Two pensioners are facing homelessness after a £600,000 family inheritance feud with their sister. David Isaacs, 75, and his sister Ruth, who cared for their mother Sybil Isaacs before her death in 2013, have lost a High Court battle to remain in the family home in Croydon.
Sybil Isaacs died in 2013, having excluded David from her will due to concerns that his inheritance could be lost in his divorce. Despite David moving back into the home to care for her alongside Ruth, the will was never changed. In 2025, David was awarded £150,000 as 'reasonable provision' from the estate, with the remaining £450,000 split between his twin sister Susan Ellis-Cohn and Ruth.
David and Ruth appealed to Judge David Rees KC to allow them to stay in the four-bedroom property for life, arguing they have 'not even a car to sleep in' and cannot afford rented accommodation due to their age and limited income. However, Judge Rees dismissed the case, stating the siblings have no right to 'indefinitely' occupy the home as it would deprive Susan of her inheritance.
The court heard that Susan moved out of the family home in 1975 and now lives in a nursing home in California, where she argued she needed the inheritance due to serious medical conditions. Judge Rees noted 'significant tension and ill-feeling' between the siblings but rejected Susan's claim that their mother disliked David, instead concluding that the exclusion was driven by concerns over David's marriage.
David suffers from osteoporosis, arthritis, a thyroid condition, and ankle deformities affecting his mobility. The judge acknowledged that both David and Ruth provided care for their mother in her final years. The siblings now face eviction from the property, which has been valued at approximately £600,000.
