Couple in China kick elderly parents out of own home after transferring flat ownership to grandson
www.thestar.com.my
BEIIJING: The plight of an elderly couple driven out of their own home by their son after signing the property over to their grandson, has outraged mainland social media.
Jin, 86, regretted his decision after his son and daughter-in-law threw him out, forcing him and his wife, also in her eighties, to stay in a guest house.
They had been living in the flat since the 1990s when the university Jin was working at allocated it to the couple.
A few years ago when he was in poor health after an operation, Jin’s son and daughter-in-law began hounding him to sign the property over to their son.
Jin’s wife was concerned about losing their home, but Jin chose to trust his family, so he signed the document without telling his wife.
“The flat would go to my son and grandson in the end, so I did not think they would do anything terrible to me before I died,” Jin said.
The value of the ownership transfer was 1.05 million yuan (US$150,000).
“They did not actually pay a penny. The ownership went straight to my grandson,” Jin told reporters.
“But I have the right to use the flat. My wife and I can live in it until we die,” he said.
When Jin’s health took a turn for the worse and he had difficulty entering and leaving the flat because it does not have a lift, he leased the place to a friend and moved into a property on a lower floor in another residential community.
Jin’s nightmare began last year when his son told him he was going to sell the flat and buy a villa with the money.
When a shocked Jin tried to dissuade him, he was verbally abused by his son, who had also kept all the rental income.
When the tenant’s lease ended, Jin and his wife tried to move back into their home but discovered the locks had been changed by their son.
The helpless couple slept on the cold, hard floor outside the flat, but the heartless son and daughter-in-law did not appear to care.
“Your grandson says it’s his flat, so you do not have the right to use it,” they said.
The stressful situation caused Jin to collapse and he was taken to hospital.
When his wife asked their son if she could rest in the flat, he refused to open the door.
The homeless old couple were forced to move into a guest house, while they sought legal advice to try and get their home back.
The story has sparked widespread outrage on mainland social media.
“The son is really a demon,” one online observer said.
“How awful! I hope Jin gets his home back,” said another.
Stories about property disputes often make headlines in China.
Earlier this month, a property management company in Shanghai used the flat of a dead former owner with no living relatives to inherit it as staff accommodation.
Last year, an 18-year-old man in central China sold an inherited property worth one million yuan (US$140,000) at half price to buy a motorbike until legal action by his family cancelled the sale. - SCMP
www.thestar.com.my
Jin, 86, regretted his decision after his son and daughter-in-law threw him out, forcing him and his wife, also in her eighties, to stay in a guest house.
They had been living in the flat since the 1990s when the university Jin was working at allocated it to the couple.
A few years ago when he was in poor health after an operation, Jin’s son and daughter-in-law began hounding him to sign the property over to their son.
Jin’s wife was concerned about losing their home, but Jin chose to trust his family, so he signed the document without telling his wife.
“The flat would go to my son and grandson in the end, so I did not think they would do anything terrible to me before I died,” Jin said.
The value of the ownership transfer was 1.05 million yuan (US$150,000).
“They did not actually pay a penny. The ownership went straight to my grandson,” Jin told reporters.
“But I have the right to use the flat. My wife and I can live in it until we die,” he said.
When Jin’s health took a turn for the worse and he had difficulty entering and leaving the flat because it does not have a lift, he leased the place to a friend and moved into a property on a lower floor in another residential community.
Jin’s nightmare began last year when his son told him he was going to sell the flat and buy a villa with the money.
When a shocked Jin tried to dissuade him, he was verbally abused by his son, who had also kept all the rental income.
When the tenant’s lease ended, Jin and his wife tried to move back into their home but discovered the locks had been changed by their son.
The helpless couple slept on the cold, hard floor outside the flat, but the heartless son and daughter-in-law did not appear to care.
“Your grandson says it’s his flat, so you do not have the right to use it,” they said.
The stressful situation caused Jin to collapse and he was taken to hospital.
When his wife asked their son if she could rest in the flat, he refused to open the door.
The homeless old couple were forced to move into a guest house, while they sought legal advice to try and get their home back.
The story has sparked widespread outrage on mainland social media.
“The son is really a demon,” one online observer said.
“How awful! I hope Jin gets his home back,” said another.
Stories about property disputes often make headlines in China.
Earlier this month, a property management company in Shanghai used the flat of a dead former owner with no living relatives to inherit it as staff accommodation.
Last year, an 18-year-old man in central China sold an inherited property worth one million yuan (US$140,000) at half price to buy a motorbike until legal action by his family cancelled the sale. - SCMP
