It is great when family can help each other out, but sometimes a good deed is regretted, and it can end up causing family drama.

That is what happened in this story when her uncle sold her mother several expensive musical instruments at a great price, but then, after he experienced a brain injury, he became upset by it and demanded them back.

Her mother is refusing to give them back, but she feels like maybe her mom is taking advantage of her uncle since his injury, so she feels guilty.

To me, it seems that nobody is doing anything wrong. Her uncle isn’t being himself since the injury, which is sad. Read through the full story below and see what you think.

WIBTAH for not returning guitars that my family bought from my uncle?

I (F18) have an uncle (M70) who is a bit of a hoarder and shopaholic.

This guy has a lot of cool stuff.

My uncle is a widower who is also big into music. He has pretty much every record, CD, and DVD of lots of media, as well as a really expensive sound system in his house.

My uncle bought a bunch of instruments many years back, but he doesn’t know how to play them and just sort of kept them in his house until a few years back when my mom bought them off of him for a total of $2k for my twin brother.

It is great that her brother got such good use out of them.

In all, we got two amps, a big box of pedals, an electric guitar, a bass, a keyboard, and two nice record players. I don’t know much about guitars or music, but I learned from my brother that this was a steal.

Since we made the purchase, my brother has consistently uses the instruments as playing guitar and bass is his passion. Mind you they were untouched in my uncle’s house.

This type of injury can be devastating.

Now for the part of the story where I might be out of line. My uncle has been in 2 motorcycle accidents and has slipped on black ice.

My uncle has pretty bad brain damage. He’s been struggling with psychosis, can enter fits of rage, he believes wholeheartedly in aliens, emails random CEOS and high ranking executives of companies about random stuff, is constantly romance scammed, and has called CPS and the police on my parents to try and get then arrested over him forgetting where his bike was.

You don’t cut off loved ones because they have brain injuries.

My uncle has been retired for a while and currently is being supported by his sister (my aunt) who is in deep denial of his psychosis and funds him with no question.

Why we even still talk to him? I have no idea. But the point is he is mentally unwell and can get delusions.

He has become fixated on those instruments.

Right now he has been consistently bringing it up around my mom that he wants his guitar and pedals back because he is learning to play guitar.

My mom said she’ll return the stuff we bought off of him if he pays us the $2k back. He says he doesn’t have the money, but has continued to text me about it.

My uncle has been bothering me for my brother’s phone number (he has access to my brother’s number, I think he forgot it) and has been frequently texting me that he needs to talk to my brother and asks about the pedals.

The family is treating him differently because he is different now.

My family is telling me to ignore him, but I can’t help but feel bad for him as he’s disabled both physically and mentally, he doesn’t really talk to anyone other than my grandma and aunt, and I can’t help but feel that my mom and brother ripped him off and bought equipment for far less than it was worth.

I can’t help but think that because he’s not all mentally there, my family is just sort of treating him like a toddler. That he should only be seen and not heard. Would my family be out of line if we don’t return the equipment?

AITA?

The sad reality is that the uncle is no longer himself. It seems that they bought the instruments before his injury, when he was in sound mind. Even if not, he wasn’t using the instruments and sold them, so they aren’t his any longer.

Let’s see what the people in the comments have to say about this situation.

Her uncle might need some help.

Some elderly people have a hard time with money.

Nobody took advantage of the uncle.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a dad who can’t understand why his son can sleep in now that he’s not commuting to the office.

Her mother is being more than fair.

This commenter says that he sold them fair and square.

Her mother is handling her uncle in the best way that she can. There is no reason to give the instruments back.