Page 19 - Seniors Today Dec 2019
P. 19
Toolkit
Don’t sign away
your safety
Older people must be careful not to sign away their prop-
Seniors can be an easy target for erty during their lifetime
abuse if they don’t have control over
their property,
writes Sonavi Kher Desai
According to HelpAge India, more than fifty probate cannot be granted without the Will.
percent of the cases related to abuse of senior
citizens are property related. The pressure on Factors for abuse
the elderly, usually parents or close relatives, Just as seniors can be victims of property-
ranges from dividing the property to selling it to related abuse due to proximity to the abuser,
writing it off in the name(s) of children during another factor due to which they can be abused
the lifetime of the parents, rendering them is living alone and in isolation. Nowadays many
vulnerable to ill-treatment. elders live alone, with children living abroad or
Lawyers advise that it is not a good idea to sign separately, and hence they become easy targets
over property to others during one’s lifetime. for unscrupulous people. Seniors sometimes
In fact, although it is advised that one should rent out part of their homes to earn some income
make a Will, it is not a good practice to share and find that the tenant then refuses to vacate
your Will with children or relatives during your the house and abuses them. In such situations
lifetime. Make a Will and keep it in safe custody the elderly live in fear and are helpless in taking
either with your lawyer or in some secure place, action. They fear reprisals and therefore fail to
and do not reveal the contents to anyone. Also, approach the police.
never keep the Will in a bank safe deposit locker The legal recourse for seniors who are
because the locker can be accessed only after abused is to approach the Tribunal under the
a probate of the Will has been obtained, and a Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior
19 SENIORS TODAY | Volume 1 | Issue 6
