Family Arrested for 'Scavenging' Dead Relatives Belongings Sparks Fury

The internet has backed a user who called the police on their cousins after they broke into their late dad's house right after he died to steal heirlooms they claim he had "promised" them.

In a post shared on Reddit earlier in October, the user, u/LawsandBrawls, explained that when their father died unexpectedly, them and their sister Jess, knowing their family is famous for "scavenging over dead people's things," sent a note to all, forbidding them from entering their late dad's house or take anything from it, until they arrived home from the west coast.

But the family didn't mind the note and proceeded to enter the house without permission and steal heirlooms. After getting a few notifications from the house's doorbell system, the poster and their sister reminded their family that they would prosecute whoever stole from their dad's house. Still, the family didn't seem to take their warning seriously.

According to New Retirement, the "average" inheritance in America is between $100,000 and more than $1 million this year, but they say these numbers are incredibly "misleading."

The breakdown of the numbers shows that the least wealthy group of families have received, on average, $6,100 in inheritance, while the wealthiest 1 percent of families have received, on average, $2.7 million in inheritance.

The poster said: "Jess gets to my parents' house first and notices stuff is missing and my parents had security cameras and an Alexa show. It [showed] my cousin taking stuff from the house. So Jess did what we agreed on and called the police and two of our cousins [were] arrested."

Because it was more than $1,000 worth that they stole, both their cousins are looking at felonies, but instead of apologizing, the cousins said their dad promised them this stuff.

The poster added: "I have my dad's will making me executor of the estate. I told him he should have waited to file a claim with [the] estate and everyone was warned about what would happen."

Now the poster's grandma is upset that they got their cousins arrested and has sided with them, saying the poster and their sister are taking it too far and are being "too tough" on their cousins.

Nada Elawdan, a pre-licensed professional at Peaceful Way Psychology, told Newsweek that there are themes of complicated emotions, repeating behaviors, communication, and respect for the dead in this familial dynamic.

She said: "Because this unfolded following the passing of a parent, it is helpful to understand the significance of death. When experiencing the death of a loved one, feelings and emotions are elevated and often complex.

"What I would urge the [poster] to do is to tune into all of their simultaneous and co-occurring emotions," explaining that developing an emotional understanding of our inner world encourages a deeper connection with ourselves and others.

"Emotions can be a gateway to a deeper understanding of how the body and mind interpret the world. I would recommend a feelings wheel (you can find one on Google) if recognizing and labeling emotions feels unfamiliar."

The post, first shared on the r/AmItheA**hole subreddit, where users discuss their actions with impartial strangers, has so far received over 29,700 upvotes and 2,100 comments.

One user, Prodigious_Wind said: "There is nothing quite so unedifying as the rush by distant family members to grab what they can when someone dies. Definitely [Not The A**hole]."

And GreatGrandini wrote: "Some people are just parasites. My wife is can relate. Her grandmother is not doing well, yet some family members are asking for their inheritance in advance. The executor of her will is already digging in for a battle of the vultures."

Another user, Longjumping_Hat_2672 commented: "Some people are such shameless, greedy vultures. Some people don't even wait until someone's death. One of my aunts was harassing me for money when my mother was in the hospital, literally on her deathbed."

And mdthomas added: "So your dad had a will naming you the executor and your relatives decided to steal from your dad's estate."

Newsweek reached out to u/LawsandBrawls for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.