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95-year-old man asked his friend to care for him until his death. He fired all his nurses he had at home because he preferred his friend over them. He said I won't give you any money now, but when I'm dead I'll leave you the house you live in and the one next to it. You can live in one and rent from the other, but the friend wasn’t put in the old man's will. Whether he forgot or it was done purposely I don't know but the old man's daughter says the friend isn't getting anything. It just really hurt the friends’ feelings badly and now the daughter is threatening to kick him out of his home plus his wife went crazy during this time for reasons I don't know. He hasn't got a dime to his name and nowhere to go. Is there anything you can do legally?

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Sorry, but a contract should have been written by a lawyer, witnessed and notarized. This way the lawyer could have made sure the man was competent at the time the contract was written. He could have done a codicil to his will.

Really I can see leaving one house to the caregiver but not two. My MIL told I don't how many people they could have her car, one being my grandson. When she passed, her granddaughter got the car. My BIL was the POA. Nothing was said why niece got the car. Maybe there was a codicil, maybe my BIL made the decision. My DH just let it go.
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Legally nothing can be done about this.
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A verbal promise is worth nothing.
If your friend is living in the house caring for this man I would tell your friend to pack up any belongings and move out.
Give no notice since there is no pay involved nor apparently a written contract of employment.
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ventingisback Aug 2023
The elderly man already died. The man who would have liked to be in the will, wants to try to: stay in the house and own the house (and another house).
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You can't and if I had a dollar for every story I have read about an old person promising someone something after they died I would be a millionaire many times over. If the 95 year old really wanted the friend to have anything they would have upated their will. So this friend is SOL and has learned a very important life lesson. Never trust an old person. Friend needs to start looking for a new place to stay because he will be getting evicted sooner rather than later. And he can waste his money hiring a lawyer but his chances are zero on getting anything. Any reputable lawyer would tell him that.
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I want to come back to add that there are many people that have come to this forum in the same situation who were caregivers for a PARENT - people that gave up jobs and provided a high level of actual hands on care with the belief they would be repaid for their sacrifice. Unfortunately promises are just words, and unless it is in writing they mean nothing.
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sp196902 Aug 2023
And it's a real tragedy when this happens. Especially when they put themselves in dire financial straits to "help."
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It's hard to believe anyone could be that naive.
This is going to sound harsh, but from the family's point of view this person is a deadbeat who lived off of their dear old dad and now they have the audacity to try to claim the house too.
My old uncle had a cadre of friends that hung out around his place and helped him with odd jobs. I have no doubt at all that it was implied they would be remembered "some day" but when he died they went so far as to produce a hand written will (written by one of them and supposedly signed by my uncle 🙄) that left them a sizable property. I wasn't averse to giving them some compensation but that was taking things too far, and once the lawyers got involve they got nothing.
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Unless you are dealing with a very honest person, verbal means nothing.

My father told me to give $5,000 each to two people after his death although it was not in his will, I did.

My cousin wanted me to give his two cars to a friend after his death, plus $3,000 to another friend, I did, also was not in his will.

That being done is very unusual especially when it comes to money.

Your chances of getting anything are basically zero as you are not related in any, way, shape or form.
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cwillie Aug 2023
It may not even be about the honesty of the heirs, if there was never anything said any all you have is the word of the person with their hand out it can be hard to know what to believe.
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"... the friend wouldn't put in the old man's will whether he forgot or it was done purposely"

This doesn't make sense. The friend (your father) didn't write the old man's will, so how could he put anything in it?

"plus his wife went crazy during this time for reasons I don't know and he hasn't got a dime to his name and nowhere to go is there anything you can do legally"

The caregiving friend's wife (your mother) went crazy? What does this mean? That he had a home and now doesn't?

How long did the friend take care of the man?

How old is your father?

Regardless, as the others have said, without anything being in writing, there is really no hope of the friend getting the old man's houses.
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Not sure who is who or who said what to whom.. but old people (with or without memory problems) promise things away all the time.

A 95yo promised to give two houses away & was believed? You are joking right?
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Beatty Aug 2023
PS sorry to be harsh
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Nothing in writing, no witnesses to the promise, friend is not a relative… doesn’t look good for the friend. He can hire an attorney but he’d have to pay for it.
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olddude Aug 2023
I wouldn't waste my time and energy with a lawyer. There is no chance whatsoever of the friend getting anything, unless the family voluntarily hands the house over.
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If you're not in the will, you don't. If it's not legally documented, signed by the principal, notary signature with attorney signature of certificate, you can't contest a will that doesn't include you.
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