[TerryH]

Sold my 911 many moons ago and haven't been here in quite a while. I've always felt this forum had some really bright folks and I need your opinions in a family matter. Right now my wife and inlaws are mad at me and they are leaving early tomorrow for home, Vegas. We live in LA.

In 1998 I purchased an '86 Buick GN from my brother in law for $5K. It was rough, from the rust belt, he got in a trade for a boat, but it was worth the money. I found a website dedicated to those cars and followed the documented recipe and suddenly I had a high 11 second drag car with just bolt-ons that still had A/C and power windows. I had invested quite a bit, about another $5K, into the car for performance as well as appearance. Figuring I have at least $10K into car not counting my labor of course.

Fast forward a dozen or more years and I don't drive it much any more. I mention to the wife I'm going to sell it, but she has some kind of weird attachment and wants to keep it in the family. It's a large car and I would rather have the garage space and the money. She talks to her sister and my brother in law will buy the car back for the same $5K he sold it to me way back when.

I take him aside and say look, we both know this car is now worth twice what I paid for it with all the new parts and added HP. You can take it home with the signed pink slip for $5K and enjoy it forever, but if you ever sell it, we split what you get over $5K. He understands and agrees. This was 2012.

Fast forward to yesterday, they drive in from Vegas. The wives are out doing what they do best... shopping, while us guys are having a few beers on the patio. He mentions they recently sold the Buick. I said, oh, how much? He says $8K. Okay, I pause, hoping the next thing I see is a $1500 check, but alas, no. I wait and wait and wait and there is no mention of our agreement. I shrug it off and try to wipe it off my memory, but it starts to dig at me a little. They are family, after all, not my side, my side wouldn't do this. ha!

The subject of buying cars came up today and I mentioned directly to my brother-in-law if he remember our agreement on the Buick resale. He said he remembered. I said I just wanted to put it out there. I made no demand for payment or anything. I wanted him to know that I knew he wasn't following up the agreement. He left the room. I couldn't tell if he embarrassed or mad, but it didn't take long for all 3 of them to despise me. That's my wife and the inlaws. Dinner was skipped tonight and they avoided me completely. I'm an ogre.

I likely would not have accepted the payment, but because it was not offered, I felt slighted and taken advantage of. My calculator says I lost $5K and they gained $3K.

They can afford it. We can afford it. No one is starving. Should I have said anything or just bit my tongue completely..... off.

Oh, and thanks for reading this far! Please chime in.