Siblings resort to underhand tactics to get land inheritance

That is what happened near my home. The couple who lived in that house had four daughters and a son, who is the youngest. None of the children had lived with their parents for the last 40 years. The couple passed away recently due to old age and left behind a 1,000-square-meter plot of land near an industrial zone where large foreign corporations are located. The son quickly claimed sole ownership of the land while throwing various threats at his sisters.

Seeing the brother’s greed and cruelty, I feel sorry for the sisters in that family. Although I feel this way, I have no right to intervene and can only watch the story unfold. Can overly greedy people ever find peace in life?

Reader VB shared the above comment in a recent story on inheritance disputes between siblings. Others have also recounted similar stories.

Reader Nguyen Tuan:

“My grandparents owned a large plot of land in a big city, which they divided equally among their children. They kept a plot for their own retirement. My parents, however, lived in the countryside and did not receive a share since they already got an orchard from relatives.

One day, one of my uncles suddenly returned from overseas and called my father, asking him to contribute money to pay taxes on my grandparents’ plot and to build a new house for them. The uncle promised that after our grandparents passed away, the house would be split in half: one for him and one half for my father.

When our grandparents passed away, our family was shocked to discover that the entire house had been transferred to my uncle. He later gave the house to one of his brothers who lives nearby without informing us. Now, the land and the house naturally belong to that other uncle, even though he did not contribute anything to its construction and already received his share of our grandparents’ inheritance.

Meanwhile, my father not only had to pay taxes on behalf of his siblings but also lost his rightful inheritance. If our grandparents had left a clear will from the beginning, none of this would have happened. My father is kind and does not like to provoke conflicts; otherwise, a big fight would have broken out.”

Reader Nguyenptt:

“Right after my parents gave their house to my youngest brother, he immediately transferred it to his wife. Later, his wife shamelessly moved in and tried to force our elderly parents out by insulting them and breaking items in the house.

But when she sold the house, took all the money, and kicked my brother out onto the street, our parents welcomed him back with open arms and staunchly defended him. I used to help take care of the house and their finances, but at this point, I have decided to step away.

This is when I realized that the cause of family disputes often lies with the parents themselves rather than their descendants. It is their unfair treatment that often results in unrest between siblings.”

Reader Hari Nguyen:

“I have an older brother who was living in the house our parents left behind in the northern Son La Province. As for myself, I moved to Binh Duong Province in the south for work and bought a house there to accommodate myself. My mother later moved in with me as our father had passed away early. In 2018, when my brother’s daughter got married, I brought our mother back to our hometown for the wedding and transferred the house and orchard to my brother.

In 2021, I returned to my hometown for a class reunion without informing anyone beforehand. Upon arriving at the bus station, I called my nephew to pick me up. As soon as I met him, he asked: “Uncle, are you here for Tuan’s [my brother] housewarming party?”

I was shocked and asked him what he meant, only to find out that my dear brother had sold our mother’s house to buy land and build a house on a main road. When I arrived at their home, my brother and his wife tried to avoid me. Seeing this, I left the next day. Money is not everything to me, but there are no familial bonds left to be found there.”

Reader M Tien:

“Most Vietnamese people hold the belief that marriage is all about having children, who are supposed to support them in their old age and later inherit their assets. This mindset is passed down from generation to generation and has resulted in children believing that they are entitled to their parents’ assets.

We should consider changing this outdated belief. Parents should teach their children to become independent from a young age and instill the idea that they must care for themselves as adults. Parents themselves should plan for their old age. Grown children can voluntarily provide financial support and gifts to their parents if they are able to, or parents can support their adult children if they have surplus.

No one should demand anything from each other, and people should learn to appreciate what they get.”

What are your thoughts on these stories?

*This opinion was translated into English with the assistance of AI. Readers’ views are personal and do not necessarily match VnExpress’ viewpoints.