It can be tempting to conclude that the reason behind things was always that there was family drama going on behind the scenes. That’s not always the case.
Three daughters inherited a small amount of real estate in the 1850s in Ohio after their father died. Two daughters sold theirs to their brother immediately. The third daughter was deceased and her family sold her share ten or so years later–to the same brother. It may be tempting to interpret the delay as the result of family drama, but the more likely scenario was that they waited until the last child of the deceased daughter reached the age of majority so that the child could legally sign a deed.
Another family waited to sell the farm of their late father. The reasons are not stated, but it could have been that the property was mortgaged and they wanted to wait until the loan was paid down.
Sometimes things are delayed because there was quibbling within the family. Other times there were legal or financial details that made the delay more efficient.
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