Chinese Siblings Dispute $420K Inheritance After Adoption Revealed

In Tianjin, China, a legal dispute over a three million yuan (approximately $420,000) property inheritance revealed that neither the brother nor the sister contesting the estate were biological children of their deceased parents. The father, Sun, had transferred the property to his son before his death in March 2025, asking him to provide reasonable compensation to his adopted daughter, whom he and his wife raised as their own. The sister challenged the transfer, arguing for inclusion of their late mother's share, but the case took a dramatic turn when she presented evidence that her brother was also adopted, as reflected in his household registration. Despite the revelation, the court affirmed that adopted children have equal inheritance rights under Chinese law, but since the property had been legally transferred and notarized in 2007, it was no longer part of the estate. After three hours of mediation, the brother retained ownership of the property but was ordered to pay his sister 550,000 yuan in compensation. The case attracted significant attention on Chinese social media, likened to a television drama due to its unexpected developments and family tensions.