Arno Adelmann, a former building contractor who at first glance seems a little grumpy but is actually quite likeable, literally comes alive when he temporarily takes in his neighbor, the young pharmacist Ina, and her young daughter Caro in his villa. However, Adelmann's scheming daughters and their spouses are convinced that the stubborn old man is merely about to squander his fortune on a cunning heiress. And so they apply to the court for his incapacitation. But the old nobleman has not fallen on his head.