PHILIPSBURG:--- The Court of First Instance has ordered a man to stop collecting apartment rent from his late mother’s undivided estate in South Reward and appointed two of his sisters as temporary administrators.
The October 9, 2026, judgment concerns a property containing a house and two apartments. Five siblings brought proceedings against their brother over how he handled rental income.
The Court ruled that the rent belongs to the estate’s collective beneficiaries. Receiving payments did not give the defendant an independent entitlement to retain them.
He must notify tenants in writing within three days after service of the judgment that payments must go to the sisters or their designated representative.
The Court declined to order repayment of the requested US$24,500. Although the defendant acknowledged collecting rent, he also claimed expenses. Determining the amount recoverable required further investigation beyond the scope of the summary proceedings.
He must account for the property’s income and expenditure.
The Court imposed no coercive penalty, noting his willingness to transfer rent collection, and ordered each side to bear its own legal costs.
Judge L.J. Saarloos declared the judgment immediately enforceable. The decision does not divide the estate.