Mosley v Popley [2012] EWHC 3905 (Ch)
April 2013 #128The second defendant (Mr Mosley) appealed against the judgment of Deputy Master Bartlett of 9 May 2012 dismissing his application to strike out the claim brought against him by the claimant (Mr Popley). Mr Popley’s father had caused a trust known as the Blue Ridge Trust (the trust) to be settled in St Vincent and the Grenandines. The shares in the first defendant company (Atem) were held by the third defendant corporate trustee on the terms of the trust. In 2000, Atem purchased White Owl Barn, Tenterden, Kent. Atem remained legal and beneficial owner of the property until 2011. In ...
Paynter & anr v Hinch [2013] EWHC 13 (Ch)
April 2013 #128>The defendant (Frank) obtained probate of his late mother’s will dated 26 July 2004 (Abbie and the 2004 will). The 2004 will appointed Frank sole executor of Abbie’s estate, which was bequeathed to Frank absolutely.
The claimants (Stephen and Victoria), Abbie’s other surviving children, challenged the validity of the 2004 will on the ground that their mother did not know and approve its contents. They sought revocation of the grant of probate made to Frank and a grant in solemn form of a will dated 24 January 1999 (the 1999 will), by which Abbie’s re...
U Ltd v B & ors [2011] JRC 131
April 2013 #128B had created the W Settlement (the trust) in 1989 as one of a number of settlements created for the benefit of B, his three sisters, their issue and their remoter issue. As the settlor, B and any wife of his were expressly excluded from benefit under the trust (but not from the other family settlements).
B and his wife Q had been involved in divorce proceedings before the Family Division of the High Court (the English court) for three years. It was considered that the trust’s value (some £2.5m based on publicly available information) greatly exceeded the other settlements&#...
Hughmans Solicitors v Central Stream Services Ltd & anr [2012] EWCA Civ 1720
March 2013 #127Hughmans Solicitors (Hughmans) appealed from the decision of Briggs J that a debt owed to Hughmans, secured by a charging order, did not enjoy priority over the rights of Central Stream Services Ltd (in liquidation) (the company) and its liquidator arising from a Tomlin Order.
Hughmans had applied for an order for payment of £19,000 from the proceeds of sale of 3 Tisdal Place, London (the property). Hughmans claimed to be entitled to the payment on the basis of a judgment debt secured by a final charging order against the property. The company and its liquidator claimed a prior s...
IFG International & ors v French 2012 CHP 0048
March 2013 #127The four claimants were professional trustees of a total of nine trusts, all governed under Isle of Man law. Some of nine trusts were created for the benefit of Samuel Wyly and his immediate family and the remainder for his brother Charles Wyly and his immediate family.
Michael French, the defendant, was either a protector or a member of the committee of trust protectors for each trust. He retired from all these positions in December 2000.
Proceedings had been brought against Mr French and the Wyly brothers in New York by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC...
Re MA 12039024
March 2013 #127MA, who was born in 1978, was disabled and the PCT responsible for his care brought personal welfare proceedings in the Court of Protection for declarations as to his lack of capacity and where it would be in his best interests to live. MA’s mother opposed the application and, following the discovery that his capital exceeded the relevant limit, public funding was withdrawn in relation to those proceedings. On 31 May 2012 an order was made by Holman J authorising the Official Solicitor, who had been appointed as MA’s litigation friend, to investigate his property and financia...
Pope & ors v HMRCC [2012] UKUT 206 (TCC)
March 2013 #127Jason Pope (Mr Pope) was a geologist who worked for a mining company in Angola. On 8 November 1998 Mr Pope went missing and it is believed he was abducted by Unita rebels. Nothing has been heard of him since that date. Prior to his death, Mr Pope assured his own life in the sum of £100,000 under a life assurance policy dated 15 April 1996 with Equitable. The assured sum was payable to Mr Pope or his personal representatives upon Equitable receiving satisfactory proof of Mr Pope’s death. Following negotiations with Mrs Pope’s mother, acting as his attorney pursuant to a power ...
Ramsay v HMRCC [2012] UKFTT 176 (TC)
March 2013 #127In 2004, the appellant (Mrs Ramsay) and her husband transferred a property that they owned (Moat House) into a corporate vehicle, TPQ Developments Ltd, in exchange for shares in that company.
Moat House was a large property converted into ten flats. Five were occupied at the operative time.
On her tax return for 2004/05, Mrs Ramsay claimed relief under s162 Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 (TCGA) (rollover relief on the transfer to the company).
In September 2007 HMRC raised an enquiry notice.
Mrs Ramsay argued in correspondence that the numerous acti...
Shirt v Shirt [2012] EWCA Civ 1029
March 2013 #127Stanley Shirt, the claimant (C), owned the freehold of the family farm (Syda) and an agricultural tenancy (Rufford), which he lost in 2007 as a result of failure to pay the rent. He had three sons and a daughter. In 1974 C entered into a farming partnership with his wife, Marie (M), who died in 2004, and his son, Alan (A). Both farms were recorded as partnership assets. In 2006 C fell out with A and thereafter they carried on two separate businesses. A lived in a house on Rufford until the tenancy came to an end, when he moved into a caravan on Syda. C brought a claim for possession agai...
Singh & ors v Ahluwalia [2012] EWCA Civ 1635
March 2013 #127The testator, Ranjit Singh (D), died in 2009. He had executed a will dated 3 May 1999, naming his eldest son, the claimant (J), as executor and sole beneficiary. The will was attested by two witnesses, Maurice Grantham (G) and Gurdial Ahluwalia (A). D’s daughter, Balvinder Ahluwalia (B), challenged the will on the grounds that the two witnesses had signed it on two separate and distinct occasions at different places. G gave evidence that he had signed the will when D visited his house and he was the only witness present, but he was not able to identify the will when it was shown to...