Mum in court feud as daughter tries to kick her out of flat gifted 'for tax'
A mum is locked in a bitter court battle with her own daughter as she fights to avoid being booted out of her three-bed flat.
Norma Gibbons, 82, signed over her home to daughter Dawn Gibbons, 52, “for inheritance tax reasons” back in 2004.
But the move seemingly backfired badly as the mother-daughter duo have now been viciously battling it out in court over a number of issues over the last six years.
They fell out over bitter accusations that the mum raised her voice to Dawn’s young daughter.
Norma and Dawn lived in the upstairs and downstairs flat in the same £1.4million converted house in south London.
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The mum had previously owned it but in 2004 she transferred it into her daughter’s sole name for “inheritance tax reasons”, a judge was told.
Daughter Dawn Gibbons is trying to kick her mum out the London flat (Champion News)
The upstairs and downstairs flats in Earlsfield, London, that's at the heart of the bitter mother-daughter dispute (Champion News)But now, after the row, she faces being thrown out.
Norma, who has lived in the Earlsfield flat for over 40 years, is fighting the claim, arguing she never would have signed the flat over if she suspected her own daughter would kick her out.
Representing herself at Central London County Court, Dawn - who works in finance - said she had a good relationship with her mum before they fell out after she herself became a parent in 2008.
She went on to explain how she had severed ties with Norma after she “shouted” at her young daughter, and the row spiralled into a full relationship breakdown and a number of court cases.
The daughter had previously complained about banging noises from the flat above and had sued to try and force her mum to let builders in to repair a leak which she claims is damaging the electrics in her £800,000 downstairs apartment.
She told Judge Richard Roberts: "I have served her a number of orders which she has ripped up and thrown into the garden.
"I need my builder in there to survey what damage there is and what repairs need doing.
"Water is coming through my ceiling. I have mildew. The damage is unrepairable, I have to have access upstairs.
"I am seeking possession because the defendant has continued to ignore orders of the court.
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"I have been trying since 2017 - from friends to family, police, through the courts, through environmental services.
"The electricity is failing in my home. My daughter and I are in danger. I have pleaded with the defendant. What more can I do?"
Representing Norma, barrister Lara Simak said that the mum said the leak had already been repaired and that she did not refuse access.
Alongside that, she said Norma would be claiming a right to stay at the flat on the basis she wouldn’t have signed it over otherwise.
She told the judge: "When transferring the property into her daughter's name, she had an expectation to live there for the rest of her life.
"Certainly, she didn't expect to be kicked out of her flat by her daughter, otherwise she wouldn't have transferred it."
Judge Roberts gave directions for a trial of Dawn's bid to kick her mum out later this spring.
He said that, in the meantime, Norma must allow her daughter access to investigate what repairs might be needed.
"How does this carry on? The ceiling will fall down," he commented.
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