Holding back on giving to family members in need is needlessly selfish enough, but stealing from what one of your children is legally owed is outrageous. One Kentucky mother committed “grand larceny and serious fraud” against her own daughter, hiding away a $150k settlement the child had received from a serious car accident. Initially, the daughter thought she received a settlement of $38K, which is what the mother helped her get. But during a heated argument with the mom, the daughter’s sister discovered about the hidden money.
The older sibling first thought the mom hid around $5K, but she discovered the truth when helping her younger sister set up a new bank account. Apparently, the mom had already set up an HYSA at the bank under the daughter’s name and was gradually taking money out of it. “Not only that, she lied about the amount,” the older sister explains. The settlement was actually $150K for the car accident back in 2020, but now, the siblings have found that only $11K is left in the account.
“My sister is devastated and angry. She never saw or knew about that money, and it’s been years,” the older sibling fumes on r/legaladvice. All the tens of thousands of dollars that could have gone into the younger sister’s college funds and other personal finances were stolen and used up secretly by the mom.
“You need to talk to a lawyer,” recommends the post’s top commenter, a suggestion that goes without saying. The older daughter claims they have already followed up with the original lawyer who helped settle the car accident case years ago, but she wanted to check the subreddit for any similar cases. “None of you should ever talk to her again,” adds another user. “This is beyond family drama,” chimes in a third.
What could have been a life-changing sum to help her daughter’s life and future has turned into a crime that both the mother’s daughters will likely never forget or forgive. While it’s unlikely the younger sister will ever see her settlement in its full amount, hopefully, the mom will receive justice for lying and stealing from her own daughter.
