He’s also my business partner. He kept his watch collection with me since his wife doesn’t allow him to buy watches and made me promise not to ever tell his wife about them. Not only because she doesn’t like it but also because she will definitely ask him to sell them and probably spend the money on clothes and traveling like she often does.
He lets me use the watches in the condition that I don’t cause any damage. But now that he passed away it doesn’t feel right any more.
His watch collection is worth about 200K$ in todays market. I think the lawful and ethical thing to do is to break the promise and tell his wife but I’m not sure that’s the right thing to do since he made me promise not to tell her.
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Looking after them and keeping the secret was fine while your friend was still alive however he isn’t. As such they are now no longer legally his and certainly not yours, instead belonging to the person to whom they were willed or the estate if they were not specifically bequeathed and if in the future it should somehow arise that he owned these watches and you kept them, well that’s theft. Your problem is how to tell the wife. If you have kept these a secret will she think you’re withholding anything else?
Was there an attorney involved in settling the estate? Maybe have a chat to them.
The fact that he does not have any kids makes me feel you should keep them.
If I was him, I would want you to keep them.
Can I get one?
Dont tell and dont sell - no problem.
I’d say they’re yours to keep. He trusted them to you, not his wife, because he knew his wife did not respect his hobby. You are someone that did.
It’s not some side chicks or immoral things he kept from his wife dude, just give it to her and tell her about it. I think she would’ve appreciate it.
Doesn’t sound like he gave it to you, so they are not yours to keep. I don’t understand how people are justice in telling you to keep them. You do t have to tell his wife that they are his watches. Just liquidate and give her the money as “business” payout.
“What watches?”
The moral thing in my opinion is to not break the promise you gave to your friend. Might not be the legal thing to do though.
Idk if it were me, and I left something valuable with my friend because I didn’t trust my wife about it, that thing would be my friend’s upon my passing. If he chose to give it back to my wife that’s his generosity
How much does the wife want for the collection? Asking for a friend. Seems that $250 would be a fair amount, but I… I mean, my friend would be willing to go to $350 in the circumstances.
No kids means bros before hoes. Wear it in better health than him!
I would turn them over to her and ask if you could keep one, as a momento.
The more shady option would be to turn them all over, aside from the one you want to keep.
Easier this way? Yes.
Does this put you in an ethical and legal grey area? Also yes.
Well shit, if you wanna donate them to help kids in the hood so they can stop doing crime I know a nonprofit.
What kind of watches we talking about here?