A bitter family row between two sisters over £50,000 one gave to the other for the purchase of a house in Dundee has ended up in court.
The sister who gave the money said it was a loan that must be repaid but the sister who received it says it was a gift which she does not have to pay back.
The row between Diane Gibson and her sister Sandra Gow and husband Derek Gow is the subject of legal action at Dundee Sheriff Court.
It concerns the Gows’ house, a semi-detached bungalow in West Ferry.
Papers lodged at the court explain that Diane Gibson gave £50,000 to the Gows in 2007 to assist in the purchase of the house.
The transaction between Mrs Gibson and the Gows was said to be under a verbal agreement and was subject to certain conditions.
One was that the Gows were to repay the money before Diane Gibson retired.
No exact time was stated for the repayment but the money was to be repaid within a reasonable period of time of it being requested.
The court papers say Diane Gibson has made several attempts in person and through her solicitor to have the Gows repay the money, but they have not complied with her request.
The Gows do not deny receiving the £50,000 but say it was given to them as a gift and not a loan, and was therefore not a sum of money to be repaid.
If Diane Gibson proved it was a loan, the Gows say that under the terms of the transaction repayment was not yet due.
There was discussion about them repaying the money before Diane Gibson retired and that the money should be repaid within a reasonable time of it being requested.
The Gows maintained that if Diane Gibson had not retired or was not about to retire, they were not obliged to repay the £50,000.
Sheriff KJ McGowan has allowed both parties to present their arguments at a hearing.
The case will be back in court later this month.
Photo courtesy of Flickr user Images Money.