We Left Our London Flat to Our Son and Moved to the Countryside—He Moved in with His Mother-in-Law a…

So, you know, my husband and I ended up handing over our flat to our son and moving out to the countryside. He moved in with his mother-in-law and ended up letting our place out.

My husband and I first tied the knot when we were both 23. Mind you, I was already expecting by the time we had the wedding. Wed both just finished universitydid our degrees in Education, if you can believe it. Neither of us came from money. No well-off dad or rich uncle to help us outwe had to graft for everything ourselves.

We both started working pretty early. Honestly, not long after our son was born, we had to use formula. Maybe it was stress, maybe just the same old meals, but I just didnt have enough milk as a young mum. When our boy was about 11 months old, he went off to nursery. Thats where he learned how to use a spoon, sit on the potty, and drift off to sleep without needing to be rocked. Had to, reallymy husband and I had to work.

At first, we rented a flat. Then we scrimped and saved and managed a one-bedroom, eventually putting aside enough for a two-bed. My husband grew up in the countryside, like me, so we always fancied a bit of our own land. A few years back, we bought a little plot. He built us a two-room brick cottage himself, brick by brick. We got a cooker in, sorted out the garden, and bought some new bits of furniture.

Everything was ticking over nicely. Time for us to actually live a bitfinally! Were 46 now, and it really felt like we could start enjoying things just for us. But, you know what they say about family. At 23, our son only went and decided he wanted to get married too. My new daughter-in-laws from a pretty wealthy family. She and our son both studied law at uni. Wedding bells were ringing.

Thats when it all kicked off. Suddenlywe need a fancy restaurant, limo, honeymoon, their own flat, the works.

Ever since our son was born, Ive had this nagging feeling that we didnt show him enough love. He started nursery early, then went to school early, and both of us were always busylike teachers so often are. Wed spend all our time with other peoples kids, while our own lad sort of had to muddle along by himself. His grandparents lived miles away, too. But if we couldnt be there emotionally, we tried to make up for it in other waysnice toys, a comfy armchair, good clothes, paid for his studies, even got him a car on his 18th.

And, of course, now we felt like we ought to keep supporting him. Every bit of savings went into the wedding. My husband and I decided to give him the flat as a wedding presentthought it might spare him the decades of struggle wed had. My daughter-in-laws parents chipped in too, mind, but it was all flashy stuff for her: fur coats, jewellery, the lot. We even replaced all the furniture in the flat. Her family have this big country housethree storeys, fancy interiors, posh cars outside.

Slowly, our son started growing distant. First, he came to see us once a month, then he stopped phoning altogether. His brother-in-law sorted him out with a job at some company.

Then, one day at the market, my husband and I ran into a neighbour. She told us our son hadnt lived in the flat for quite some timehe and his wife were with her mum, and our flat was being let out. My husband was beside himself. I tried to calm him down. I called our son straight away, and he was really harshsaid wed given them the flat, and besides, wed never had any real money. He was shouting, saying hed always had it tough, that it was our fault his wife and him had a better life than wed ever had. He said he was embarrassed being a hanger-on at his mother-in-laws, while we, his parents, were just lowly teachers.

My husband and I just couldnt let it slide. We went to see a solicitor, and he told us that since wed never legally transferred ownership, all these things our son had donerenting out the flatwerent right. The only person who can legally let the flat is the person who officially owns it.

Anywaywe decided not to drag our son through court. We gave the tenants a months notice, explained the situation. They were incredibly decent about it and left on time, no fuss at all. Weve moved back into the flat now. But theres been no word from our son. Both of us are still quite bitter about it all, but maybe, with time, well patch things up.