Schomberg & ors v Taylor & ors [2013] EWHC 2269 (Ch)
October 2013 #133The testatrix (W) was the second wife of the late Brian Taylor (H) and had two step sons, David (D) and Paul (P), the first and second defendants. She had a sister, Penny, who married the eighth defendant, Mr Bruce Peskin (B), and who had three children, the fifth to seventh defendants, Cindy, Andrew and Dominic (the 2008 beneficiaries). W and H visited Penny and B, until a few years before they died. They stopped doing so after B, who was in financial difficulties, repeatedly pressurised them to obtain financial assistance in relation to a property development and sale. As a result of t...
Walden v Atkins [2013] EWHC 1387 (Ch)
October 2013 #133In 1971 Michael Walden purchased a property from his grandmother and as part of the agreement she could live in the property for life.
In 1975 he verbally agreed to sell the property to his uncles Dennis and Maurice Walden for £15,000, with £8,000 of the purchase price left outstanding as an interest free loan repayable on the second of Dennis and Maurice to die. This was less than half the property’s actual value. Dennis and Maurice agreed that on their death the house would revert to Michael or his children if he had already died and in the meantime he would pay for all maintena...
Zarrinkhat v Kamal & ors HC12F02461
October 2013 #133Iranian born Mrs Theodore (the testatrix) died domiciled in England on 18 February 2009. She left a will dated 29 October 2002 which distributed her £573,000 estate primarily between her adult niece and son (the first and fourth defendants). She also left a legacy of £50,000 to her then 51- year-old daughter (Ms Zarrinkhat).
Ms Zarrinkhat did not consider that reasonable financial provision for her maintenance had been made under the will and sought to bring a claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 (the Act). However she attempted to do...
Fyfe v Watts & ors; Watts & anr v Watts & anr [2013] EWHC 1374 (CH)
September 2013 #132Two sets of proceedings had come before the court, which had involved several applications. An order was made on 8 May 2013 by Deputy Judge Foster, which awarded costs. On 30 May 2013 Deputy Judge Foster set out her reasoning behind that order. The proceedings were in respect of a trust for the primary benefit of Louise Fyfe (the trust). The proceedings related to the successful removal of Mr John Watts (the defendant) as trustee and to a claim against the defendant for misappropriation of trust property (the property) which was in reality bought by a company owned by the trust (Dream St...
Re Goodman (dec’d) [2013] EWHC 758 (Ch)
September 2013 #132Everard Goodman (the deceased) died on 17 April 2011 leaving a will dated 15 December 2010 (the will) naming his sons, the claimants (C), his daughter, the second defendant (D2), and his widow, the first defendant (D1), as executors. However, relationships between the parties were very poor and, on 16 August 2012, D1, a beneficiary under the will as well as one of the executors named in it, issued an application for an independent professional to take over the administration of the deceased’s estate under s50 of the Administration of Justice Act 1985 (the 1985...
Hart & anr v Burbidge & ors; Samways & ors v Burbidge & ors [2013] EWHC 1628 (Ch)
September 2013 #132The deceased, Phyllis Hart née Samways (W) died on 7 November 2008 aged 86. Her husband (H) had died in January 2005. They left three children, two sons, Kenneth (K) and Paul Hart (P) and a daughter Susan Burbidge (S), who all have children of their own. W had a twin sister (J) who died four weeks after her and three other surviving siblings: Arthur, Graham and Christine (the Samways). Some eight years before he died H wished to sell the family firm to one of his children, but only S and her husband (B) were prepared to take it over on his terms, which did not include the transfer of the...
Williams v Wilmot [2012] EWHC 2211 (Ch)
September 2013 #132The claimant sought probate of a will of Dr Cecil Monk (the deceased) dated 5 December 2003 by which the deceased left his entire estate to the claimant. The claimant also sought, in so far as it was necessary, an order that the deceased’s later will of 19 January 2007 be pronounced against on grounds of a lack of testamentary capacity and/or a lack of knowledge and approval.
The defendant, who did not appear and was not represented, was formerly engaged in caring for the deceased. He was an employee of a care agency to whom the relevant local authority had contracted out the care...
Evans & ors v Lloyd & anr [2013] EWHC 1725 (Ch)
September 2013 #132Wynne Evans (Wynne) died on 2 September 2006 at the age of 79. He had worked on a farm from the age of 14. The farm latterly belonged to the defendants, David Lloyd (David) and his wife Elizabeth Lloyd (Elizabeth). Previously it had belonged to David’s parents and grandparents.
There was an issue as to whether Wynne had died testate or intestate. The claimants argued he died intestate but the defendants argued that he died testate and that the will, of which David was residuary beneficiary, had been lost.
The first claimant Howell Evans (Howell) is Wynne’s sole ...