I want back my jewelry and cash

AN 80-YEAR-OLD woman has sued her daughter in the High Court for the return of cash and jewelry amounting to $278,000. However, the judge has urged them to settle their differences amicably, for the last thing he would want to do is determine who is more evil...mother or daughter?

Justice Vasheist Kokaram, presiding in the San Fernando High court, postponed the lawsuit to November in the hope that Adriana Sobiah, 84, of Edoo Lane, Ben Lomond Village in Williamsville can patch up things with her daughter Susan Sammy of Rio Claro.

Mother is claiming that daughter stole $211,000 which included old age pension payments and $78,500 in jewelry, between 2013 and 2016. Sobiah said that her bank account held over $211,000 and she opened another account for her pension.

In 2013, she lived in San Pedro, Rio Claro and had agreed for Sammy to move in with her. She then assigned Sammy as a signatory to her bank account and provided a bank card and pin (personal identification number) so that Sammy could access her pension.

Filed by attorney Cedric Neptune, the lawsuit states that Sammy lived with her mother for three years in Rio Claro, during which, she was entrusted with several pieces of Sobiah's gold jewelry valued $78,500. The money was made available to her daughter, Sobiah added, so that she will have access to funds for her upkeep.

But the relationship soured and Sobiah said in her lawsuit, she became so concerned about her personal safety that he left the house in San Pedro and went to live in Williamsville. She contends that Sammy refused to return her money and jewelry, despite repeated requests to do so.

Sammy has filed a defence and through her attorney Jevan Andrew Rampersad, countered that the money was used for the care and medical expenses incurred by Sobiah. Sammy said that her mother is a cancer patient and substantial sums of money were used for treatment. Additionally, Sammy said, she returned her mother’s jewelry and did so in the presence of police.

Yesterday, both mother and daughter appeared before Kokaram with their respective attorneys, there having been a few mediation sessions prior to the hearing. Neptune said the "gap" which exists between the parties was in the region of $70,000. Rampersad submitted that Sobiah and Sammy have "dug very deep" but the prospect for settlement seems dim.

Kokaram told both women that a trial would see both of them going into the witness box and saying who is more evil than the other. "I’m going to try one more time with you all today. Don’t think about money alone. I’m trying to save you all,” Kokaram said.

He ordered that witness statements be filed and exchanged by October 30 and fixed November for the next hearing.