A legal practitioner and volunteer at Legal Assistance Network, Portia Ahiawordor, has advised couples to hasten slowly when investing in extended family properties.
Speaking on 3FM‘s flagship family mentorship programme, IDEAL HOME, she explained that putting up a building for instance on a land that belongs to your extended family is a futile adventure.
She was reacting to a letter written by a widow to host of the show Etornam Sey, seeking legal advice as her husband died interstate.
He left her with four children. According to the letter, she and her late husband invested in putting up a building on a land that belongs to her husband’s family.
After the man’s death, his family members are ejecting her from the house.
She also finds out after her husband’s death that he had three children with another woman. She expressed worry about losing the house she built with her husband and other properties.
Lawyer Ahiawordor explained that the widow has no case in the matter.
She cannot lay claim to the house because the land belongs to the man’s family, the lawyer said.
She adds that even if the man left a will, it wouldn’t still be valid as the family can only accommodate her for a maximum of six months, according to the law.
Lawyer Ahiawordor has, therefore, advised couples and would-be couples to be wary of investing in family properties.
She also adds that your partner’s property is not necessarily yours, advising parties involved to always have a back-up plan.
IDEAL HOME airs live on Saturdays 5:30am on 3fm 92. 7.
Source: 3news.com|Ghana