Yahoo News Mother 'with sight problems accidentally signed £600k home to son', court hears
Update (11/3/21)
On 6 July 2018, Mrs Maribel Parody was awarded a 30 per cent share in the house in Sudbury which was the subject of dispute by Central London County Court. She was unsuccessful in her claim in respect of the Wembley flat. Each party was ordered to bear its own costs.
A mother who claims she accidentally signed her £600,000 house over to her son while suffering sight problems due to cataracts is fighting in court to get the property back.
Maribel Parody, 77, believed her son Adam Parody was “the only one I could trust” and signed a letter putting her home in Sudbury into his sole name.
But after he said he could evict her, Mrs Parody started legal action, arguing she had only given the house and a £200,000 flat in Wembley to him to hold on trust for her.
She told Central London county court she struggles with reading and at the time of signing the letter in 2011 had sight difficulties. Her barrister, Jesse Crozier, said: “The letter must be viewed with circumspection and as not reflecting Maribel’s intentions at the time… it was not a gift.” She said the cataracts “were not remedied until 2013”.
The court heard Adam is no longer on speaking terms with his brother Darren and sister Dimitra Flynn, who he believes “manipulated” their mother into suing him. Giving evidence, Mrs Parody said Adam had looked after her since her marriage broke down in the mid-Nineties and was put in charge of her Wembley flat for fear it would fall into the hands of her ex-husband. “Adam was controlling my money,” she said.
Mrs Parody said she contributed £121,000 to buy the house for £375,000 in 2011 and covered all the mortgage payments, believing it would pass to all three children after she died.
Adam concedes his mother put cash into the purchase but says the letter she signed informed the mortgage lender the money was being “gifted to him”. His barrister, Adrian Davies, said the “waiver” letter was “strong evidence”.
Judge Alan Johns QC will give a ruling on the case at a later date.
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