My in-laws oppose our plan to sell the land they gave us

My husband's parents gave us a land plot but don't allow us to sell it. Illustrtion photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

After marrying in 2015 and welcoming a son by year’s end, my husband and I, previously employed in Hanoi, relocated to his hometown, which is known for its garment industry, in anticipation of our new family life.

Two months postpartum, I ventured into online sales, a burgeoning market at the time, while my husband gained experience in local workshops. This direction seemed promising and I simultaneously explored rental housing options in the village for easier logistics. We expressed to my in-laws our intention to purchase land to settle sooner.

My in-laws owned a plot of land acquired during a farmland distribution initiative to alleviate congestion, costing them VND20 million (US$813), as I heard. It was ambiguously designated for both my husband and me, with plans for his younger brother, then a 10th grader, to eventually reside there, despite that I have always valued living independently.

One day, unable to secure childcare, I took our baby to my husband’s workshop and stayed for lunch. Before leaving, I asked his brother to inform our grandparents. However, that evening at 5 p.m., my father-in-law unexpectedly called, questioning my absence at a church service.

Later that night, after dinner as we prepared for bed, he expressed his disapproval through slamming doors and indirect criticisms of our autonomy, chiding me for going out without seeking permission.

The following day, I initiated a search for a separate residence and soon requested our in-laws’ permission to live independently, which would facilitate our business operations. I proposed to continue cooking and hosting family meals. They were absent on the day we moved out.

After moving out, my husband and I continued our business by taking turns managing shipments and customer orders. Fortuitously, I secured customers from other provinces and even a buyer from Laos, stabilizing our income sufficiently to cover living and rental expenses.

In March 2017, amidst our declining business, my father-in-law informed us of a pending land law amendment, prompting him to transfer the land plot mentioned into our names.

Subsequently, after visiting my sister in Ho Chi Minh City, we decided to move there. I rented a space to open a coffee and bubble tea shop, combining it with online sales, which were gaining traction from food ordering apps.

By 2020, pregnant with our second child and during the Covid pandemic, I opted to cease business and move near my sister’s home. I rented a place for VND5 million a month. Despite a natural flair for business and a preference for non-traditional work hours, consecutive failures led me to seek employment at the time.

I persistently suggested and inquired about selling the land plot my in-laws gave us to fund a home in Ho Chi Minh City, enhancing our children’s living space and managing bank loan interests. I told my in-laws how despite our eagerness and house-hunting efforts, financial constraints hindered us. However, my in-laws refused the sale, suggesting that we should return to build a house on the land for convenience.

After years of futile persuasion, last year my husband and I opted to purchase a condominium in Ho Chi Minh City on installment. Yet, as I was operating a boxed lunch delivery to university canteens as a side hustle, our condominium living felt restrictive, challenging the continuation of this sideline. Therefore, in June 2024, seizing an opportunity from a colleague’s house sale in the neighboring province of Binh Duong, we resolved to buy.

As we amassed funds, my husband retrieved the land ownership certificate, which his mother had kept, and we secured a VND800 million bank loan. Upon finalizing our Binh Duong house purchase later this year, an additional VND500 million will be due. The sale of the land would help substantially fund this payment.

However, we remain undecided about selling. The land, previously valued at VND1.7 billion, recently increased to an estimated VND2 billion according to a neighbor’s sale.

I’m considering reserving the land for my husband’s brother, who is currently in Japan but planning a return to Vietnam next year. Given a new road construction that enhances the land’s value and suitability for business, it seems prudent.

Additionally, providing him with an independent residence upon marriage could help avoid potential domestic tension that might arise from living under one roof with his parents.

I have yet to discuss this proposal with my in-laws. Given these circumstances, what would be a fair price to offer the land to my brother-in-law?

*This opinion was translated into English with the assistance of AI. Readers’ views are personal and do not necessarily match VnExpress’ viewpoints.