Re: [gardeners] Back to the land of the living

drusus@golden.net (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Wed, 29 Apr 1998 06:31:44 -0400

At 01:02 AM 29-04-98, you wrote:
snip>>Spill beans? Well - OK. This is a long story! Be prepared. My uncle
>recently passed away. Lived in the town in which I teach. He had always
>wanted to will me his house - BUT  he got sick and became incompetent
>really before he could. I've wanted to move back to that town as I'm SICK
>of commuting 150 miles/day!! Which I've done for 15 years. At 46, I'm
>getting too OLD for that drive! My mother (who is an invalid, quite ill,
>and lives with me) also wants to move back as it's her hometown (and mine).
>It will be much easier for me to care for her there - and to find help to
>care for her.  So, after my uncle's death, we (Mom and I) decided I'd buy
>the house (or try) from the estate. Well - there are SIXTEEN heirs - who
>all now own the house. Fifteen of them have agreed to my offer on the house
>and WANT me to buy the house. However, there is ONE aunt (Mom's sister) who
>does NOT want us to buy the house. A long story (family feud stuff). Bottom
>line? The estate may stay tied up for months - and I probably can't buy the
>house without a court fight - which would be embarrassing in the town in
>which I have a career as a professor at the University! To fight my aunt in
>court. YUK. So - buying this house may not be an option. Mom hopes my aunt
>will cave in. I don't think she will.   
>
Rosemary, how can she prevent this?  Once the estate is settled, the house
goes on the market and anyone can buy it, unless, of course, your uncle
left specific conditions to the contrary.  hich he didn't.  In any case,
the house would have to be sold as an arms-length transaction, which means
no consideration given to anyone.  I'd see a lawyer before worrying about
your aunt.

BTW, how would getting off a mountain in the middle of winter be any easier
than commuting 150 miles?  I suppose you'd save on gas if you slid......

I'll check your site out eventually.  I did one course a couple of years
ago on the net for distance ed, but only partly since not all of our
students off campus have online access.  I find grading by email to be more
time consuming than paper mode.  
Lucinda

>So, on to Plan B. As I said, I have to get off the highway! There is little
>in the way of suitable housing in the Morehead, KY area. Nothing to buy
>really. But beautiful land - in the foothills of the Appalachians in
>northeastern KY. So, I decided to try to buy a lot and build a house. What
>I WANT! :) I've found a builder - found a lot (a wonderful, wooded,
>SECLUDED lot) - found the house plan of my dreams - and am currently trying
>to obtain a construction loan to build it. Of course, then - IF the loan
>works out - I'll have to buy a 4-wheel drive vehicle as it's on top of a
>mountain, off a gravel road, and the closest neighbor is more than 1/2 mile
>away. No WAY to get out in the winter without the appropriate wheels!  As a
>result of all this, I'm trying to hold off the builder until I find out FOR
>SURE about my uncle's house....and, of course, find out if I can get a
>construction loan - not easy in Eastern KY (where gender discrimination is
>still king!) for a female with 1 income - albeit a good income.
>
>So, that is, in abbreviated form, the whole story. In the midst of all
>this, I have to settle my uncle's estate, make sure Mom is taken care of
>(which requires a nurse every minute I'm not home - expensive), teach the
>most demanding schedule of my LIFE, commute 150 miles/day to work a minimum
>of 3 days a week (usually 4 and sometimes 5), take care of my own home in
>Lexington - inside and out, take care of my three corgis (all of which are
>old - 12,11,9 - and 2 of which have hip dysplasia and arthritis so bad I
>may have to put them down - soon...and I could go on......but you really
>*don't* want to hear it! :) :) Oh, I forgot - I also have to attempt to
>keep my sanity in the midst of a HUGE family feud over this estate thing -
>not to mention the rest of my life....
>
>AACCKK!!! Life.....
>
>Right now, I just want some closure on where I'll be living....and when.....
>
>So, there you have it! Aren't you sorry you asked! :) :) Seriously, thanks
>for asking. It helps to talk about it.
>
>Lucinda - are you still teaching on the Internet? I AM - big time. If any
>of you are on the web and get bored, go to my course site and explore
>around. You won't be able to access all of it - but you can parts of it.
>The Internet class is only 1 of a 4 course load I have this semester. HUGE
>- in business/finance. Here's the location:
>http://dl1.morehead-st.edu/courses/Fin620
>
>(the first part of that is dl (l is the letter l) and 1 (1 if the number 1)
>
>Lucinda (or anyone)- if you are interested in exploring the coursesite to
>take a look at the software I'm using to teach, let me know and I'll set
>you up a dummy account so you can get in to the whole thing.
>
>Now, it's 1 a.m. - and I'm FAR too keyed up to sleep. Well, I'll work
>awhile.....
>
>I'd rather be gardening....:)
>
>Rosemary    
>
>