8 siblings clash over parents' land in 15-year inheritance battle

The dispute centers around whether the deceased parents, Mr and Mrs Van, left their entire 9,600 square meters of land in Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province to one sibling, their second son Minh.

Van and his wife have nine children and seven of them are suing Minh to court.

Minh has said his parents left behind a will saying he should inherit the land and also announced it to all nine children at a family gathering on September 15, 2005.

But the other siblings have disputed the genuineness of the will saying that their parents’ signatures on it look completely different.

Minh has said his parents also created a document signed by the eight other siblings to the effect that they did not contest the will.

But the seven siblings suing Minh have flatly denied such a meeting took place.

They have also claimed that Minh had met them individually and asked them to sign a document to approve repairs to the house their parents had left, and had not known they were signing the land succession deed.

Minh has said his parents signed the will and testament with two neighbors as witnesses, but his siblings have also rejected this, saying the neighbors claimed they saw Minh holding a signed will but never saw their parents signing it.

They therefore want the will and land transfer documents annulled and the land divided equally among all nine.

Over the last 15 years the case has been in and out of various courts, with the plaintiffs appealing every verdict.

To add to the confusion, forensic agencies have been unable to agree the parents’ signatures are legitimate.

At the latest trial last September the People’s Court of Ba Ria City ruled in favor of Minh and gave him the entire land.

It said Van and his wife had handed over to the eight children assets of similar value when they were alive, while Minh lived with them on the disputed property and took care of them.

The will and land transfer paper indicated that the couple had shown a clear desire to bequeath the land to Minh, it had ruled.