A widow has sued two of her children and won the return of more than €150,000 worth of gold and silver items she had given them to look after.
Rita Farrugia, of Victoria, and her late husband Emmanuele Farrugia had three children, George Farrugia, Mario Farrugia and Amata Borg.
Magistrate Josette Demicoli in the Gozo courts heard that jeweller Mr Farrugia’s health had declined and the couple spent 18 months with the nuns of Pompeii House in the capital before he died in 2006. During this time their gold and silver was deposited in a bank under the names of all three children.
Mr Farrugia bequeathed all the items to his wife in his will, and the jewellery business was continued by their son George.
Ms Farrugia then moved in with her daughter, Amata, and her husband Maurice Borg, taking her valuables out of the bank and keeping them in her daughter’s home.
In July 2008, Rita Farrugia suffered a stroke and moved in with her son George, and a family feud began.
Ms Borg and her brother Mario Farrugia made no contact with their mother from that time and both declared they were on bad terms with George Farrugia.
Ms Farrugia asked her daughter to return her gold and silver but Ms Borg refused, claiming her mother had donated the items to her and Mario Farrugia so as to give them a share of their father’s inheritance equal to their brother’s.
Magistrate Demicoli said the evidence showed it was clear Rita Farrugia had not donated the items to her children.
The widow had consistently declared ownership, had given some of the jewellery to her niece and had previously used a written contract to donate some other silver items to Ms Borg.
Ms Borg and Mario Farrugia had sought legal advice about their father’s will and had not told the lawyer their mother had donated the gold and silver to them.
Magistrate Demicoli found in favour of Rita Farrugia and ordered Ms Borg and Mario Farrugia to return her property within 20 days.
In default, Ms Borg and Mr Farrugia would have to pay their mother €153,554 between them to make good for the items’ value.