When my maternal grandmother passed away, she left the land to my mother and her eight uncles and aunts. She only said that it should be divided equally between them.
Afterward, the property’s title deed needed to be updated and only one person could be listed as the owner. The siblings agreed to let one of my aunts represent everyone. It was unclear if she was given the wrong instructions, but she wrote in the update application form that they had unanimously agreed to hand over the entire plot to her, giving her full rights to use and dispose of it.
Most of my aunts and uncles could not read or write. Trusting each other, they all placed their fingerprints on the document to confirm their agreement. By the time I discovered what had happened, the land had legally become the property of that one aunt.
Now, only one person holds the title, yet three families live on the land. Subdividing the plot would be costly, and my aunts and uncles are elderly and not well off. As a result, they cannot access their separate shares to sell freely, while living there also exposes them to potential legal disputes.
My own family faces a similar issue. My parents have a 2,500 square-meter plot along a large road just a kilometer from the city center. During the land boom, someone offered VND50 billion (US$1.9 million) for it, but we did not sell.
Even though I am one of their sons, my parents decided to give my eldest sister 800 square meters of that plot and put all their savings into helping her expand her business. The remaining land has not been transferred to my younger brother and me.
While my eldest sister is now financially secure with our parents’ help, my youngest brother had to live with his wife’s family and I cannot build a house because the land is not yet mine.
I am not wealthy, but my life is comfortable, so inheritance is not a huge concern for me. I have, on occasions, financially helped my father with his business and car purchase.
I have often suggested that my parents sell part of the land to fund their retirement. But they refuse, worried it could affect my sister. They also will not give my brother and me our shares, fearing we might sell it.
Whenever I think about my family’s situation, I only feel sad for myself. I am not angry at my parents or looking for an inheritance, I only blame myself for being unable to build something big on my own. What saddens me most is that my parents are exhausting their health to support my sister’s business, while she only cares about herself and ignores them. It is a reminder that not all parents treat their children equally.
*This opinion was translated into English with the assistance of AI. Readers’ views are personal and do not necessarily match VnExpress’ viewpoints.