Dunbar Estate, Re, (1992) 119 N.S.R.(2d) 271 (ProbCt)

• Judge: MacDonnell, J.
• Court: Probate Court of Nova Scotia (Canada)
• Case Date: December 23, 1992
• Jurisdiction: Nova Scotia
• Citations: (1992), 119 N.S.R.(2d) 271 (ProbCt)

Dunbar Estate, Re (1992), 119 N.S.R.(2d) 271 (ProbCt);

  330 A.P.R. 271

MLB headnote and full text

In the Estate of Ruth Rebecca Dunbar, deceased

(No. 17,676)

Indexed As: Dunbar Estate, Re

Nova Scotia Probate Court

MacDonnell, J.

December 23, 1992.

Summary:

One of two residuary legatees predeceased the testatrix and the executors applied for determination of whether the gift lapsed and, if so, whether it devolved as on an intestacy.

The Nova Scotia Probate Court held that the gift lapsed and devolved as on an intestacy to the testatrix's next of kin by blood.

Devolution of Estates - Topic 407

Devolution - General - Next of kin - Blood relatives v. relatives by marriage - [See Wills - Topic 4071 ].

Wills - Topic 4071

Failure of gifts - Lapse - Death of legatee - Residuary bequests - A testatrix's will left the residue to two people "to be divided between them equally, share and share alike, and to be theirs absolutely" - One predeceased the testatrix, who on her death was survived by nieces and nephews by marriage and cousins by blood - The Nova Scotia Probate Court held that the gift to the residuary legatee lapsed and devolved under the Intestate Succession Act to her next of kin, who were the blood cousins, not the nieces and nephews by marriage.

Wills - Topic 5027

Construction - General - Presumptions - Against intestacy - The Nova Scotia Pro­bate Court stated that the presumption against intestacy is relevant only where two constructions of a will are possible - See paragraphs 19 to 20.

Cases Noticed:

Coughlin, Re (1982), 36 O.R.(2d) 446; 12 E.T.R. 59 (H.C.), dist. [para. 10].

Tonon v. Vendruscolo (1986), 25 E.T.R. 201 (Ont. H.C.), dist. [para. 10].

Mitchell Estate, Re (1972), 7 N.B.R.(2d) 504 (Q.B.), dist. [para. 10].

McCarthy v. Pittman (1991), 94 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 156; 298 A.P.R. 156 (Nfld. T.D.), dist. [para. 10].

Doplihar Estate v. Stopar (1990), 75 O.R.(2d) 374; 39 E.T.R. 120 (Gen. Div.), dist. [para. 10].

Bergmann-Porter Estate, Re (1991), 110 N.S.R.(2d) 401; 299 A.P.R. 401 (T.D.), dist. [para. 10].

Quimby, Re (1911), 20 O.W.R. 111; 3 O.W.N. 97 (H.C.), dist. [para. 11].

Doyle, Re (1926), 30 O.W.N. 410, dist. [para. 11].

Gamble, Re (1906), 13 O.L.R. 299, dist. [para. 11].

Ladd, Re; Henderson v. Porter, [1932] 2 Ch. 219; 101 L.J. Ch. 392; 147 L.T. 433, dist. [para. 11].

Fenton Estate, Re (1977), 26 N.S.R.(2d) 662; 40 A.P.R. 662 (T.D.), dist. [para. 11].

Kolenic Estate, Re (1989), 93 A.R. 257; 64 Alta. L.R.(2d) 208; 31 E.T.R. 177 (Surr. Ct.), dist. [para. 12].

Griffith, Re (1950), 27 M.P.R. 181, dist. [para. 15].

Collishaw, Re, [1953] 3 D.L.R. 829 (N.S.), dist. [para. 15].

Sherratt v. Mountford (1873), L.R. 8 Ch. App. 928; 42 L.J. Ch. 688; 29 L.T. 284; 21 W.R. 818 (C.A.), dist. [para. 26].

Daoust, Re; Dobell v. Dobell, [1944] 1 All E.R. 443; 113 L.J. Ch. 193; 171 L.T. 39, dist. [para. 26].

Butt, Re (1986), 53 O.R.(2d) 297; 22 E.T.R. 120 (Surr. Ct.), dist. [para. 27].

Statutes Noticed:

Devolution of Estates Act, R.S.O. 1970, c. 129, generally [para. 28].

Intestate Succession Act, R.S.N.S. 1989, c. 236, sect. 9, sect. 10, sect. 11 [para. 24].

Probate Act, R.S.N.S. 1989, c. 359, sect. 82, sect. 83 [para. 5]; sect. 153(2) [para. 6]; sect. 153(5) [para. 33].

Wills Act, R.S.N.S. 1989, c. 505, sect. 24 [paras. 12, 13].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Feeney, Canadian Law of Wills (3rd Ed.), vol. 2, p. 24 [para. 19].

Counsel:

Paul Graham, Proctor of Estate;

R.A. Balmanoukian, for Mary Dunbar and the Estate of Harold Dunbar;

Allen C. Fownes, for first cousins and next of kin of the deceased.

This case was heard at Pictou, Nova Scotia, before MacDonnell, J., of the Nova Scotia Probate Court, who delivered the following decision on December 23, 1992.