A woman took to Reddit recently to ask if she was at fault for causing some family drama. Her husband had asked his grandfather to hand his company down to him instead of his father! Keep reading to find out more!
The Family Business
She always thought that the family business that her husband (M26) worked at would be passed down to her husband, given that he worked hard for the company and made it profitable again.
He’s a Passionate Worker
Her husband is passionate about his job, which is working as a mechanic for the family business that his grandfather, Big J, built.
Her husband started working at the company when he was 18 years old and worked his way up to become the service foreman.
He’s Saved the Business
Over the past three years, he has managed to turn the business around from barely staying afloat to needing to hire more mechanics with all the new clients they’ve brought in.
And He Puts the Hours In
Her husband’s passion for the business is strong, he puts in at least 60 hours of work every week, and he looks forward to owning the company one day and passing it down to their children.
His Dad Doesn’t Have the Passion
However, the current general manager of the family business, James, who is her husband’s father and Big J’s son, does not share her husband’s passion for the business.
To him, the company is just a job he’ll inherit from his father when he passes away and inevitably sell.
He’s Just a Pencil Pusher
John does not know how to service the vehicles, he currently manages the business ends of things like phone calls, service write-ups, scheduling, and so on.
For about four months out of the year, he travels and her husband runs the company solo when he is not there.
They’ve Spoken in Private About Selling
Her husband’s parents have talked extensively about selling the business the minute Big J passes so that they can take the money and move to a big house down south, preventing her husband from inheriting the business he worked so hard to improve!
So They Went Over Their Heads
A few months ago, when Big J came up to visit, her husband sat him down to break the news to him that his father doesn’t want to keep the company in the family to pass on for generations.
Her husband’s grandfather was devastated to hear this.
Big J Was Shocked but Knew What Was Best for the Business
Her husband suggested putting their names into the will so that it skips his dad and goes directly to him to keep it alive and in the family, he loves so dearly. And Big J did just that.
Her Husband’s Family Is Furious
A few days ago, her husband’s parents found out about this, and they are LIVID.
They said that the original poster (OP) and her husband are greedy. They are claiming what is their birthright and John had been working there for forty years, while her husband has been there less than ten years.
They Said It Was His Birthright
They said that OP and her husband had no business going above them just because they didn’t like what they were going to do with the shop. It was none of their business.
They’ve Ruined Their Retirement
It had always been set aside for them in the will. Her in-laws say they should be disgusted with themselves for ruining their retirement.
Her Husband Has Regrets
Her husband is now asking whether he is in the wrong. OP doesn’t believe that her husband is in the wrong because John was still in the will; he just isn’t getting the company.
Big J is very wealthy and owns multiple vacation properties in the US. Her in-laws are definitely getting a sizable amount of money as John is Big J’s only son.
Big J Wants His Legacy to Live On
Big J didn’t disown his son, he loves him very much, but he wants his life’s achievement to live on beyond his passing!
He thinks the best way to leave his legacy is through his grandson, her husband.
They’re Still Going to Be Wealthy
Her in-laws won’t be left high and dry; they just won’t be able to have it all – like they currently want!
Her mother-in-law’s main argument is that her husband gave up his whole life to work for his dad and doesn’t even get to do what he wants with the business.
He Wasn’t Forced to Stay
But OP thinks that he could’ve worked anywhere else if he wanted to. She understands feeling obligated to do something because of family guilt, but no one forced him to work there for 40 years.
They Want the Family Business to Be Kept in the Family
OP and her husband are not being greedy, and they are not ruining anyone’s retirement. They want to keep the family business alive and pass it down to their children like Big J wanted to.
Big J Implicitly Trusted Him
OP also noted that Big Jim trusted his grandson’s word more than his own son’s, which spoke volumes about their relationship.
She believed that if Big J thought giving the company to his grandson was bad for business, he wouldn’t have done it.
Reddit users agreed with OP. One said, “you and your husband openly communicated with the person whose choice it was to hand down the business and they changed their mind.”
“They just feel entitled to owning it because of seniority and the underlining expectation that they would always receive it once he passed.”
What do you think about this story? Is this couple in the wrong for going over their in-laws’ heads? Or is John wrong for not wanting to keep the family business in the family?
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This post Her Husband Convinced His Grandfather to Leave Him the Family Business Instead of His Father, Her In-Laws Are up in Arms About It first appeared on Fistful of Dollars.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / VALPAZOU. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: Reddit