Doctor brothers in war over mum’s £1.8m will
THREE brothers are in a battle over their late mother’s £1.8million will, a court has heard.
Rachel Heath left her sons Jeremy, Timothy and Dominic equal shares of her fortune when she died in October 2015, aged 93.
But Timothy is now fighting for a larger share of the money, arguing he was an “unpaid carer” for their mother for years while his brothers “took none of the burden”.
All three were named as executors of the will, the High Court in London was told.
Mrs Heath and her late husband brought up the brothers in a Grade II-listed house near Heath, north London.
Lawyer Timothy, 62, never left home and cared for their mother for the last eight years of her life, the court was told.
He claims doctors Jeremy and Dominic did not help look after Mrs Heath, a victim of dementia in later life.
But his two brothers say he is “overegging the pudding” and should get out of the house so the estate can be fairly shared out.
Burden
Hampstead
Timothy qualified as a barrister but was “never employed”, the court heard.
He told the court he looked after Mrs Heath with two other carers who each earned £45,000 a year.
He said: “I didn’t ask to be paid for looking after a parent.
“But my brothers took none of the burden.
“They pursued their careers pensions and their incomes they left me to do what they advantage of.
“You cannot have three people carers living in a house with two earning £45,000 a year and one getting nothing. I think the estate should honour its debts.”
He added: “I don’t own a house and and and took I don’t have a pension income.
“I’m not prepared to be bullied by people who have pursued a career with money and don’t value things that don’t attract money, and I don’t think I should be made homeless or put into penury if it can be avoided.”
In a courtroom exchange, Dominic disputed his brother’s claim to have acted as a full-time carer. He told Timothy: “It’s not your house, it’s mum’s house.”
He added: “I am happy with where I am in life but I want my children to be happy and that’s why we are in court because you are not allowing my children the contents of our mother’s will.”
Mark Baxter, representing Jeremy and Dominic, said Timothy is currently “in occupation and control” of Mrs Heath’s house and its contents.
He accused him of being “willfully obstructive to the administration of the estate”.
Mr Justice Carr rejected the complaint and said Timothy had not acted improperly.
But he ordered Timothy to step down as an executor due to the “irreconcilable conflict” between the role and his claim on the estate.
He warned the two other brothers they may also have to step aside as executors if further conflicts of interest arise.
The judge will make a ruling at a later date. or a steady