After the passing of Shanghai resident Ms. Wang, she left behind two young daughters. These two children have been living in Shanghai with their mother and grandfather, Mr. Wang, since they were young. Mr. Wang, who is now 83 years old, not only supports his two granddaughters but also struggles to make ends meet by borrowing money from relatives and friends to repay his late daughter’s debts.
According to a report by Shangguan News on March 17, 2024, Ms. Wang passed away in September 2024, leaving behind two daughters born in 2015 and 2017 in the United States. Both children were born in the US and hold American citizenship but have been living in Shanghai with their mother and grandfather since they were young.
In the late autumn of 2024, outside a primary school in Shanghai, 10-year-old Duo Duo (pseudonym) tugged at the clothes of 81-year-old Mr. Wang, fear evident in her eyes. Her American passport was about to expire in three days.
As per regulations, passport renewal for minors must be handled by a guardian. However, the children’s biological father’s information was completely unknown. Ms. Wang never revealed the identity of the girls’ father to her family, and the field for father in the American birth certificate of the children was left blank.
With the children’s mother deceased and the father’s identity unknown, Mr. Wang sought help everywhere and eventually filed a lawsuit in court to become the legal guardian for both girls.
Mr. Wang expressed his concerns, “After me, who will take care of them?”
Despite receiving a monthly retirement pension of 10,000 yuan, Mr. Wang spends 6,800 yuan on renting a place in Shanghai. Additionally, the school fees for the two children amount to 80,000 yuan per semester.
To repay his late daughter’s debts, Mr. Wang had to sell off the only house in Shanghai, leaving him with little savings and relying on loans from relatives and friends to make ends meet.
Within the current legal framework, the situation has become more complicated. Mr. Wang considered sending the children to relatives abroad to live. However, Xu Kai, Vice Dean of the International Law School at East China University of Political Science and Law, stated that this plan faced judicial challenges, with the relatives willing to foster but reluctant to become legal guardians.
Can Mr. Wang designate alternate legal guardians for the two underage girls after his demise? According to Jin Keke, Dean of the Law School at East China University of Political Science and Law, under the current Civil Code, only parents can appoint alternate legal guardians for their underage children through a will.
Mr. Wang mentioned, “After settling the children, I will move to a nursing home.” However, he was informed that even for residing in a nursing home, he must have a legal guardian. This realization made Mr. Wang aware of the necessity for someone reliable to entrust his remaining life and the children.
As the children are still in school, Mr. Wang continues his search for that “willing person” to take over. He affirmed, “As long as they treat the children well, I will do my best.”
The topic of “Shanghai Grandfather Sells House to Repay Debts and Care for Two Foreign Granddaughters” has sparked discussions among netizens.
Some netizens questioned why Mr. Wang needs to repay debts if he is not inheriting any assets, stating the principle of “debts die with the person.”