5th June 2025

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By Julie Cazzin and Ed Olkovich

Q: My son’s mother-in-law is leaving her home to her three daughters. If certainly one of them desires to promote out her third of the home, she should promote it to the opposite two sisters for $1, in line with the desire. Is that this authorized? And may deceased members of the family management their estates from the grave as my son’s mother-in-law is attempting to do? Or is there a regulation that overrides such clauses? And may the three daughters make a unique association amongst themselves as soon as their mom has handed? As an illustration, can they purchase one another’s shares at truthful market worth? – Nancy

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FP Solutions: Nancy, it’s useful to step again and take into consideration what your son’s mother-in-law’s motivation is for placing such a clause in her will. Is she maybe attempting to pressure her daughters to get together with one another after she’s gone?

However her daughters have choices. They could select to disagree with the tough situations hooked up to their home reward and should all determine to simply accept their reward with out the mom’s situations.

You shouldn’t pressure folks to imagine the burdens of actual property possession. This consists of paying taxes, coping with rental earnings, home repairs, upkeep and so forth. The daughters can negotiate a brand new deal amongst themselves earlier than taking possession except the property trustee of their mom’s property refuses to switch title with out them accepting their mom’s phrases. In any other case, the home might must be offered. That absolutely was not the mom’s intention.

Household can do nearly something if all of them agree. That is additionally topic to receiving co-operation from the mom’s property executor.

Forcing a sale for $1 will not be enforced by a court docket. This situation could also be unconscionable. You’re right that this seems to be an try by the mom to regulate her property and folks from the grave. It could be good for a film plot, however not in actual life.

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Forcing folks to personal a bit of property collectively places them right into a partnership, which isn’t a simple ship to sail. The home reward could also be legitimate, however the subsequent situation hooked up to the reward to promote the property to every proprietor for $1 might not. It needs to be deleted. It will not be legally enforced. If the daughters settle for the situation, it could be too late to vary it later.

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Any deadlock could also be resolved by negotiations, mediation or a court docket order. The mother-in-law ought to contemplate updating her will to keep away from any danger of disagreement and authorized battles after she is gone.

Edward Olkovich is an Ontario lawyer at MrWills.com. He’s additionally licensed by the Regulation Society of Ontario as a specialist in Estates and Trusts Regulation. This data just isn’t an alternative choice to authorized recommendation.

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