Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Winter 2023 #193The appellant solicitor applied under s50 Administration of Justice Act 1985 to remove his co-executor, the deceased’s widow. At a hearing before Bacon J the parties agreed by consent that both executors should be removed and replaced with an independent administrator, but could not agree on costs. The judge gave directions for written submissions to be exchanged, after which a decision was made on the papers without a hearing. The appellant was ordered to pay personally the respondent’s costs on the standard basis (with the balance paid out of the estate) and was deprived of hi...
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Spring 2023 #190Ms Velutini, the claimant, was a 98-year-old woman with very considerable personal wealth, and without any spouse, children or immediate family. This case related to assets in which she was interested and which had been held within trust structures since about 2011, which were said to have a value of between US$30m and US$50m (the assets).
In April 2021, the BCV Foundations Trust (the BCVFT) was formally established in order to replace various trusts formerly in effect. The BCVFT was a revocable English law settlement. In November 2021, Ms Velutini revoked the BCVFT (the revocatio...
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Winter 2021 #185The settlement, a discretionary trust governed by the law of Jersey, was established on 18 July 2011 (the settlement). The settlor, then the chairman of an oil exploration company, originally settled £35,000. Subsequently, a further sum of $15m was settled by the settlor’s wife on 12 February 2012. The principal beneficiary, who was the chief executive officer of the oil company, and the immediate members of his family were the beneficiaries of the settlement. The second to fifth respondents (the English claimants) issued proceedings in the English High Court against the settlor, allegin...
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Winter 2021 #185By his will dated 8 March 2016 (the will) Patrick Conlon (the testator) appointed the claimant, who was his niece, and her sister as executrices and divided his net residuary estate equally between the claimant and his three sons, the defendants. Probate of the will was granted on 19 October 2018 in respect to a net estate of about £516,000. The claimant’s sister was removed as an executrix by an order dated 26 October 2020. The first defendant, who had previously been in business with his father, claimed to be beneficially entitled to one half of 168 Headstone Drive, Harrow and the whol...
Gareth Thomas considers the refusal of Beddoe relief in a case with circumstances that will be familiar to practitioners ‘This is a useful decision for practitioners addressing a common factual scenario of adult beneficiaries having fallen into dispute over alleged estate assets, the procuring of which would, without a derivative claim, be the responsibility of …
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Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Autumn 2019 #176The claimant was the administrator of the estate of Nancy Elizabeth Brock (deceased) who executed a ‘homemade’ will on 22 April 2005. The first defendant was appointed as executrix. The first, third, fourth and fifth defendants were the adult children of the deceased to whom she had bequeathed ‘all the money’ immediately following a reference to the price of £100,000 to be paid for the deceased’s house at 6 Mildfield Estate, Pontypool which she had agreed to sell to the first defendant and her husband, the second defendant. In the event, the defendant later transferred the house to the f...
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Autumn 2019 #176The Claimants brought a claim as executors of the late Louis Patience, who died in April 1997. They produced accounts setting out the proposed distribution of the deceased’s estate. These accounts were opposed by the Defendants (in their capacity as beneficiaries of the estate).
At trial, HHJ Matthews found that the Defendants’ objections were misconceived, though the Claimants did fail on part of their claim. At the subsequent costs hearing, it was held that the Defendants should pay the Claimants’ costs, though as a result of the Claimants failing on one of the issues, the costs...
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Summer 2017 #168Veronica Edwards (the deceased) died on 2 April 2003, and her will was proved by the claimants (as her executors and trustees) (the trustees) in October 2003. Under the will, the deceased left her residuary estate to the trustees pay the income to her fourth husband (the defendant) for life, and subject thereto, to the First and Second Claimants (who were also her sons by her first marriage) in equal shares. The residuary estate was valued at £521,897.53, and it included a promissory note signed by the defendant to the deceased in the sum of £100,000. This represented the value of a loan...
Hannah Southon explores a judgment concerning a rarely used power of the court to direct the division of jointly-owned chattels ‘The case serves to underline the fact that if it is important to a donor who desires to dispose of assets by gifting them outright, rather than settling them on trust.’What relief is available from …
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Wills & Trusts Law Reports | May 2016 #159The claimant was a member of a class of objects of a discretionary trust created by the will of Valerie Mary Lee who died on 19 June 2013. The defendants, who were partners in Tanners Solicitors LLP, were the trustees (including the sole proving executor). The relationship between the claimant and her elder sister (who had been added to the class of potential beneficiaries after the death of their mother) was affected by a history of strains between members of the family. The first defendant proved the will on 28 January 2014 in relation to an estate valued at £903,574. The second defend...
