Harnum v. Moser et al., 2007 NSSC 351

JudgeMacLellan, J.
CourtSupreme Court of Nova Scotia (Canada)
Case DateSeptember 10, 2007
JurisdictionNova Scotia
Citations2007 NSSC 351;(2007), 260 N.S.R.(2d) 99 (SC)

Harnum v. Moser (2007), 260 N.S.R.(2d) 99 (SC);

    831 A.P.R. 99

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2007] N.S.R.(2d) TBEd. DE.001

In the Estate of James Alexander Moser, Deceased

Joan Harnum (applicant) v. James Allen Moser, Brian Moser, Glen Moser, Rolland Moser, Sterling Moser, Sandra DeWolf and Wilma Russell (respondents)

(Probate 772; 2007 NSSC 351)

Indexed As: Harnum v. Moser et al.

Nova Scotia Supreme Court

MacLellan, J.

November 28, 2007.

Summary:

The testator died in September 2005. In February 2004, the testator had been ill and was hospitalized. He executed a will. The defendants, the testator's children, contested the validity of the will. They applied for proof in solemn form of the will. After the discovery of the lawyer who made the will and receiving medical information on the testator at the time the will was executed, the defendants withdrew the application. The plaintiff (the testator's common law partner) applied for solicitor and client costs against the defendants. The defendants sought solicitor and client costs paid from the estate.

The Nova Scotia Supreme Court ordered solicitor and client costs paid by the estate to the plaintiff. The court denied the defendants' application for costs.

Practice - Topic 7328

Costs - Costs in probate proceedings - Solicitor and client costs - The testator died in September 2005 - In February 2004, the testator had been ill and was hospitalized - He executed a will - The defendants, the testator's children, contested the validity of the will - They applied for proof in solemn form of the will - After the discovery of the lawyer who made the will and receiving medical information on the testator at the time the will was executed, the defendants withdrew the application - The plaintiff applied for solicitor and client costs against the defendants - The defendants sought solicitor and client costs paid from the estate - The Nova Scotia Supreme Court ordered solicitor and client costs paid by the estate to the plaintiff - The court denied the defendants' application for costs - It was not appropriate that the defendants get costs - The allegations that there were spelling mistakes in the will were frivolous matters which could easily have been explained - They certainly did not go to testamentary capacity - The suggestion that the testator was on medication and gravely ill when he prepared his will was also not well founded - The circumstances did not justify an application for proof of solemn form - However, given that the defendants had not insisted on an actual hearing, it would have been inappropriate to award costs against them.

Practice - Topic 7466

Costs - Solicitor and client costs - Entitlement to - Probate actions - [See Practice - Topic 7328 ].

Cases Noticed:

Morash Estate v. Morash, [1997] N.S.R.(2d) Uned. 107 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 24].

Winters Estate, Re (1999), 180 N.S.R.(2d) 388; 557 A.P.R. 388 (Prob. Ct.), refd to. [para. 27].

Thorsen Estate v. Thorsen (2002), 203 N.S.R.(2d) 107; 635 A.P.R. 107 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 46].

Marshall Estate, Re (1998), 50 O.T.C. 357 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 47].

Olenchuk Estate, Re, [1991] O.J. No. 2624, refd to. [para. 47].

Counsel:

Ray E. O'Blenis, for the applicant;

Harry R.G. Munro, Q.C., for the respondents.

This application was heard on September 10, 2007, at Pictou, N.S., by MacLellan, J., of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court, who delivered the following judgment on November 28, 2007.

