My sister wants to move into my fathers house.... but hasn't put her house up for sale

xylophone

 My father died in Feb, My wife is the Executor and is anxious to get closure to the process for emotional as well as financial reasons. Her sister (who my wife is close with and wants to remain close to) expressed her desire to buy father's house 

Could I just clarify - did you mean your wife's father died in February, and she is the sole executor of his estate?

If so, has your wife's sister inherited a half share in the property and  she wants to buy out your wife's interest? 

Zecis

xylophone said:

 My father died in Feb, My wife is the Executor and is anxious to get closure to the process for emotional as well as financial reasons. Her sister (who my wife is close with and wants to remain close to) expressed her desire to buy father's house 

Could I just clarify - did you mean your wife's father died in February, and she is the sole executor of his estate?

If so, has your wife's sister inherited a half share in the property and  she wants to buy out your wife's interest? 

correct, the reason the sister is not a joint executor is she will openly admit she is useless at anything business or admin related

xylophone

she is useless at anything business or admin related

And a born procrastinator?
It is perfectly understandable that in the face of the loss of both parents within so short a time, your wife  is very considerate of her sister's feelings and  anxious to maintain a good relationship with her.

However, this works both ways and your wife should be explaining that she finds it distressing not to be able to complete administration  and so "lay Mum and Dad to rest" as it were.

That may seem a strange  idea  but from experience  I'd say that once the estate is finalised, there is a huge sense of relief and freedom to get on with life.

It is simply not fair of your SIL to abuse your wife's good will in this way.

Aranyani

Hang on, all along I thought the OP was the bereaved child and the sister wanting the house was no blood relation to the deceased, am I wrong? 

74jax

Aranyani said:

Hang on, all along I thought the OP was the bereaved child and the sister wanting the house was no blood relation to the deceased, am I wrong? 

Me too.  I posted on the first page for clarification on who was who...... 
If it is the wife's father who has died, then let the wife take as long as she likes. Each sister has recieved half the house. If the wife is willing to wait, so be it. 
It totally changes things in my eyes. 

Dox

Zecis said:

xylophone said:

 My father died in Feb, My wife is the Executor and is anxious to get closure to the process for emotional as well as financial reasons. Her sister (who my wife is close with and wants to remain close to) expressed her desire to buy father's house 

Could I just clarify - did you mean your wife's father died in February, and she is the sole executor of his estate?

If so, has your wife's sister inherited a half share in the property and  she wants to buy out your wife's interest? 

correct, the reason the sister is not a joint executor is she will openly admit she is useless at anything business or admin related

So not OP's father at all...pity the info wasn't correct at the outset. A lot of time wasted here answering on the wrong info.

xylophone

If it is the wife's father who has died, then let the wife take as long as she likes. Each sister has recieved half the house. If the wife is willing to wait, 

My wife is the Executor and is anxious to get closure to the process for emotional as well as financial reasons. 

As far as I can see, the OP's wife is  not so much willing to wait as  reluctant to require her sister to stop procrastinating?

74jax

xylophone said:

If it is the wife's father who has died, then let the wife take as long as she likes. Each sister has recieved half the house. If the wife is willing to wait, 

My wife is the Executor and is anxious to get closure to the process for emotional as well as financial reasons. 

As far as I can see, the OP's wife is  not so much willing to wait as  reluctant to require her sister to stop procrastinating?

Totally. I was of the impression it was the OP's dad who died. 
Now we know it's the wife's, then all my advice is different to what gave. 
Both sisters have lost their dad and the wife doesn't want to upset the sister anymore, I get that. Yes she would like the money but is putting her relationship with her sister before that.
There is nothing the op can do, it's not his house, his sister, his inheritance. The wife needs to do whatever she can to get by. I lost my mam in the pandemic and I'm standing by my brother and his needs with my mams house, putting aside money I could get from the house to support him. 
I completely understand the situation more now. 

xylophone

I'm standing by my brother and his needs with my mams house, 

I'm not quite sure that the OP's SIL has any needs as such other than to put her own convenience and wants (rather than needs?) before her sister's emotional well being/financial  requirements and those of her nieces/nephews.

Her sister (who my wife is close with and wants to remain close to) expressed her desire to buy father's house in early summer. In order to do this she needs to sell her own house, but now some 8 months later still has not put her house on the market. She seems to always find reasons why it can't happen... re-decorating, de-cluttering, another house has gone up for sale in the same street - the list goes on. At the same time she is planning the changes she wants to make to Father's house.
It goes without saying that until the house sale is complete we cannot get our share of the inheritance, neither can any of his grandchildren. We are approaching retirement and want to pay off our mortgage and the children are desperately saving to buy their first homes and their share of the inheritance would help enormously. 

74jax

xylophone said:

I'm standing by my brother and his needs with my mams house, 

I'm not quite sure that the OP's SIL has any needs as such other than to put her own convenience and wants (rather than needs?) before her sister's emotional well being/financial  requirements and those of her nieces/nephews.

Her sister (who my wife is close with and wants to remain close to) expressed her desire to buy father's house in early summer. In order to do this she needs to sell her own house, but now some 8 months later still has not put her house on the market. She seems to always find reasons why it can't happen... re-decorating, de-cluttering, another house has gone up for sale in the same street - the list goes on. At the same time she is planning the changes she wants to make to Father's house.
It goes without saying that until the house sale is complete we cannot get our share of the inheritance, neither can any of his grandchildren. We are approaching retirement and want to pay off our mortgage and the children are desperately saving to buy their first homes and their share of the inheritance would help enormously. 

Sorry yes you put it much better. My brother doesn't have 'needs' more 'wants'. 
I totally get the op might want to hurry things along, but until the wife wants to put herself first, then he can't really do anything. If it was the wife on here posting she had tried xyz then my advise given previously would stand.
Right now though it's up to the wife to decide when she's had enough and to tell the sister.