S'pore mum, 91, kicks daughter out of house, daughter tries to sue, but fails

In 1994, Rita Kishinchand Bhojwani moved into her parents' home with her son.

For the next 31 years, the Singaporean lived with her parents rent-free, moving with them to a condominium in 2010, while her mother covered the S$6,000 monthly rent.

But a family dispute led to her mother kicking her daughter out of the house in 2021.

Angered, Bhojwani tried to sue for several claims, including emotional distress and regarding her supposed right to stay in her parents' home.

A High Court judge dismissed her case on May 9, ruling her evidence insufficient.

The dispute

The court heard that Bhojwani's mother, 91, is a director of a family real estate business.

Her father, 93, founded the business in 1968, reported Shin Min Daily News.

On Mar. 2, 2021, Bhojwani applied for the Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) on behalf of her father, who was mentally incapacitated.

But she found that her father had already selected her brother as the donee.

Alleging that her brother pressured their father into doing so, Bhojwani filed a lawsuit to contest the LPA and claimed that her father lacked the mental capacity to sign the document.

She also applied for a protection order, accusing her brother of domestic violence.

However, Bhojwani's mother backed her brother up and even supplied an affidavit on his behalf.

On Aug. 23, 2021, she passed a board resolution that essentially saw Bhojwani evicted from the property.

Barred from living there

When Bhojwani tried to enter the condo on Aug. 25, she found herself stopped by security.

Her belongings had also been packed into boxes and left at the corridor, the court heard.

In response, she sued to restore her right to reside in the condominium.

She claimed that when she first moved in in 2010, she had signed an agreement with her parents and the family business that she could live there rent-free.

Bhojwani also filed for compensation for hotel accommodation after her eviction, and emotional distress.

She accused her brother of manipulating and instigating their mother to evict her.

According to Sin Chew Daily, Bhojwani's mother claimed that her dissatisfaction with her father's LPA started when she found that her parents had willed all the family properties to her brother.

She became aggressive after learning of this, often shouting, filming her father's actions and conversations between her mother and brother, and demanding that her mother sign unknown documents.

She also made her mother cry.

Claims dismissed

The judge ultimately dismissed her claims due to a lack of evidence.

He noted that while her father had allowed her to live in the family property rent-free and promised to provide her with financial support, this was not an unconditional agreement.

The judge also noted that Bhojwani had not worked outside the family business for 26 years, and received a S$2,000 salary and S$1,000 allowance every month.

As such, it appeared that she had chosen to rely on her parents for financial support, and deliberately chose not to work outside.

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