Reader declines duty of beneficiary

Dear Amy: A man who I was involved with many years ago (we have remained friends) announced to me that he is making me beneficiary on his insurance policy.

I am fond of him, but the relationship didn’t work out because he constantly and consistently made bad decisions throughout the time we were together.

He has since had two children with two different women.

He has a very contentious and messy family, including a sister who behaves like some evil twin from a bad Lifetime movie. Pure lunacy.

I told him that I did not want to be his beneficiary. He says that I am the only responsible person he knows. He said he knows I would carry out his last wishes.

I know in the event that he passed before me these nutjobs would make my life hell.

I told him, “Do not put my name on that policy.” He says he doesn’t care what I say and that he is doing it anyway.

Is there anything I can do if he goes against my wishes and makes me a beneficiary?

Unwilling Beneficiary

Dear Unwilling: Your friend has the right to name you (or anyone) as the beneficiary of his policy. You also have the right to refuse the proceeds, in which case the insurance money would go to his contingent beneficiaries.

I agree with your choice to refuse this. You should once again notify your friend (preferably in writing — keep a copy) that you don’t want to be named, and also tell him that, furthermore, if he goes against your wishes you will refuse any proceeds, and so he should name contingent beneficiaries.

Dear Amy: I was shocked to read your response to “Delicate,” who was worried about how to get rid of some old pornographic magazines. You suggested: “Stash them in front of your neighbor’s house!”

Amy, c’mon man, that’s just downright WRONG! That’s a very unneighborly thing to do.

A better suggestion is to wrap them up as you stated, and then take them behind the market and dump them in a public trash site. Disgusted

Dear Disgusted: When I prefaced my statement by suggesting “a daring predawn raid,” I assumed readers would understand that I was joking.