My half-brother, who lives in Texas, has become an unproductive member of society and remains the black sheep of the family. He's among the ranks of the unemployed, and is currently trying to get Social Security disability for medical (and I think, mental) problems, but without any success.
A year or two ago he called and said that his air conditioning went out and it was several hundred dollars to get it repaired. I gave him most of what he wanted. I knew better not to loan it to him because he apparently has no hope of employment or income. I took the Judge Judy family loan approach and said, here, its a gift but no more.
Recently he called me to tell me he was living with love of his life, a former prostitute. Then later he called and told me she left him after her "friend" beat the "s@#t" out of him.
The most recent phone conversations started yesterday when he informed me that local authorities were going to red tag his house (which he owns) as unfit for occupancy. His electrical service box was in sad shape from aluminum wiring and burn and melted marks throughout the box. Apparently, at one time he had done some of his own wiring without a permit (and he's not an electrician). In any case, the local authorities have cut his power and red-tagged this house. He's running the house on a generator (is that legal after having your power cut?). He's got a cell phone which he can charge in his car, and believe me, he's on it--to me.
He wants me to loan/give him the $2500 he will need for an electrician to make his electrical box safe. He's saying that a red tag on the house means that if he can't afford to fix the electrical problems he'll lose the house (or have to sell the house).
Now I've recently retired, and while I have enough to give him the money, I certainly can't become an ATM for my black sheep half-brother. He says that he'll sign over "any part or all the house" to me if I loan him the money to get his electrical fixed. His only hope for any income is to get approved for Social Security disability because he vows he'll never work again. Now I've never seen this house, but I can imagine the shape its in with him being unemployed for at least four years. I'm sure I don't want to become a part owner of it.
Right now I've asked him to send me the quotes he has for the electrical work, but he seems reluctant to do that, so I also smell somewhat of a possible scam going on here.
I'd welcome any ideas here on how to proceed with this touchy family problem. There are also other half-siblings that could also possibly help, but apparently I seem like the best target. He didn't want to take or get the phone number of his other half brother, which he claimed he lost, after I suggested the he might have to contact the other siblings--although I hate to do that to my other brother.