Hi, our names are Ian and Gloria Benson, we are retired farmers and have been working on our farming business since we were 21 years old, when we purchased a farm from Ian’s Dad.

We moved to Tasmania in 1995 and purchased a farm with the proceeds of the farm we sold in Queensland.

Our 5 children aged between 20 years old to 11 years old moved with us. Our daughter was seriously ill prior moving to Tasmania which was the reason we started an organic farming business which grew to be able to employ up to 100 employees. Our sons decided to be involved and not work in the trades they were trained in.

Our sons lived at home till they were 30years, 35 years old and 28 years old till they married and lived in refurbished farmhouses we provided. We accumulated some of the best farming land in the NW coast of Tasmania to operate our successful organic farming business. We personally guaranteed a huge loan which enabled us to expand our business.

Our goal has always been to take care of ourselves and our children and to give them a chance to farm in the future if they chose to and our grandchildren will never have a chance to choose a career in farming as of a result of the legal proceeding by their parents wanting their inheritance before we died. Our lifelong effort to grow a business was completely destroyed.

In 2013 our sons presented a document prepared by their solicitor and demanded we sign the business, the farms, bank accounts, business names and every aspect of our business without paying for it and placed caveats on all the properties including our home farm.

We were at the time, aged 58 and 59 years old. We were not able to grant them the demands due to a debt commitment with the bank.

They commenced legal proceedings in the Federal Court against us and the companies in 2014, following the court, they agreed only the companies were to be involved.

They have caveats on our home and farm and now suing us personally to extract money from us that we can’t afford. Ian has serious health issues, such as heart failure, many strokes, kidney and lung problems and mobility difficulties.

They effectively sued us for their inheritance before we died, when we were in our fifties.

Our farming business was destroyed as a result of the legal proceedings and all the employees had to find work elsewhere.

We are asking for help to enable us to stay in our home and to demand they show cause as to why they have a caveat on our home and to enable me to take care of Ian. We have always taken care of our family and ourselves since we were married when we were both 18 years old. We have never depended on welfare. We have always contributed to society by employing people and always paying our bills.

We have more legal proceedings against us and not able to fund any further.

If this resonates with you, please share, as these legal actions against us and family trusts will set a precedent for future litigation for others.

We have never reached out for help, and this decision has been very difficult for us to do.

Thank you in advance.