Preventing Access To Home By An Estranged Sibling

Dear Phyllis,
I enjoy your column and read
it regularly. This situation is
new to me, and I’d appreciate
your advice on how to handle it.

My eldest brother and I are
co-trustees for our family of five.
Our youngest brother struggled
with heroin addiction for many
years and repeatedly stole from
all of us, despite our parents
funding multiple rehabilitation
programs. He has never
acknowledged or expressed
remorse for his actions, and we
have had no contact with him for
approximately fifteen years. For
these reasons, he was excluded
from our parents’ will.

As we prepare to list our
parents’ home for sale, we want
to ensure that he, or anyone
associated with him, does not
access the property. How best do
we prevent access to our home
by our estranged sibling?
— Co-Trustee

Dear Co-Trustee,
I’m sorry you’re in this
situation and completely
understand your need for
privacy.

If the home is vacant,
consider placing timers on
several lamps. When I represent
a vacant listing, I typically leave
alternating interior lights on in
addition to the timed lighting
to give the appearance that the
home is occupied.

If needed make sure the locks
are changed if your brother
still has a current set of keys.
You may also want to install
exterior cameras and a Ring
doorbell, and post several “No
Trespassing” signs to clearly
establish boundaries.

The most straightforward
way to handle showings is to
require that all appointments
go through your listing agent.
In a similar situation I handled
several years ago, we took extra
precautions to keep the home
secure by limiting access only
to serious, pre-screened buyers.
We did not use a lockbox and did
not hold open houses. Instead,
before any showing, the buyer
was required to provide proof
of funds, verification of their
down payment, and a signed
Buyer’s Brokerage Agreement
confirming their agent
representation. This ensured
that every visitor was qualified
and accompanied by their agent,
giving the family peace of mind
while strictly controlling access
to the property.

Phyllis