It’s Monday again, I don’t want a bad Monday just like last Monday. In the Philippines, there’s a common belief that when something bad happened on the first day of the week, there’s a big chance that the whole week will be not good. It did, I did had a bad week.
Never in my wildest imagination that I, together with my siblings almost lost our home to our greedy relatives last week. We live in a 3-door apartment owned by my lola (grandmother, my tatay’s mother) who passed away 5-6 years ago. For the record, my dad died 10 years ago. We lived in this apartment since I was 2 years old. (We used to lived in the 2nd floor of barber shop owned by my dad.)
The apartment we lived was inherited by my Auntie who lives in New York decades ago. There are only two siblings left in the Philippines, my dad and his eldest brother (he and his family lived in with my lola all their life and my lola provided all their needs including tuition fees etc, in short palamunin). The other three siblings lives in US. Its a common knowledge to our family to whom and what properties each son/daughter will be inherited, even my other relatives and closed friends knew. When my lola died, we have a verbal agreement with my Tita (who owned the apartment) that I with my sisters are willing to buy the apartment if she wish to sell the place in the future.
Last weekend, my Uncle and 2 cousins started negotiating with real state agents looking for possible buyer of the apartment without telling us. Correct me if I’m wrong, but they should informed the tenants first before doing this, we are not tenants and its clear that they’re bypassing our rights. If they’ve close the deal, it seems that they didn’t care what will happen to us, kahit sa kangkungan pa kami pulutin. And besides, they didn’t informed the real owner of the place, my Aunt. And they didn’t informed us as well.
I called up my Tita and informed her what happened. I’m not sure if the land title was trasferred to my Aunt or still under my Lola’s name. If its still under my grandmother’s name, we are in trouble because my Uncle knew how to forge my Lola’s signature. They’ve transferred the car’s ownership to my cousin years ago and my uncle forged lola’s signature to deed of sale. My Tita gave me the assurance thet she will not sell the apartments to anybody except for us.
I will not let this thing to happen. My sisters and I have nothing but a small business my dad left us and his principles he taught us including belief in karma and love of God. If we strive on our own is the root of their envy, its not our problem, we strive hard to live on our own without their help. Kung minsan, maganda pa magmalasakit ang hindi mo kadugo kesa sa mga ganid at gahaman na kamaganak. All along, we taught they have their genuine concern to us. They didn’t know that we already knew their plans. They’re still around us, parang mga ahas na mga nakangiti na anytime pwede kami tuklawin katulad ng naunsyami nilang masamang balak sa amin.
This is the reason why I seldom blog and its about time to blog about this… a series of post to lessen the burden. I knew that greediness in the family is somehow normal to some but its different when you experienced it and betrayed by your own flesh and blood. Yes, this is another glitch in my life.
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Oh my. We Filipinos are well known for our family values but I suppose matters could also go to the other extreme. I wish you well. I hope your problems with your relatives do not escalate
Grace´s last blog ..Of Bananas and Government Employees
Unfortunately, we don’t choose our relatives, fate has done that for us. But we could always build our own family based on our criteria of choice and not on blood ties.
Your experience is not uncommon. I have seen much worst. Cheers!
Julehya´s last blog ..Life Isn’t A Race
I don’t understand the differences in law here in the states vs there in your country; but…how could the property still be in the name of your deceits grandmother? Aren’t wills probated? How if someone else owns it can your uncle negotiate anything?
Best of luck
Sandy
Sandy´s last blog ..Salsalito, California
Your experience also happened to one of my relatives, but I dont want to elaborate. Sometimes its also unfair when the ‘favorites’ get the bigger share of properties. Dapat pantay-pantay e.
Pasyalera´s last blog ..People’s Park in Davao City