Okanagan senior in legal battle over property

Doreen Koch just wants to be able to decide the fate of her Lumby home.

The 92-year-old is in a legal battle over her property after her son, who had power of attorney, signed a contract to sell his property before he died of liver failure in 2020.

“Doreen did not authorize the sale and was not consulted,” Louise Pohl wrote in a GoFundMe campaign she started to help Koch.

While thinking about the loss of her son, Koch discovered that she was being sued by the promoter to complete the sale.

“Like many older people, Doreen has a fixed and low monthly income. Her three-year legal battle cost Doreen over $100,000,” Pohl wrote.

The legal process ripped through Koch’s savings and put her in debt, which damaged her physical and mental health. She also recently learned that she will face additional costs of up to an additional $100,000 to defend herself in a second trial.

“Doreen was exploited, abused and bullied. If you are outraged by the injustice of her predicament, she could use your support to pay her attorney bills,” Pohl wrote.

According to the GoFundMe, Koch moved to the 10-acre farm property in 1990, returning to the Okanagan where she grew up. His property serves as a floodplain for Lumby, reducing floodwaters that damage local homes and businesses and filtering groundwater for those in the area who rely on wells. Its land also provides habitat for wildlife such as otters, pheasants, beavers, deer and many species of birds.

“Doreen wants this heirloom to remain in its original condition,” Pohl wrote.

By Friday afternoon, March 31, the GoFundMe had raised $12,755 of its $100,000 target.

Brendan Shykora

fundraisingHousingLawyersNorth Okanagan Regional District