Wills are a potentially grim subject, as you’re ultimately deciding what happens to your money and possessions when you’re dead and buried. However, as long as it’s legal, you can make all sorts of requests.
Many ask for their possessions to be split among loved ones, but others go against the grain, and their families will likely remember their requests long after the fact. Here’s a selection of the more unusual proposals we’ve found online and on social media.
Leaving A Small Fortune To Beloved Pets
I’ve read several accounts of people leaving fortunes to their pets on the ‘AskReddit‘ subreddit. One client allegedly left both his feline friends $100,000 so they could ‘maintain their current lifestyle.’ It’s unclear what that request entailed, but I adore this as it’s basically the premise for the Disney movie Aristocats.
Another user claims to be a solicitor and says their client wanted to create a $100,000 trust fund for her fish. They allegedly said their pets were regular goldfish, but she wanted them fed fresh avocado daily and to be looked after by a local dog walker.
Bury Me With My Dog
We’ve covered pet-related wills, but another entry on Reddit is far darker. One user explains that a lady wanted to be buried with her beloved small dog.
It sounds like an innocent request, except for one disturbing clause. The will allegedly said that if the dog outlived her, she wanted a vet to put it down so it could join her. It’s unclear if that came to pass, although some users point out pets are technically property in many states.
I Leave My Son A Manure Spreader
Wills don’t always ask for property and possessions to be split equally. They can also be altered, as one Reddit user explains. In a separate thread on r/askreddit, a poster who claims to be a lawyer recounts an unforgettable request.
A doctor apparently disinherited his son and everything he was supposed to get upon their death. All potential property was replaced with a “manure spreader.” The poster explains that editing a will is easy, and they didn’t ask questions. However, the son is in for a shock when the will is eventually read.
Leaving Just A Single Dollar
If you think the manure spreader was bad, how about the woman who received a single dollar? On the same Reddit thread, A user explains that their great-grandmother left her daughter “Just one dollar and not a single penny more, so help me god.” The daughter reportedly vanished after the will hearing.
Interestingly, another commenter sheds some light on the significance of leaving a single dollar. Leaving a small sum of money allegedly shows authorities that the receiver was not forgotten. This means they have no way to claim more through any loopholes.
The spreader may be worth more, but the dollar is definitely less embarrassing.