Father sues son over land dispute; son countersues for inheritance share

A legal battle has erupted between an 86-year-old father, identified as Mr. Tuan, and his 55-year-old son, Mr. Viet, over a plot of land. Mr. Tuan initiated the lawsuit to reclaim a 274 square meter parcel he alleges he lent to his son 35 years ago. The case, heard by the People's Court of Region 7 in Bac Ninh, was adjourned to August 28 to allow for further evidence collection and the summoning of Mr. Tuan's other children.

According to Mr. Tuan's account, the land in question was part of a larger plot he received from his parents and expanded through his own efforts, totaling 595 square meters. After his first wife's death in 1980, he remarried and divided the land. In 2020, he verbally agreed to give Mr. Viet half of the 274 square meter plot, with the other half intended for his second son. Mr. Viet subsequently built a house on his portion.

Conflict arose in 2024 when Mr. Tuan asked Mr. Viet to return the remaining half of the 274 square meter plot so it could be given to the second son, who wished to return to their hometown. Mr. Viet refused. Mr. Tuan then discovered that his son had secretly registered the entire 274 square meter plot in his own name in 2020. Believing Mr. Viet had illegally occupied the land and acted disrespectfully, Mr. Tuan decided to sue, seeking to invalidate the land title and have the entire plot returned.

Mr. Viet has filed a counterclaim, disputing his father's claims. He asserts that both his father and paternal grandparents intended to gift him the 274 square meter plot back in 1991, with the consent of other family members. He claims his father was actively involved in the land registration process in 2020 for both plots and only handed over the title for the 274 square meter parcel in 2007 to facilitate a bank loan. Mr. Viet argues the land is rightfully his family's property, not his father's, and rejects the demand to cancel the title or give up half the land to his brother.