About four years ago I was lent a computer from my grandma that was my brothers. The computer was bought in 2001, so it is over nine years old. During that time my brother personally told my mom the computer belonged to me. It has been in my possession for three to four years now and I also had to spend a few hundred dollars to buy new parts. I had to get a new keyboard, mouse, and speakers (all the originals broke over time from being so old). I also had to pay geek squad service fees and the price of a new internet part that had to be installed. When I got it I also had to do computer restores. Part of the reason the computer came in to my possession to begin with was in fact, because they stated that they thought it was already broke.
For the last 3-4 weeks it was at my grandma’s house for the time being because she said my brother needed a computer to use when he was visiting. But now, my grandma gave it to my uncle about 2 days ago. She already gave him a computer and he has no use for this one either. She gave it to him to use for turbo tax but that software doesn’t work on that computer. I tried last year to install it for him and it didn’t work, so I know that for a fact. I believed that the computer was going to be returned and had NO intention of giving it back. Is it legally mine now?
Side note:
I’m not sure if this helps, but my mom has paid my grandma well over four thousand dollars in labor since then. She cleans her house everyday, runs errands, and more. She gets nothing in return and does not do this because she wants to but because no one else will do it.
That is just it though. During that time my brother did say it was mine now. And it was at the Grandma’s house because she raised him and that’s where he lived. So that is the MAIN reason i feel it is mine, because he said it was mine. I tried to get his help now but he doesn’t want to get involved and think it should just go to whoever can use it. Which even though I have a brand new computer, I still need it so my boyfriend can use it because he is currently living with me and we both need a computer.
It has already become a fight, why I need to figure out how I can get it back because I still need it. I don’t know if I should have said lent in the beginning though. I said that because that is what they think now that they were doing. Even though at the time what they really did was give it to me since they thought it was broke anyways.
Go to your uncle and ask for it back. I don’t know why grandma had your brother’s computer in the first place.
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Sadly, because it was only lent to you, it is still the property of your brother. For it to be yours, your brother would have had to give it to you.
You would have been better off to put your money into buying a new or refurbished machine.
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Your side note of information doesn’t help or hurt. Your mother was not doing those things in exchange for the computer – so it is irrelevant. It is a nice thing for your mother to do.
Should the computer be yours? Maybe, but you acknowledge that it had been loaned to you – so you’d have a difficult time claiming an ownership interest.
In the grand scheme of things, are you willing to create a family fight over an almost ten year old computer? If you REALLY want the computer back, perhaps you can mention to your grandmother that you would really appreciate being able to continue to use it. But you really need to pick and choose your battles.
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