An East Gwillimbury woman charged with breaking into the house she inherited from her father has regained legal possession of the house but still can’t go within 500 metres of it, under a judge’s order.

After a four-month standoff in which her stepmother, Bonny Butler, refused to leave the house, Elizabeth Plant finally received the keys to her childhood home Saturday evening.

But because of outstanding criminal charges stemming from the conflict, Plant had to stay home and sent friends to the house to check it over after Butler left.

“It’s still a waiting game,” Plant said. “Even though I’m the legal trustee of the estate, I still can’t go into my house. It shouldn’t be like this.”

In his 2012 will, Douglas Plant left everything to his daughters Elizabeth and Jennifer and specifically excluded his wife, Butler, whom he called his “former spouse.”

Butler, who had separated from Douglas several times but never divorced, says she had reconciled with him and that he intended to change his will but didn’t get the chance before he died.

According to the Family Law Act, a live-in spouse has the right to stay in a deceased partner’s house for 60 days after the person’s death.

Plant claims Butler did not live with her dad and only moved in after he died to make a claim on the house.

She tried twice to retake the house, but each time was removed by police, who enforced Butler’s 60-day right to the residence.

After the second incident in May, Plant was charged with breaking and entering with intent to commit theft, after Butler claimed she forced open a kitchen window to get in.

Plant faces jail time on the charges and has a restraining order that keeps her more than 500 metres from both Butler and the house.

After the Star reported on the conflict in June, Butler agreed to turn over the house and all of Douglas’ possessions on July 27.

She left the house voluntarily Saturday, though York Region police came to ensure there was no trouble.