Re ARL [2015] EWCOP 55

November 2015 #154

This was an application by the public guardian (OPG) for the revocation of a lasting power of attorney (LPA) for property and financial affairs.

ARL was born in 1929 and has resided in a nursing home since 5 September 2012. On 23 August 2012 she executed an LPA for property and financial affairs, appointing her adopted son (ICL) and her adopted daughter (JJT) jointly and severally as her attorneys. The LPA was registered on 30 October 2012.

On 18 July 2014, concerns were raised with the OPG regarding ICL’s management of ARL’s property and financial affairs. The ...

Re OL [2015] EWCOP 41

November 2015 #154

OL was born on 15 November 1937. Her husband died in 1993. She had three children: an elder son (ES) who is 53, a daughter (DA) aged 51 and a younger son (YS) aged 48.

OL used to live in a maisonette in Stockwell, London. In 2010, DA moved in with OL ostensibly to look after her. In 2011, OL was diagnosed with vascular dementia and on 17 July 2013 she suffered a stroke. According to ES, OL scored 8 out of 30 on a mini mental state examination on 21 August 2013, suggesting that she had severe cognitive impairment at that time.

On 19 October 2013, OL executed a lasting power ...

Re XZ [2015] EWCOP 35

November 2015 #154

XZ was a high-net-worth individual with properties in several countries. On 4 December 2013 he executed a lasting power of attorney (LPA) for property and financial affairs, by which he appointed three attorneys. They were to act jointly in relation to all decisions in connection with the sale and purchase of any real estate and the sale or purchase of any other asset with a value in excess of CDN $3m. Otherwise they were to act jointly and severally in relation to all other decisions. The LPA had been carefully drafted with the assistance of Speechly Bircham, Solicitors. In particular, ...

Public Guardian v CT & EY [2014] EWCOP 51

October 2015 # 153

CT was born in 1929. He has a wife and two children: a son and a daughter (EY).

On 19 May 2013, CT suffered a stroke, which resulted in left hemiplegia and impaired vision. He was admitted to hospital where he was diagnosed as having vascular dementia.His stroke precipitated a rift within his family, with CT and his daughter aligned on one side and his wife and son on the other.

On 18 June 2013, CT executed a lasting power of attorney (LPA) for property and affairs appointing EY as his attorney and another person as a replacement attorney and named nobody to be given notice...

Public Guardian v SR & NC [2015] EWCOP 32 (Fam)

July/August 2015 #151

MC was born on 8 October 1937. Her husband died in 2004. She had two children: a son (NC) and a daughter (SR) aged 54 and 49 respectively.

On 12 June 2009, MC executed a lasting power of attorney (LPA) for property and affairs appointing NC and SR jointly and severally as her attorneys. The LPA was registered on 24 September 2009.

In October 2011, MC made a will leaving 95% of her estate to SR and the remaining 5% to NC. In March 2013, SR placed MC’s house on the market. NC suspected that SR was mismanaging MC’s affairs and on 22 April 2013 entered a restriction...

Julia Lomas v AK (Gift Application) [2014] EWCOP B11

June 2015 #150

This was an application by the deputy of an 11 year-old boy (AK) for a gift of £150,000 to be made by him to his parents from the damages awarded to AK under a settlement of a clinical negligence claim brought by his mother acting as his litigation friend against the local NHS Trust in 2009.

AK was born in October 2002 and suffers from cerebral palsy as a result of a prolonged period of hypoxia at the time of his birth. In 2009, the High Court approved a settlement in his favour of the clinical negligence claim. The settlement included a lump sum payment of £1,050,000 plus the fol...

Re PC; Public Guardian v AC & JC [2014] EWCOP 41

April 2015 #148

PC was born in 1936. She suffered from vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. In June 2009, she had executed an LPA for property and affairs, appointing her sons, AC and JC, as her attorneys jointly and severally. The LPA was registered on 12 August 2009. In June 2013, an application to the Court of Protection was made by the Public Guardian (OPG) for an order revoking the LPA, and directing them to account to the OPG for their dealings under the LPA. The OPG had been informed that the attorneys had not been paying their mother’s care fees and that arrears had accumulated...

Re Miles; The Public Guardian v Miles & ors [2014] EWCOP 40

March 2015 #147

This was an application by the Public Guardian for the court to determine the validity of provisions in two lasting powers of attorney, one for property and affairs and one for health and welfare (the LPAs). The LPAs were made by by Mrs Miles on 27 November 2013. A solicitor called Mr Satchell drew them up.

Under the LPAs Mrs Miles appointed her husband and daughter as her attorneys under both powers; appointed her son as her replacement attorney; directed that her attorneys act jointly for some decisions and jointly and severally for others; selected option A in the health and we...

Re GW; London Borough of Haringey v CM Neutral citation: [2014] EWCOP B23

December 2014 #145

GW was diagnosed with late onset Alzheimer’s dementia in 2009. He had lost contact with his sons who apparently live in Australia and only had contact with one niece, CM. GW was sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983 three times and was hospitalised in January 2013 before ultimately being placed in a residential care home. Whilst still in hospital, a safeguarding alert was raised by nursing staff for financial exploitation on the basis of disclosures made by GW about his finances, which suggested that his niece, CM, was withdrawing monies from his bank account without ...

Re OB, The Public Guardian v AW & anr Neutral citation: [2014] EWCOP 28

December 2014 #145

OB, who was born in 1916, was a widow with two adult children, AW and DH. She lived in her own home until February 2007 and thereafter with AW. On 15 September 2008, OB executed a lasting power of attorney (LPA) for property affairs, appointing AW and DH jointly and severally as her attorneys. OB’s property was sold on 15 June 2010 and realised net proceeds of £376,200. The LPA was registered by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) on 4 March 2011. Subsequently, DH expressed concerns that long standing ‘pocket money’ payments by OB to her grandchildren had been stopp...