Cull (A.) Estate v. Cull (L.) Estate, (1993) 107 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 181 (NFTD)

• Judge: Puddester, J.
• Court: Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada)
• Case Date: February 11, 1993
• Jurisdiction: Newfoundland and Labrador
• Citations: (1993), 107 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 181 (NFTD)

Cull Estate v. Cull Estate (1993), 107 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 181 (NFTD);

    336 A.P.R. 181

MLB headnote and full text

Thomas Crossman, as representative of the beneficiaries of the Estate of Amelia Cull (plaintiff) v. Bessie Noel, as representative of the beneficiaries of the Estate of Leonard Cull (defendant)

(1990 St. J. No. 2428)

Indexed As: Cull (A.) Estate v. Cull (L.) Estate

Newfoundland Supreme Court

Trial Division

Puddester, J.

February 11, 1993.

Summary:

Following a wife's death, issues arose surrounding the interpretation and effect of her late husband's will respecting the couple's home.

The Newfoundland Supreme Court, Trial Division, issued declarations accordingly.

Executors and Administrators - Topic 2239

Duties and powers of executors and ad­ministrators - Power to encroach on capi­tal - Valid exercise of - A husband left the residue of his estate to his wife "ab­solutely", but any property left at her death should be divided amongst named persons - Under a codicil, the husband's house, if not disposed of by his wife during her lifetime, was to be retained for the use of certain persons for life - The wife as executrix, executed a "deed of assent" to herself personally respecting the husband's property - The Newfoundland Supreme Court, Trial Division, held that the will gave the wife only a life interest with the power of encroachment - The deed of assent was not a valid exercise of the encroachment power and did not divest the remainder beneficiaries under the hus­band's will and codicil - See paragraphs 1 to 81.

Executors and Administrators - Topic 3714

Duties and powers of executors and ad­ministrators - Distribution - Marital prop­erty legislation - Effect of - A married couple occupied a home until the hus­band's death in 1977 - The husband left the wife, what the court determined to be, a life interest in the home - The Family Law Act, effective July 1, 1980, provided for an immediate creation and vesting of a joint interest for a spouse in a matrimonial home, with the right of survivorship - The wife resided in the home until her death in 1989 - The Newfoundland Supreme Court, Trial Division, held that the property was not a "matrimonial home" under the Act and the statute did not pass absolute own­ership of the property to the wife/widow on July 1, 1980, or thereafter - Upon the wife's death, the home devolved under the husband's will - See paragraphs 83 to 136.

Family Law - Topic 629

Husband and wife - Marital property - Matrimonial property legislation - Appli­cation of - [See Executors and Adminis­trators - Topic 3714 ].

Family Law - Topic 633

Husband and wife - Marital property - Matrimonial home - Right of wife to interest in - [See Executors and Admin­istrators - Topic 3714 ].

Wills - Topic 4321

Failure of gifts - Repugnancy - General - The Newfoundland Supreme Court, Trial Division, discussed the principle of "repugnancy" - See paragraphs 27 to 31.

Wills - Topic 7252

Construction - Quantity of interest taken - Marital property legislation - Effect of - [See Executors and Administrators - Topic 3714 ].

Wills - Topic 7300

Construction - Quantity of interest taken - Absolute interest - Absolute gift - Effect of subsequent words - A husband's will provided that the residue of his estate was "to be [his wife's] absolutely and forever, subject to the next clause" - Under the next clause, any property left at his wife's death, should be sold and the proceeds divided amongst certain named persons - A codicil provided that if the husband's house and land were not disposed of by his wife during her lifetime, the property was to be retained in specie for the use of certain persons, until no longer required - The Newfoundland Supreme Court, Trial Division, held that the husband's will did not give the wife an absolute interest in the property, but rather a life interest with the power of encroachment - See para­graphs 10 to 58.

Wills - Topic 7420

Construction - Quantity of interest taken - Life interest - Power to encroach on capi­tal - [See Executors and Administrators - Topic 2239 ].

Cases Noticed:

Bowman et al. v. Oram et al. (1894), 26 N.S.R. 318 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 17].

Walker, Re (1925), 56 O.L.R. 517 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 17].

Maltman Estate, Re, [1926] 3 W.W.R. 755; 36 Man. R. 214; [1927] 1 D.L.R. 417, refd to. [para. 17].

Robinson Estate, Re, [1930] 2 W.W.R. 609; 39 Man. R. 93; [1931] 1 D.L.R. 289 (C.A), refd to. [para. 17].

Nova Scotia Trust Co. v. Smith et al., [1933] 2 D.L.R. 272; 6 M.P.R. 205 (N.S.C.A.), refd to. [para. 17].

