0&synonyms=0&query=Carolyn%20Margaret%20Hickin
  
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  The Searcher

  :)
  
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  zeb

  ooh ouch!
  
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  TTWSYF

  That's aweful!
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  Doubting Bro

  I don't see this as any different from when a JW parent cuts a DF/DA child out of their will and leaves the money to the WTS. Legally, you can leave your money to whoever you wish. Ideally, you'd want to continue your legacy by passing things on to your children. But, obviously the relationship was strained and thus the conditions. Was their being JWs the cause of the strain? Likely but it could have been more him than them. Really difficult to tell. At least he left things to his relatives and not to some huge non-profit organization.

  It's a shame that religion is such a divisive influence. Probably the most divisive in human history.
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  JWdaughter

  I bet few of those other relatives, esp grandkids, are catholic. They are likely even diffident to religion at all if raised by jws
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  Pete Zahut

  Who needs an inheritance anyway?? At least the 4 kids will be able to relate their experience on stage at the next District Convention....they'll be local JW heroes. (for a few minutes)
  
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  exjwlemming

  In my JW days, I knew of couples that amended their will to their children. In order for the sons and daughters to inherit their portion of the estate, they had to be in "good standing" with the org. Being DA, DFed, or irregular in field service was cause for not receiving their money. The congregation elders would be the authority in determining "good standing." I know some of the kids that just stayed in for the inheritance. Once mom and dad were gone, you never saw them again.
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  Captain Schmideo2

  https://youtu.be/whjZ6-Vz3_c
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  steve2

  Oh what stupid kids who would not play the game. The will is quite rudimentary - it does not require Rome to vet the kids' motive. I say, go to his funeral, join the Catholic Church within 3 months, get your inheritance and then secure it so no snivelling kill joy can touch it....

  Then (if your JW-organization-trained conscience kicks in) do a prolonged necessary act of repentance to your local elders for your (briefly) joining Babylon the Great, sit at the back of the hall for the stipulated time, get reinstated, donate some of the money to JW org (which will have no trouble taking it) and drive to and from the Hall in your new lamborgini.

  Stupid kids.