We Have No Choice But to Sell My Mother's House. There's One Exasperating Person Standing in My Way.

"The problem is that Janet has resisted all efforts to get this done. We live in what has become a very expensive and popular area, so finding housing isn't easy. Janet is almost 70 and has saved very little for retirement. To complicate matters, she got a puppy while living with mom, (despite the family telling her it was a bad idea because she would have to move eventually)."

"She finally found a tiny bedroom to rent that accepted the dog, but she has yet to move in, despite paying rent there for three weeks already-she just moved a bed and a dresser into her new place yesterday. Meanwhile, she's keeping the rest of the family from clearing out the 50 years of stuff in mom's house so we can get it ready to sell. My mom will run out of money in three months if we don't sell the house."

A long-term caregiver sibling moved in to help an elderly mother but later could not manage the care, and the mother was moved into assisted living. Insurance covered two years of the facility, and the family now must empty and sell the mother's house to continue paying for care. One sister, nearly 70 with little retirement savings, acquired a dog and resists moving out despite renting a small room and paying overlapping rent. The sister's refusal to clear decades of belongings and the family's reluctance to force the issue threaten the mother's financial stability within three months.

Read at Slate Magazine