Photo for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

The Abu Dhabi Court for Family, Civil and Administrative Cases ordered a father to pay his daughter Dh3,300,000 and Dh50,000 in compensation after she agreed with him to buy a residential plot and invest it in her favor, but he used it for himself over 16 years. The father then sold it and received the profit without her knowledge. The daughter filed a lawsuit demanding that her father pay her Dh3,706,000 plus 12% legal interest from the due date until the full payment, as well as Dh500,000 in compensation for the material and moral damages she suffered in addition to the legal fees and expenses. The appellant indicated that she had agreed with her father 16 years ago that he would buy a residential plot of land for her, register it in her name, invest it in her favor, and accordingly hand him Dh800,000. She said that her father purchased the plot of land but did not register it in her name, used it for his benefit, and invested in it for 16 years. She asked him to return it to her and transfer ownership to her name, but he refused. In her lawsuit, the appellant also stated that she was aware in 2021 that her father sold the land for Dh3,706,000 without her knowledge and that she missed the opportunity to enjoy and invest her money, causing her material, psychological, and moral harm. She requested that the court direct the concerned government body to provide data on the plot of land, its purchase and sale dates, and its condition following the sale. Due to the lapse of time, the appellee's lawyer requested that the case not be heard. The court ordered that the case be investigated so that the daughter could prove her claims with evidence. The court also granted the father the right to deny and allowed both parties to bring witnesses. The appellant's ex-husband testified that in 2006, he gave her a cheque for Dh800,000 from his account as a gift on the occasion of her first child and because she wanted to buy a plot of land, which she agreed with her father to buy for her. He added that he was present when she handed the cheque to her father. The appellant's lawyer demanded that the bank be contacted to determine who cashed the cheque from the appellant's ex-husband. The court requested that the concerned municipality provide the real estate papers for the plot of land. It also asked that the bank investigate the cheque movement and the beneficiary's identity. The bank's letter stated that the appellee cashed the cheque, and the relevant municipality said that he purchased the land for Dh750,000 and sold it in 2019 for Dh3,300,000. The court ruled that the daughter was entitled to the value of the plot of land and that the father's appropriation of the price was considered taking money from others without a legitimate reason, and he had to return it. BKM/ Expat Media
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