Siblings live harmoniously after receiving equal inheritance from parents

August 1, 2024 | 03:10 pm PT

Giving out equal inheritance can help avoid conflicts among family members. Illustration photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

My parents gave me and my two younger sisters 25% of their assets each and kept the rest for themselves and their grandchildren.

My parents lived in Hanoi while my siblings and I studied and worked in Ho Chi Minh City, where we bought houses in 2007. In 2009, they sold their house in Ha Dong District for VND2 billion (US$79,300) and moved south to live with us. The house they sold was a single-story with an attic on a 50-square-meter plot of land located in an alley.
Later that year, my parents purchased four adjacent plots of land, each measuring 100 square meters, in Binh Duong Province, which neighbors HCMC. They paid VND1.6 billion and obtained separate title deeds for each plot. In 2010, they built a three-room boarding house on one of the plots to rent out.
In 2013, my parents decided to distribute their inheritance early, giving each of us one of the plots. At that time, each plot was worth VND900 million. They kept the one with the boarding house to cover their living expenses so they would not have to rely entirely on us.
Now in their 70s, my parents live with my wife and me for convenience. They have also made a will to leave their remaining properties to me and instructed me to give them to my son – their grandson – after they pass away. They have discussed this with my two younger sisters, who agreed with the decision.
After receiving their inheritance, my sisters married and built houses on the land given to them. I still take my parents back to Hanoi once or twice a year to visit their hometown and neighbors.
In the future, my wife and I also plan to divide our properties equally between our two children to avoid complications. However, my son will technically still receive more than his sister as he also got the land and house from his grandparents.
Of course, my situation is not representative of all families. The way inheritance is divided and the amounts given can vary based on individual circumstances and other factors. I hope my story illustrates that fair and reasonable inheritance distribution can help minimize conflicts among family members.
Do you think my parents made the right choices regarding inheritance?
Reader Bach
*This opinion was translated into English with the assistance of AI. Readers’ views are personal and do not necessarily match VnExpress’ viewpoints.

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