Cowderoy v Cranfield [2011] EWHC 1616 (Ch)
December 2011 #115Mrs Blofield (D) was in her 80’s and owned her own home worth around £140,000. Her only son (R) was an alcoholic and seriously ill. He moved into her house in 2002 and remained there until he died, intestate, on 5 August 2006. He had fathered several children. One was adopted and others taken into care but they paid no part in his life or that of his mother, D. He did, however, have a legitimate daughter, the claimant, Mrs Leigh Cowderoy, (C) who inherited his estate. Relations between C and R were strained and there was very little contact between C and D because of this although ...
Curtis & ors v Pulbrook & ors [2009] EWHC 782 (Ch)
November 2011 #114The claimants were the step-children of Arthur Ronald Towns (Mr Towns). Mr Towns had commenced the claim on 5 October 2007 and had died on 3 June 2008. The claimants were substituted for Mr Towns on 3 September 2008 as executors of his estate. Repayment was sought of sums totalling £127,000 said to have been withdrawn by the first defendant (Henry Pulbrook) from an account in the joint names of Mr Towns and his late wife Edith Anne Towns (Mrs Towns). The claimants were Mrs Towns’ children from her first marriage.
Each of the claimants and the defendants was a descendant of ...
Mason & ors v Mills & Reeve [2011] EWHC 410 (Ch)
November 2011 #114Christopher Swain (C) built up a very successful business and held 72% of the shares in a group of companies in which each of his four daughters also held 5.3% of the shares. He was advised by a small firm of chartered accountants who prepared tax returns for him, the company and the family trusts and at times for each of his daughters and by a small firm of solicitors who prepared his will, dated 17 January 2006. C decided to sell his company to the management and to use Mills & Reeve, a large full-service law firm (the firm) to advise him and his daughters on the MBO. In June 2006 ...
Morris v Davies & ors [2011] EWHC 1773 (Ch)
November 2011 #114Owen Robert Treharne Davies (deceased), by his last will, dated 30 March 1996, appointed the claimant and his girlfriend as executors and, subject to a letter of wishes concerning the administration of his affairs, left his entire estate to an uncle, the fifth defendant. At that time, the deceased had fallen out with most members of his family over a dispute concerning the administration of his grandfather’s estate. Their religious views were divergent and he did not want them to be involved in his affairs or funeral after his death. He was then working for Land Rover in England and had ...