My brother-in-law wants us to pay him £16,000 after living with us backfired
DEAR DEIDRE: MY brother-in-law wants to get back at us after we fell out and is demanding we pay him £16k immediately.
I’m 71 and my wife’s 73. We bought a property to share with my wife’s newly widowed brother.
For more advice from Dear Deidre
No issue is too small, too large or too embarrassing. Read our personal replies here.
He had his heart set on a house we couldn’t afford.
So he insisted on giving us £16,000 to put towards it. We made it clear we could never pay him back but he said it was a gift.
There wasn’t any paperwork.
Get in touch with Deidre
Every problem gets a personal reply, usually within 24 hours weekdays.
Send an email to [email protected]
You can also send a private message on the Facebook page.
Living together didn’t work out. Nine months in, we sold the house and split the sale.
Last week he got in touch to demand his money back. But we don’t have a chance of raising it.
Most read in Dear Deidre
DEIDRE SAYS: As these funds were a gift, you won’t legally have to repay your brother-in-law.
But get in touch with for more detailed advice.
If you feel you would like to improve relations, or morally would feel happier repaying what you can, then consider an affordable repayment plan and talk it through with your brother-in-law.