A pair of elderly Chinese parents, trusting in their son and hoping for a comfortable retirement, sold two properties in China and exhausted their life savings to buy a house in New Zealand for their son.

They thought they had finally found a stable place to settle down in their later years, but instead of receiving gratitude, they were met with a cold eviction notice from their son.

Not only were they refused entry into the house, but the house they had purchased was almost sold by their son without their knowledge. This cross-border family dispute eventually landed in the Auckland High Court of New Zealand.

The protagonists of this story are Mr. Wang and Mrs. Xu, a couple in their seventies. Many years ago, their son Xin Wang (Sino-Australian pronunciation) fell into hardship due to a failed marriage. Heartbroken over his plight, the couple sold two old family homes in China and used their savings to raise a total of 447,000 NZD (approximately 2 million RMB).

This money not only paid off the original mortgage on their son's property but also covered part of his ex-wife's contribution – all so that their son could re-establish his life.

Because they mistakenly believed that "one cannot purchase property without New Zealand residency," the property was registered under their son's name. Their son verbally promised: "Once you obtain residency, I will transfer the property to you."

Trust was the starting point of this tragedy.

However, starting in 2015, their son quietly rented out the house, earning 630 NZD per week, which he kept for himself. He also mortgaged the house for 34,000 NZD without informing his father and later refinanced it for an additional 81,000 NZD.

In 2016, Wang remarried and bought a new home in Flat Bush, East Auckland, through a family trust. By 2018, when the elderly couple finally obtained entry qualifications, they discovered that the house belonging to them had already been rented out.

They had no choice but to temporarily reside in their son's "new home."

But this was just the prelude to a greater tragedy.

The friction between generations living under one roof gradually intensified. After a fierce argument between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, Wang sided with his wife and demanded that his parents move out and rent another place to live.

During the Spring Festival in 2022, when the parents gave out "smaller-than-usual" red envelopes to their grandchildren, Wang questioned them in front of everyone, making them "lose face." These long-suffering elders were ultimately forced to move out and rent elsewhere.

Mrs. Xu sent her son a heartbreaking message via WeChat:

"We gave you all our hard-earned savings, and now we have no home and must pay rent ourselves..."

What is more infuriating is that in March 2022, Wang secretly entrusted an agent to sell the house without informing his parents. Fortunately, the elderly couple discovered this in time and applied for a property warning order to prevent the transaction from being completed.

This pair of devastated parents finally chose to seek justice through legal means—they sued their son at the Auckland High Court, demanding confirmation of ownership of the property, even though there was no written agreement at the time.

Wang, however, argued: "These funds were gifts, and I am the legally registered owner." He even counter-sued his parents, claiming that they were merely "suddenly regretful due to poor mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relations."

Ultimately, Auckland High Court Judge Greg Blanchard accepted the parents' account, clearly stating:

"In the absence of a written agreement, the court can infer based on trust and factual evidence—the parents are the true contributors and beneficiaries."

The court ruled as follows:

  • Wang must officially transfer the property to the parents;
  • He must repay the loans generated by using the house as collateral;
  • He must pay part of the rental income as compensation.

The proxy lawyer declined media interviews, and Wang himself has not responded.

Behind this case lies the heartache of countless Chinese parents—pouring everything into their children, yet neglecting basic legal safeguards. "Funding without documentation, registering property under a child’s name" is seen as a sign of trust in traditional beliefs but often results in disappointment or betrayal in reality.

Family ties may touch hearts, but they cannot replace law; filial piety deserves anticipation, but it cannot substitute for contracts.

When trust breaks down, what truly protects you is not kinship, but evidence and the law.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7500371327213732386/

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