Lomax & ors v Greenslade [2019] WTLR 171
Spring 2019 #174The three adult children of a Mr Lomax brought a claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 against Ms Greenslade, the sole executor and beneficiary of Mr Lomax’s estate.
At trial HHJ Bailey concluded that the estate, which comprised a single property in London valued at £699,000, failed to make reasonable provision for the three children. He decided that Ms Greenslade should receive £69,000, being the sum of £20,000 which the deceased intended to give her under a draft will that was never executed, and the sum of £49,000 to cover the costs of proce...
Martin v Martin [2019] WTLR 181
Spring 2019 #174A company was incorporated by the husband and a friend in 1978 as equal shareholders. The husband and wife started living together in 1986, and married in 1989. At this point, the husband acquired 99% of the shares and the wife 1%. They separated in 2015.
On a wife’s application for a financial remedy order, the judge found that the capital assets were £182m in properties and pension funds, and 100% of the shares in a private company, which he valued at £221m before tax and costs of sale. He found that 80% of the company’s value was marital property, by applying a straight-line ap...
Macintyre & anr v Oliver & ors [2019] WTLR 215
Spring 2019 #174The claimants were the trustees of the trusts arising under the wills of Violet Hamblen-Thomas (Violet) and Charles Hamben-Thomas (Charles). They had issued a Part 8 claim form seeking the guidance of the court as to the true construction of the will trusts and as to the identification of the beneficiaries, represented by the defendants. Apart from her only son, Edwin Hamblen-Thomas (Edwin), Violet had a life-long friend, Enid Simpson, whose daughter was the first and second defendant (Victoria). Violet, by her will dated 16 December 1968 (Violet’s will), gave Charles a life interest in ...
Moore v Moore & anr [2019] WTLR 233
Spring 2019 #174In 1966 the claimant and his brother became the joint owners of a substantial farm in Wiltshire and began farming in partnership. The claimant’s son, the defendant, worked on the farm from childhood and became a salaried partner in 1998.
The brother retired from the partnership in 2008 and gave his partnership share to the defendant in return for a payment of £500,000 from the partnership. The claimant and the defendant also incorporated a company, of which the defendant was 51% shareholder, and to which various partnership assets were transferred in 2010.
Relations between...
Perwaz v Perwaz [2019] WTLR 275
Spring 2019 #174The Respondent was originally the sole proprietor of 54 Beaulieu Close, Slough (‘Property’). The Appellant, who was one of her children, managed the family wholesale grocery business. He and his wife moved into the Property to live with the Respondent and spent money on its extension and refurbishment. On 12 October 2012 the Respondent made a new Will gifting a 25% share in the Property to the Appellant and giving him an option to purchase the whole on her death. On the same day the Respondent executed a Declaration of Trust by which she declared that she held the Property as to 75% for ...
Sheffield v Sheffield & ors [2019] WTLR 295
Spring 2019 #174Following judgment upholding claims for various breaches of trust (Sheffield v Sheffield & ors [2014] WTLR 1039, [2013] EWHC 3927 (Ch)), the judge ordered accounts, on the footing of wilful default, and inquiries consequent upon the judgment. The accounting parties were the executors of (and standing in the shoes of) a defaulting trustee (“A”) and the individual who benefited from the breaches of trust (“B”). Agreement was reached in respect of certain accounts and the claimant (“C”) pursued other accounts and inquiries, in respect of various issues. The judge also ordered that A and...
The Public Guardian v DA & ors [2019] WTLR 313
Spring 2019 #174The Public Guardian filed a number of applications under s23 and schedule 1, para 11 of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (the 2005 Act) in two test cases seeking the court’s guidance as to whether or not it was appropriate to register, with or without amendments, instruments purporting to create a lasting power of attorney (LPA).
In the first series of cases the applications concerned provisions in LPAs for personal welfare which contemplated euthanasia or assisted suicide by the attorneys. In some cases, the provisions were expressed in mandatory terms which appeared to render them ‘...