When two siblings inherited a $2.5 million house, one refused to leave and ended up in big trouble
A row over the inheritance of a pricey Sydney property led an Australian judge to take decisive action last month.
A family row over the inheritance of a multi-million-dollar mansion led to the arrest of a woman in Australia last month, after she repeatedly refused to cooperate with a court’s attempts to break the standoff.
As reported by the Sydney Morning Herald’s Michaela Whitbourn, the inheritance feud began when a 93-year-old woman died in 2021, and left her Sydney home to her two daughters.
Located in the city’s upmarket Cremorne suburb, the house is reportedly valued at around AUS $4 million (US $2.55 million) - but one sister’s efforts to put it on the market were stymied by the other’s refusal to move out of the property.
“Delay, obfuscation, diversion”
The case finally reached the New South Wales Supreme Court, where Justice Michael Slattery ruled that the sister living in the home was responsible for an “unacceptable” hold-up in resolving her mother’s estate.
Per Whitbourn, Slattery said she was wrongfully depriving her sibling of “half of the capital of the estate to which she is entitled”, by following a strategy of “delay, obfuscation, diversion, and ultimately no communication at all”.
Despite being ordered to appear in court last month, the uncooperative sister failed to turn up more than once - leading Slattery to compel her to engage with the civil proceedings by having her arrested and brought to his courtroom.
“The court’s authority cannot be ignored any longer,” Slattery said, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
She is now set to leave the mansion by early April, Whitbourn reports, before an independent administrator will be tasked with managing the sale of the home.
“We have tendencies we’ve tried to control...”
Speaking to the Daily Mail in the wake of the Cremorne case, the Australian law professor Prue Vines explained that death, and the inheritances that result from it, can lead people to show a “less pleasant side” of their personality.
“We all know that we have a less pleasant side and we might have tendencies that we’ve tried to control, to be a decent person,” Professor Vines said.
“Sometimes that control seems to break for people, especially when there’s a big shock [... and] when there’s money involved.”
What to know about Cremorne, the backdrop to the inheritance feud
Situated on Sydney’s Lower North Shore, Cremorne is described by Location Property Group as a tranquil suburb for “high-income earners”, with a “friendly [...] youthful vibe influenced by the majority of residents [being] within the 25-44 age range”.
Boasting picturesque hillside views, Cremorne “is made even more appealing through the unique character each house displays”, Location Property Group adds.
Around a 15-minute drive from Sydney’s central business district, Cremorne offers its residents “the ease and convenience that the locations provide when it comes to travelling to and from work”.
Wander Cremorne for panoramic views of the city skyline. #ilovesydney
— Sydney.com (@sydney_sider) April 1, 2017
📷 @RobbieSydneyP pic.twitter.com/EHE4nWrOM2
Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.
Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.
Complete your personal details to comment
Your opinion will be published with first and last names