Mother of sisters left just £50 in fortune, says her husband is said to be ‘fuming’
THE mother of five sisters left just £50 of their grandfather’s £500,000 fortune because they “didn’t visit enough”, reportedly saying her late husband was “fuming”.
Frederick Ward Snr died in 2020 aged 91 and bequeathed the lion’s share of his £500,000 estate to two of his children, Terry Ward and Susan Wiltshire.
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The five adult children of Frederick’s late son Fred Jr. However, each received only £50 in envelopes, leading to a family feud.
The former soldier told his legal representatives he was upset at not being visited by his Fred’s children while he was in hospital three times with a lung condition.
After learning they had been virtually disinherited, the five sisters Carol Gowing, Angela St Marseille, Amanda Higginbotham, Christine Ward and Janet Pett took the case to the High Court, but lost.
According to a source, Ann Ward, Fred Jr.’s widow, said she has “no doubt” her late husband would be outraged by the symbolic gesture.
“Ann is very clear. If her late husband were alive, he would have been absolutely furious that his daughters had been disinherited in this way,” the source said. told MailOnline.
‘He would be turning in his grave. She has no doubts about that.
“It’s not about the money. She believes her girls fought for what their father would have wanted and what their grandfather had originally promised.
“There are many serious questions to be asked about the judge’s ruling. Ann believes that some important evidence has not been fully taken into account.”
The source added that the sisters could not “afford” to appeal the judge’s ruling because they “have to pay all the legal costs of both parties.”
The five claimed that they should get a third of their grandfather’s money from their late father.
They argued that their Uncle Terry and Aunt Susan had “undue influence” their grandfather to change his will to give them the five sisters’ share of his estate.
However, their case was dismissed by High Court Judge Master James Brightwell.
He said it was “completely rational” for the “disappointed” grandfather to leave his grandchildren because of their “very limited contact” with him in his final years.
He said that “the evidence does not come close to convincing me” that Terry had “coerced” his father or that Susan had “controlled” him in such a way as to cast doubt on his will.
What is the inheritance tax threshold and how does it work?
Here you can read everything you need to know about inheritance tax, including the threshold limit.
Inheritance tax is a tax on the estate (the property, money and assets) of a person who has died.
You will normally not have to pay inheritance tax if the value of your estate is less than the £325,000 threshold.
You can also avoid the tax if you leave everything above the threshold to your spouse, registered partner, a charity or a local amateur sports club.
If the value of your estate is less than the £325,000 limit, you will still need to report this to HMRC.
This is called the “principal residence bond.”
If you are married or have a registered partnership and your estate is worth less than the upper limit, any unused threshold can be added to that of your partner upon your death.
If you give your house away to your children (including adopted, foster or stepchildren) or grandchildren when you die, the inheritance tax threshold could rise to £500,000.
This means their threshold could be as much as £1 million.
The standard rate of inheritance tax is 40 percent, but it is only levied on the portion of your estate that is above the threshold.
Fred Snr was an “independent and strong” ex-cable joiner and regular social club user who lived in South Ealing, London.
He had three children, Fred Jr., Terry and Susan, and had previously made a will dividing his estate, including his £450,000 maisonette, between all three.
But Fred Jr. – father of five sisters – died before his father in 2015, after which the family fell out and Fred Snr didn’t see much of Fred Jr.’s side.
And when his will was read out by Terry after his death, a bitter shouting match broke out – which was recorded and played in court – as it was revealed that the five sisters had been virtually eliminated.
Out of a fortune worth around £500,000, they were given envelopes by Terry containing just £50 in cash.
They then sued, claiming that their grandfather’s last will and testament for 2018 was invalid because it was made when he was “a sick man” and was “afraid” of Terry, who “forced” him to make it.
They also pointed the finger at Susan, Fred Snr’s daughter and carer in the final years of his life, accusing her of exerting ‘undue influence’ over their grandfather.
Their lawyer told the judge that Terry had developed a particular “hatred” for his niece Carol Gowing after a family had a falling out over a property.
They said there was a “palpable…dislike between the two sides of the family.”
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