A Cuban resident in the United States reported on social media that she lost the family home she owned in Santa Clara after putting the property in her cousin's name before emigrating, trusting that he would take care of it while she was out of the country.
The testimony was shared on TikTok by a user identified as @yenicofino, who explained that she arrived in the United States four years ago and decided not to sell the home she owned in the downtown area.
According to his account, when he left Cuba, he put the house in the name of a cousin with whom he had grown up since childhood and whom he trusted completely. “We were raised together, like brothers,” he explained in the video.
As time went by, her entire family emigrated, leaving the house empty. It was then that the woman decided to sell the property to use the money in the United States and alleviate her debts, including the payment for the car.
However, he claims that when he communicated the decision to his cousin, he received an unexpected response: the relative refused to return the property and told him that, since the house was registered in his name, it belonged to him.
"He told me that according to the surname, the house belonged to him and that I couldn't do anything," she recounted.
The woman also stated that her cousin works in the Technical Investigations Department (DTI), an agency of the Ministry of the Interior in Cuba, which—according to her account—made her feel that she had no way to legally claim the property.
He also assured that the relative warned him not to return to the island because he could face problems if he tried to claim the property.
“She took my house,” he lamented in the video, where he explained that he decided to share his story publicly to alert other Cubans who emigrate and leave properties in the island under the care of relatives.
“Be careful with whom you trust and what you do with the houses in Cuba,” he/she advised.
The video has generated numerous reactions on social media, where several users shared similar experiences related to housing conflicts after emigrating from the island.
Filed under: