A judge has ordered a BC woman, 37, to stand aside and permit her parents to sell a home that was purchased with a $110,000 loan they made to her. The woman claimed money for the Vancouver Island home was a gift. But her brother received a similar loan to buy a home which he paid back. Now the parents say they need the money to pay off their mortgage and taxes. BC Supreme Court Justice Robert Punnett heard that the relationship between the parents and their daughter was normal until the dispute arose in 2016. The money had been advanced to provide the daughter a home while she pursued postgraduate studies at Royal Roads University.
Damaged beyond repair
The judge noted that while the land title documents, property tax bills and the defendants’ role in dealing with tenants in the home and the day-to-day care of the property were consistent with her assertion of ownership, such evidence was also consistent with the couple’s evidence and their stated reasons for the purchase. The parents had been very supportive of their children, particularly the daughter, given her lengthy education and her need for financial support, added the judge. The mom said Tuesday that she hopes other parents get a legal agreement that stipulates exactly what the parties intend in such a situation. “We were fair,” she said. “We were never vindictive to (our daughter), but we’ve lost our daughter now. I just don’t know how it can be repaired because it’s done so much damage.”
