My Aunt Transferred My Inheritance to Herself

You may find yourself in a situation where your aunt transferred your inheritance to herself. This can be an inheritance that you were expecting from your grandfather or grandmother, aunt or aunt, or even your mother or father. If your aunt transferred your inheritance to herself, your aunt’s liability to defend that transfer will depend on her relationship with the person whose money she transferred, your relationship with that person, and the kind of transfer it was.

Contesting your aunt’s transfer of someone else’s money to herself will require more information in determining the liabilities of the affected persons.

For example, if your aunt transferred someone else’s money to herself because she had the authority as POA, this transfer can be considered self-dealing. She can be liable, not only for the amount of the transfer, but for punitive damages as well, due to the breach of her fiduciary duty.

If your aunt transferred someone else’s money to herself as a joint account holder, you can contest the transfer on the ground that the joint account was not of survivorship but of convenience. Thus, that amount should have not been transferred to your aunt as a joint owner but to the estate of the original account holder.

Lastly, transferring someone else’s money to herself without any authority or under no framework of agency or joint tenancy can be considered larceny, embezzlement, misappropriation, or robbery, depending on how the taking of someone else’s money was committed.

Many issues can arise out of a simple transfer of money. Disputes may arise especially when money is involved. Should you need assistance in contesting a money or property transfer to your aunt, we at the Law Offices of Albert Goodwin are here for you. We have offices in New York City, Brooklyn, NY, and Queens, NY. You can call us at 212-233-1233 or send us an email at [email protected].