DEAR ABBY: When my mother passed away three years ago, the financial burden fell on me. I asked my brother (who earns more than double what I do) to help and got no help from him. Since then, I have been paying her storage unit fee.
I asked my brother to pay half because half the stuff in this unit belongs to him and his family. I've never received a penny. He took it upon himself to go through the stuff and take what he wanted.
I have spent $900 on this unit. I feel the contents are mine as I have more than paid for it. I'm willing to go through it together, but I feel he was wrong to have done it without me. Am I wrong? Am I overreacting? How do I deal with this without causing problems? I am way beyond upset. --STUCK WITH STUFF IN MONTANA
DEAR STUCK: You are not wrong. Your brother should not have shouldered you out of the way to have first dibs on the contents in storage, and he should have been paying half the cost of the unit since her death. I am unsure what "problem" you are afraid of causing, because your brother appears to be the one causing the problem.
My inclination is to advise you that what is left in the unit is now yours to dispose of as you wish, but before doing that, you would be wise to consult an attorney. You should not be paying a monthly fee that is causing you financial stress.