Cherished tradition is deeply steeped in every aspect of our family cottage, largely because my children are the fifth generation making the annual trek north. Up to this point, both our island and the original family cottage (now owned by cousins) have remained in the hands of descendants. But in many instances, rising ownership costs, geographic inconvenience, and general practicality mean not every family member can or wants to own property generation after generation.

 

Anyone who currently owns a cottage has undoubtedly given careful consideration to if, when and how to pass it on to the next generation. Ideally, conversations should begin early and be held frequently with both family members and professional advisors. But if you haven’t started yet, here are some considerations to help with future conversations.

 

Managing family relationships

Cottages are often one of the most emotionally charged assets in any estate. While affordability can become a major point of stress, normal family dynamics and grievances can also become a factor in co-owner conflicts. In instances where all members of the next generation want to continue as owners, governance should be put in place to ensure a common agreement around things like allocation of expenses, shared versus exclusive use, and avoiding the sale of an interest to someone outside of the family.

 

Several structures can be used to establish governance with co-ownership agreements, trusts and corporations being the most common. But even with the best efforts to ensure equality and governance around ownership, things can go awry. I recently heard a story about a fifth-generation group of family cottage owners who had thoughtfully structured a corporate entity with share ownership, a board of directors that met regularly and carefully defined share ownership rights. Even with all of the vigilant planning and careful consideration, family conflicts ended with them cross-examining each other in court and the legacy land being put up for sale.

 

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