Son ordered to repay his mother €84,855 after she entrusted him with more than €260,000
A French woman born in Morocco has secured a ruling against her son following a financial dispute over their property company. As she tried to recover her money, he had proposed that the remaining debt could be repaid no later than his mother’s death.
In 2009, the woman and her son jointly set up a property company (SCI). She owns 60% of the shares and he owns 40%. Two months later, she gave him power of attorney over the company’s bank account. The company owns, among other properties, an apartment in Rognac, in the Bouches-du-Rhône.
In December 2020, the mother deposited 262,500 euros into the account to fund investments. She added 3,000 euros in the following months, bringing her total contribution to 265,500 euros. But the bank statements show significant transfers of money to her son.
The day after the first deposit, tens of thousands of euros were transferred. Other transactions followed, including 39,600 euros and 17,542.80 euros transferred in the son’s name for work. The accounts also show the purchase of a vehicle for 15,490 euros and various transfers with no stated purpose, according to the Aix-en-Provence judicial court ruling.
A repayment proposal that shocks his mother
The son also paid money back to the SCI, including nearly 98,856 euros in September 2021. The accounts nevertheless remained in dispute. In November 2023, his mother was still seeking 84,854.90 euros from him. He replied that he planned to sell a property to repay her “as quickly as possible.”
Another proposal would strain their relationship. In a resolution she rejected, her son suggested that the remaining debt be payable no later than her death. For the retiree, who has a modest income, the situation became unbearable.
She took legal action in June 2024, seeking 139,547.70 euros in financial damages, as well as 10,000 euros for the non-material harm she had suffered.
On October 9, 2026, the court found the son personally liable for the improper withdrawals. It ordered him to repay his mother 84,854.90 euros, the amount she had already been seeking in November 2023.
The judges also recognized non-material harm related to the delay in repayment, the son’s conduct and their family relationship. He must pay his mother an additional 5,000 euros, as well as 2,000 euros in legal costs, and cover the court costs.
