Please Save My Family Home & Fund Huge Legal Bill

Hello, my name is Michaela, and I've spent my life working in the fields of yoga, secondary teaching and breathwork. I have also been involved with the arts, NGO-related charitable causes and pro bono advocacy.

As a low-income earner and sole parent without property, it was hard to find secure accommodation. Eventually, I was able to rent a small cooperative social housing residence for many years.

I am seeking urgent emergency help to save my childhood family home and stop the sale of my late dear Mother's house. She lovingly bequeathed it to her only descendants, me and my son, to provide for our housing and financial security. She naturally believed we are her rightful heirs.

In the 1960s, after many years of long hard shift work as a European immigrant, she had managed to singlehandedly purchase the land, have a deposit for a new house, obtain a bank loan, and buy all the furniture - a dynamic achievement for an educated, divorced woman with a young daughter, living together as boarders in other migrants' homes.

Situated in the Melbourne metropolitan area, it is now an irreplaceable, lovely light-filled, comfortable, spacious house nestled in a garden with many fragrant flowering trees and shrubs. For nearly 60 years, it has been my much loved home base. My son found a stable haven there all his life, and we've both contributed regularly to its maintenance. We feel truly grateful for my mother's courage, determination, effort, love, generosity, and everything she did for us.

I was her dedicated carer and Power of Attorney during the final 11 years of her long life. As she requested, I have looked after her home and pet cats for several years since she passed away, and spend most of my time there.

Unfortunately, my life has been thrown into turmoil by a lengthy and traumatic legal battle to defend my mother's Last Will. I was sued for a share of her estate by two people related by marriage. Although each is an outright homeowner, their vexatious litigation unexpectedly succeeded and I lost the court case.

We felt devastated. Also shocked were some lawyers, my doctor, accountant and friends. But we could not afford an expensive appeal which could have risked losing the entire inheritance.

As a result, I have to pay all parties' legal costs - a massive bill now of over $500,000. Because there are no other assets, and I don't own a home, the court's decision forces me to sell my mother's house via auction very soon, in an unpredictable market. If not, I face further legal and financial penalties.

Rather than 'natural justice', this harsh outcome is a nightmare with penalizing consequences. Losing the much valued home, its resources and potential dispossession is heartbreaking. Even if we could afford a small one-bedroom flat for my son from the remaining sales proceeds - and partially salvage the intention of my mother's legacy - I would have to continue paying rent. This does not seem fair and reasonable.

Because of these complex financial and housing implications, I am still desperately trying to do everything in my power to prevent the sale and loss of the property. I investigated several alternative solutions without success and am not eligible for any loans.

Besides winning a lottery, this ongoing GoFundMe Fundraiser seems the only other hope to help pay the $500,000+ legal costs, which are over half the property's value!

I feel very grateful for the kind friends who already have donated generously. Now I am reaching out for wider support in a last-minute effort to prevent the sale.

Please help us preserve my mother's true intention of owning her beloved home. It's vital for our housing security, peace of mind and health. She wanted us to live there.

Please help us hold on to it. I do believe miracles can happen!

As you may understand, it would be a distressing and frightening upheaval to be uprooted from our historically cherished and safe home base of refuge. I always wanted to live and work there, sharing my skills for the benefit of others' Wellbeing.

However, the very small three-room community housing rental cottage is not suitable. Only about four people can fit comfortably in the tiny meals/living room. There are no storage cupboards, shed or garage. For many years we've stored yoga equipment, mechanical tools, documents and even clothes in my mother's house.

Our inheritance also includes the house contents, heirlooms, and many indoor plants, but most would not fit into the cramped cottage. Paying for storage would further increase rental costs. The cats would find it difficult adjusting to no garden and little sunlight.

I cannot imagine not having my mother's nourishing home and garden.

Nevertheless, to comply with the court's requirements, I've had no alternative but to work hard managing this undesired project and prepare the property for the imminent sale - an onerous undertaking, which is against my will.

How wonderful if you could please help us protect my dear mother's precious gift of homeownership and celebrate her significant achievements in life!

Your support through any donations you feel inspired to contribute will be humbly received with immense gratitude and appreciation.

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