MacDonald Estate, Re (1933), 41 Man. R. 417 (K.B.), refd to. [para. 17].

Hulett Estate, Re, [1945] 1 W.W.R. 387 (Alta. S.C.), refd to. [para. 17].

Moren, Re, [1953] 4 D.L.R. 138 (N.S.S.C.), refd to. [para. 17].

White, Re, [1962] O.R. 590; 33 D.L.R.(2d) 185 (H.C.), refd to. [para. 17].

Royal Trust Co. v. Freedman, [1974] 1 W.W.R. 577; 41 D.L.R.(3d) 122 (Man. Q.B.), refd to. [para. 17].

Thorpe Estate, Re (1974), 6 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 419 (Nfld. S.C.), refd to. [para. 17].

Whelan's Estate, Re (1976), 11 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 179; 22 A.P.R. 179 (Nfld. T.D.), refd to. [para. 17].

Rankin's Will, Re; Rankin v. Rankin and Rankin, [1980] 6 W.W.R. 307; 4 Man.R.(2d) 209 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 17].

Kean v. Coombs (1985), 55 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 74; 162 A.P.R. 74 (Nfld. Dist. Ct.), refd to. [para. 17].

Burke, Re, [1960] O.R. 26 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 18].

Shamas, Re, [1967] 2 O.R. 275 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 18].

Schumacher, Re, [1971] 4 W.W.R. 644; 20 D.L.R.(3d) 487 (Man. C.A.), refd to. [para. 18].

Paithouski, Re (1978), 18 O.R.(2d) 385; 83 D.L.R.(3d) 284 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 18].

Huffman, Re (1979), 25 O.R.(2d) 521; 101 D.L.R.(3d) 365 (H.C.), refd to. [para. 18].

Taylor Estate, Re, [1982] 6 W.W.R. 109; 19 Sask.R. 361 (Surr. Ct.), refd to. [para. 18].

Smith v. Smith (1982), 38 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 75; 108 A.P.R. 75; 28 R.F.L.(2d) 263 (Nfld. T.D.), refd to. [para. 68].

Power v. Power (1988), 69 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 139; 211 A.P.R. 139 (Nfld. T.D.), refd to. [para. 100].

Perrie v. Martin, [1986] 1 S.C.R. 41; 64 N.R. 195; 12 O.A.C. 269; 24 D.L.R.(4th) 1, refd to. [para. 112].

Gustavson Drilling (1964) Ltd. v. Minister of National Revenue, [1977] 1 S.C.R. 271; 7 N.R. 401; 66 D.L.R.(3d) 449, refd to. [para. 112].

McLaren v. McLaren (1979), 24 O.R.(2d) 481; 100 D.L.R.(3d) 163 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 114]

McIlroy v. Taylor (1981), 32 O.R.(2d) 553; 122 D.L.R.(3d) 686 (H.C.), refd to. [para. 114].

Husted v. Husted (1979), 19 A.R. 362; 11 Alta. L.R.(2d) 246; 108 D.L.R.(3d) 328 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 114].

Duncan v. Duncan (1979), 26 O.R.(2d) 681; 12 R.F.L.(2d) 153 (Fam. Ct.), refd to. [para. 114].

Statutes Noticed:

Family Law Act, S.N. 1988, c. 60, sect. 2 [paras. 123, 133]; sect. 2(1)(e) [para. 89 et seq.]; sect. 2(3) [paras. 84, 103]; sect. 5 [paras. 85, 103]; sect. 6 [paras. 99, 131]; sect. 6(1)(b) [para. 87 et seq.]; sect. 6(3) [paras. 87, 102]; sect. 7 [para. 88]; sect. 8 [para. 86 et seq.]; sect. 31, sect. 31(3) [para. 126].

Matrimonial Property Act, S.N. 1979, c. 32, generally [para. 97].

Wills Act, R.S.N. 1970, c. 401, generally [para. 44].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Anger and Honsberger, The Law of Real Property (2nd Ed. 1985), vol. 1, pp. 871-872 [para. 115].

Driedger, E.A., Construction of Statutes (2nd Ed. 1983), pp. 192 [para. 119]; 196 [para. 120]; 198, 199 [para. 116].

Feeney, Thomas G., The Canadian Law of Wills (3rd Ed. 1987), pp. 78, 79 [para. 72]; 80 [para. 46]; 81 [para. 73].

Halsbury's Laws of England (2nd Ed. 1940), vol. 14, para. 645 [para. 67].

Counsel:

Gillian Butler, for the plaintiff;

Eve Roberts, for the defendant.

This matter was heard on January 15 and 16, 1991, before Puddester, J., of the New­foundland Supreme Court, Trial Division, who delivered the following judgment on February 11, 1993.