That is horrible!!
My DH uses his DS to do work when he is out of town also and I cannot imagine SS ever behaving that way.

First of all, I know how the tool situation is as my DH needs his to perform his work also, I would in no uncertain terms tell son that he must produce a itemized timesheet of hours he feels your DH "owes" him pay for & be able to back it up with proof he completed said jobs along with receipts showing HE paid for the tools he refuses to return.
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(unbelievable, I can't believe it as I type this!!)

Were it me I would call police and file a report that tools were taken to complete job and son refuses to return them. Or just report them stolen. I hate to think of your DH having to deal with the stress of this on top of his cancer diagnosis. I would say because of the circumstances to let it go so your DH doesn't lose the realtionship with his DS however sounds like DS doesn't appreciate his father and is an ungrateful piece of work.

What does your DH want to do about it & is he willing to play hardball since that seems to be the direction son is headed. It would probably be less stressful to let son have the tools and keep whatver might be salvedgable in the relationship with your DH & his son but tools are very expensive and it might not be possible.

Maybe son needs to know that DH may call his business contacts and pull any support in the business community..

UGH-What a mess!! I'm so sorry you & your DH have that on top of everything else to deal with.

I agree with Cat that it would be less stressful to write off the tools and invest in a new will to exclude the son. I love my kids but if they had the gall to kick me when I'm down...

As for reporting tools stolen, most likely it would be considered a civil dispute since they are related, unless dad wants his son arrested as a criminal. BTW, not returning borrowed property is not a crime, at least here in CA. (My son loaned a girl his car last year and she took off and refused to return it for several days. When he went to file a stolen vehicle report, he was told it is a civil matter since he gave her the keys and it was borrowed. Not sure about other states) Your husband could file a lawsuit for the value of the tools and the son can file a counter suit for what he claims are his 'wages' or what he thinks is owed to him and let a judge decide. It's always sad when family takes family to court, but what this son is doing is downright despicible. and I would certainly let the license board know the truth.

GAH--it gets better!!!! tonight dh also told me that ss threatened to 'destroy'our marriage by revealing dh's relationship with a person between his first marriage and me---twenty years ago!! yes,i know he saw another person during that time,,before we were dating and subsequently married. then when dh said it was old news and who cared, he says he'll find a way to take MY home away from me when dh dies!!!! as if!!! i bought that house by myself as a single mom and before dh came along.
dh was sad to tell me this--he feels ss has become a mean and grasping person and no longer wants him in his life. so sad,i've been crying all day. dh must feel worse,though he isn't showing it. wonder how much this stress will affect his cancer?
makes me want to hold my kids close to me--i can't imagine them ever being so horrid.
i'm going to try to let it go,,dh says ss is freaking out because his business isn't doing well and he's striking out. he's a lot more forgiving then i,but then it's his child. i never knew this child hated me so much,,or resented his father so much,but he's been fed a steady stream of garbage from his mother for years,i guess he bought into a lot of it. she should be ashamed of her part in this. thanks for your support,,we're going to go about out business and replace the tools without a word.

How sad and ugly that something which should be such a bonding experience (child taking over the torch for parent's business), especially at this time with Dad having cancer, should turn into basically a hostile takeover...

It may be too late (depending on the personalities involved & communication skills), but I'm wondering if Dad can have a one-on-one heart-to-heart with his son, simply asking him what has happened (in son's perception) to create such a competitive and exploitative relationship between the two of them. If Dad can convey that it is safe for son to share his real thoughts and feelings without Dad's judgement, invalidation or rejection, it just might get to the core of the matter, be a real learning/healing experience for both of them and begin a process of a better relationship. Then again, it might not. Son may simply have hardened into a selfish person who just wants to browbeat Dad and doesn't want to compromise. Or Dad may be too defensive or otherwise have some blockage to hearing what son may have to say and reject him. Maybe it's nobody's fault but the situation is just one that isn't easily fixed (often the case in post-divorce/blended family circumstances).

In any event, now that Dad is up to working again, tools that are his property should be given back, period. Before I'd call the cops, though, if I were Dad I'd at least tell son with civility: "Look, I'm back in business and I need my tools. When will you have them to me?" and if son indicates he's not planning on returning them, Dad can THEN say: "How would you like to work this out, then, with me getting my tools back? Would you rather buy me brand new tools with the big profits you've made? Or would you rather spend the money on court costs if I have to sue my own son for them? Maybe I can take the cost of them out of your inheritance, if I still feel like leaving you one. Your choice, I'm trying to be fair and give you options but you're not going to be able to just take my tools from me."

Make sure your affairs are in order and he cannot take your home from you. I know the laws are different in every state, still it can't hurt to check with an attorney to be safe.

Ok so this isn't constructive but your DH's kid is a jacka$$ who needs a serious boot to the head:)

I guess in your huband's family when a member goes down the remaining members kick him in the head and take his wallet! That's sick. Greed brings out the worst in people. He should be supporting his father not robbing him of his livelyhood and threatening to screw his wife over when he dies! YUCK!

Dis-inherent this pathetic little turd and cover yourselves legally PRONTO! Sonny dearest has made his intentions very clear....

I completely agree with doodleboo. Since your Dh wants nothing to do with him either anymore then cover yourselves and diinherent him completely. I've heard many stories like this before and my own husband has a brother who is also been disenheretted due to greed.