Hudman v Morris [2021] WTLR 877

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Autumn 2021 #184

The claimant was the executrix and one of five residuary beneficiaries of the estate of her late father. The defendant, her brother, was the co-executor and a fellow residuary beneficiary. The claimant brought a Part 8 claim under s50 of the Administration of Justice Act 1985 to remove the defendant as executor and, alternatively, sought an order that the defendant be passed over pursuant to s116 of the Senior Courts Act 1981. The claimant also sought the appointment of an independent administrator and was voluntarily willing to step down as executrix ...

Crabbe v Townsend [2016] EWHC 2450 (Ch)

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | January/February 2017 #166

The deceased was survived by his daughter (the claimant) and his son (the defendant). The deceased died in 2004 and a grant of probate was extracted in May 2007. By his will the claimant and defendant were appointed as his executors and trustees. Various issues relating to the administration of the estate arose (see para 3). Among these was a portfolio of stocks and shares given to the claimant by the deceased’s will. It was not until February 2013 that the portfolio was assented to the claimant, and then only because she assented it to herself without the defendant’s concurr...

Anstey v Mundle & anr [2016] EWHC 1073 (Ch)

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | July/August 2016 #161

This was a claim brought by Valerie Anstey, one of the three daughters of the late George Carty. Valerie contended that Mr Carty should be buried in England. Her half sister, Sonia Mundle and her cousin, Cynthia Allison argued that he should be buried in Jamaica. Valerie was supported by another half sister, Stephanie Watson.

Owing to the defendants’ failure to undertake not to repatriate the body pending resolution of the dispute, Valerie sought and was granted an urgent interim injunction forbidding the removal of the body from the jurisdiction. Owing to the urgency of th...

Executors: A costly sibling clash

Wilby v Rigby [2015] has useful practitioner points on applications for the removal of executors. Nicholas Pointon reports ‘The key to understanding the court’s decision on costs lies in analysis of the offers being made by Mrs Wilby in her attempts to reach settlement. Mrs Wilby proposed that both executors stand down and be replaced …
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Usher [2016] UKFTT 050 (TC)

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | May 2016 #159

The appellants were the executors of the will of the deceased who had died on 15 October 2012. The appellants had filed an annual self-assessment return for 2012/13, covering the period from 6 April 2012 to the date of death, which under-declared the income for that period. On 26 September 2013, an executor had written to HMRC, sending a cheque for the outstanding tax then due and stating that he presumed that this was full and final settlement and would proceed to distribute the estate. The executors proceeded to do that but failed to publish notice in the London Gazette of tha...

Wilby v Rigby [2015] EWHC 2394 (CH)

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | April 2016 #158

This was a claim by the claimant (C) against her brother (D) relating to the administration of the estate of their late mother (S).

S died on 30 November 2011 leaving two children: C and D. S’s will appointed C and D as executors and trustees and she gave her whole estate, upon the usual trusts for sale and conversion, to be held in trust to divide the net sale proceeds equally between C and D.

The main asset in the estate was S’s property worth in the order of £165,000 (the House). There were also capital and other investments in the order of some £108,000. The...

Wilby v Rigby [2015] EWHC 2394 (Ch)

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | December 2015 #155

This was an application to remove Mr Ian Rigby (Ian) as administrator of the estate of Sybil Rigby. Sybil Rigby died on 30 November 2011, leaving two adult children, Ian Rigby and Janice Wilby (Janice). By her will dated 8 February 2001 Sybil Rigby appointed Janice and Ian to be her executors and trustees and gave the residue of the estate to Ian and Janice in equal shares. The value of the net estate was £271,134. The estate contained Sybil Rigby’s home (the property), which represented more than half the value in the estate

Janice initially agreed that Ian could administer...

Executors: Duties to maintaining the estate, as well as to beneficiaries

Jo Summers and Azeam Akram reflect on the balancing of competing claims made on Jimmy Savile’s estate ‘There is no doubt NatWest found itself in a difficult position, when faced with an unknown number of potential claimants.’What is the correct approach when an executor is faced with competing claims? How should an executor deal with …
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Executors: Keep tabs

Oliver Auld and Tamasin Perkins consider Birdseye v Roythorne & Co [2015], which concerns the waiver of privilege by executors ‘Where privileged documents have been disclosed in error and inspected, the general rule is that it is too late to seek injunctive relief preventing the parties from relying on them.’The decision of the High Court …
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Re Goodman (dec’d) [2013] EWHC 758 (Ch)

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | September 2013 #132

Everard 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...