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Posts Tagged: Estate Administration
19 ResultsBeing Removed or Renouncing as Estate Trustee?
Although they sound similar, there are important procedural differences between “removing” an estate trustee and “renouncing” the right to act as an estate trustee. Where the named estate trustee has not yet begun acting in her role as estate trustee (i.e. she has not yet undertaken any work administering the estate), she may “resign” or…read more
Beneficiaries Left Paying for Estate Trustee’s Mortgage
Can an estate trustee’s ability to mortgage an estate property be limited by s. 9 of the Estates Administration Act? This was the question recently addressed by the court in Di Michele v. Di Michele. Section 9 of the Estates Administration Act allows for real property to automatically vest in the beneficiaries of an estate…read more
Passing of Accounts: A Math Problem Explained
In a recent blog post entitled “Things Lawyers Know,” I laughed out loud when I read #13: “Lawyers are word, not number people. If their fee went up 10%, few lawyers would know how much extra they received.” Math often comes into play in an estates litigation practice, particularly in the context of a contested passing of…read more
Foreign Executors Must Be Careful to Follow the Rules
A recent decision of Justice D. M. Brown, Re Estate of Albert Applegath III, provides an overview of the necessary steps a foreign executor must take to have her authority recognized in Ontario. Albert Applegath III died a resident of New Mexico. His will appointed his wife, Clavis, as executor of his estate. After applying…read more
You Can’t Have It All: Hybrid Trials, Limited Discovery, and Modest Estates
Lorraine Coombs died on April 27, 2012, leaving an estate worth approximately $756,249.00. Her Last Will and Testament left her house and the residue of her estate to one of her four daughters, Susan Coombs (“Susan”). Two of her other daughters, Diane Fergueson (“Diane”) and Charlene Coombs (“Charlene”), each received $60,000 and another daughter, Donna…read more
When Co-Estate Trustees Cannot Agree To Sell The House
While administering an estate, one of the most difficult challenges an estate trustee can face is the situation where a beneficiary continues to reside in a property that is an estate asset when the estate trustee wishes to list the property for sale. When there is disagreement on this issue amongst co-estate trustees, an estate…read more
Court Need Not Always Order a Fiduciary to Account
In an earlier blog by fellow blogger Jasmine Sweatman, she commented on the emerging principle of proportionality in our judicial system and how it might impact on a fiduciary’s duty to pass accounts. She queried: Where does proportionality “fit” with the right of a beneficiary of an estate or trust to review and make inquiries of the…read more
Enzo the Mixer
May an attorney for property mix his own funds with that of the incapable person? The short answer is: never. But the consequences for a well-meaning but ill-advised client might not be as dire as we litigators sometimes would expect. In the recent case of Villa v. Villa 2013 ONSC 2202, two brothers, Renzo and Enzo Villa, clashed…read more
Do You Need A Lawyer to Make a Will?
Among the general public, there is a perception that despite being a legal document, creating a will does not require the services of an estate solicitor. There are numerous do-it yourself kits and online services that offer a “fill in the blanks” approach to creating a will. As an estate litigator, I usually see when…read more