Daughter Claims $550K for Parents’ Perth Home; Parents Say She Was Just a Tenant

Perth – In a complex family dispute, Breanna Lane has lost her legal battle to prevent her parents, Alan and Wendy Briggs, from selling a property they purchased for her. The $1.1 million home was acquired in 2014 under the assumption that Lane would eventually own it after making substantial monthly payments over the years. However, a recent court ruling allows the sale to proceed, though Lane may receive a portion of the profits.

Launched in July of this year, Lane’s civil case claimed an informal agreement existed, stipulating that as long as she made monthly payments, the home would become hers. The Briggs, however, asserted during court proceedings that they viewed Lane as a tenant rather than a future homeowner. They noted that payments made by Lane were often inconsistent and that, at one point, she fell behind on rent.

Breanna Lane, previously the owner of a commercial property business and currently an employee of the University of Western Australia, highlighted financial hardships in 2014, stating that her parents had agreed to assist her family. The couple financed the purchase of their three-bedroom home in Swanbourne, located close to Perth’s scenic Cottesloe Beach, with a loan of $1.2 million. Lane and her husband were expected to pay $4,300 monthly for living there.

Justice Larissa Strk ruled last week that, while Lane had made significant payments, the arrangement lacked clear documentation supporting her claim of future ownership. Court records indicated that the Briggses considered the money received as rent rather than mortgage repayments, citing that at one point, Lane had missed payments and owed several thousand dollars.

As the conflict escalated, the Briggs asserted they provided Lane with additional financial assistance, totaling around $122,000, to cover her living expenses. They claimed that the payments they received from her were sporadic and inconsistent and that they had no formal agreement regarding ownership.

Lane sought to impose a legal caveat on the property title to hinder any sale or transfers. However, the court determined that it was in everyone’s best interest to proceed with the sale, particularly given the rising mortgage costs, which could reach over $13,500 a month by December 2026. Justice Strk ordered that any profits from the sale, estimated at around $800,000, should be placed in a court fund until Lane’s potential claim could be adjudicated.

This legal dispute highlights the complexities arising from family loans and informal agreements, especially when significant sums are involved. The judgment may leave Lane with the opportunity to claim some financial restitution from the sale, emphasizing the need for clearer agreements in familial financial transactions to avoid such misunderstandings in the future.