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4 practice notes
  • Wittenberg Estate, Re, (2015) 364 N.S.R.(2d) 176 (CA)
    • Canada
    • Nova Scotia Court of Appeal of Nova Scotia (Canada)
    • 21 d4 Maio d4 2015
    ...199 O.A.C. 203 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 96]. McDougald Estate v. Gooderham - see McDougald Estate, Re. Harnum v. Moser et al. (2007), 260 N.S.R.(2d) 99; 831 A.P.R. 99; 2007 NSSC 351, refd to. [para. Van Kippersluis v. Van Kippersluis, [2011] N.S.R.(2d) Uned. 234; 2011 NSSC 399, refd to. [par......
  • Deagle v. Deagle Estate, 2019 NSSC 70
    • Canada
    • Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (Canada)
    • 25 d1 Fevereiro d1 2019
    ...pursuing estate litigation. [97]        This trend appears in some Nova Scotia cases: Harnum v. Moser, 2007 NSSC 351; Van Kippersluis v. Van Kippersluis Estate, 2011 NSSC [98]        The policy reasons for the old rule ar......
  • Baird Estate, Re, (2014) 353 N.S.R.(2d) 226 (SC)
    • Canada
    • Nova Scotia Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (Canada)
    • 16 d2 Dezembro d2 2014
    ...Indian Band et al., [2003] 3 S.C.R. 371; 313 N.R. 84; 189 B.C.A.C. 161; 309 W.A.C. 161, refd to. [para. 17]. Harnum v. Moser et al. (2007), 260 N.S.R.(2d) 99; 831 A.P.R. 99 (S.C.), refd to. [para. Barrieau Estate, Re, [2008] N.S.R.(2d) Uned. 213; 2008 NSSC 162 (Prob. Ct.), refd to. [para. 1......
  • Van Kippersluis v. Van Kippersluis, 2011 NSSC 399
    • Canada
    • Probate Court of Nova Scotia (Canada)
    • 31 d1 Outubro d1 2011
    ...¶¶ 14, 17 - 18 vii. Ramsay v Ramsay Estate , 2004 NSSC 162, ¶¶ 7 viii. Winters Estate , 1999 CanLII 18600 (¶¶NSPC ix. Harnum v Moser , 2007 NSSC 351 at para 25 x. Thorsen Estate v Thorsen , 2002 NSSC 97 at ¶¶ 15 - 16. [10] My synopsis of the applicant's submissions is: a) The application wa......
4 cases
  • Wittenberg Estate, Re, (2015) 364 N.S.R.(2d) 176 (CA)
    • Canada
    • Nova Scotia Court of Appeal of Nova Scotia (Canada)
    • 21 d4 Maio d4 2015
    ...199 O.A.C. 203 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 96]. McDougald Estate v. Gooderham - see McDougald Estate, Re. Harnum v. Moser et al. (2007), 260 N.S.R.(2d) 99; 831 A.P.R. 99; 2007 NSSC 351, refd to. [para. Van Kippersluis v. Van Kippersluis, [2011] N.S.R.(2d) Uned. 234; 2011 NSSC 399, refd to. [par......
  • Deagle v. Deagle Estate, 2019 NSSC 70
    • Canada
    • Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (Canada)
    • 25 d1 Fevereiro d1 2019
    ...pursuing estate litigation. [97]        This trend appears in some Nova Scotia cases: Harnum v. Moser, 2007 NSSC 351; Van Kippersluis v. Van Kippersluis Estate, 2011 NSSC [98]        The policy reasons for the old rule ar......
  • Baird Estate, Re, (2014) 353 N.S.R.(2d) 226 (SC)
    • Canada
    • Nova Scotia Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (Canada)
    • 16 d2 Dezembro d2 2014
    ...Indian Band et al., [2003] 3 S.C.R. 371; 313 N.R. 84; 189 B.C.A.C. 161; 309 W.A.C. 161, refd to. [para. 17]. Harnum v. Moser et al. (2007), 260 N.S.R.(2d) 99; 831 A.P.R. 99 (S.C.), refd to. [para. Barrieau Estate, Re, [2008] N.S.R.(2d) Uned. 213; 2008 NSSC 162 (Prob. Ct.), refd to. [para. 1......
  • Van Kippersluis v. Van Kippersluis, 2011 NSSC 399
    • Canada
    • Probate Court of Nova Scotia (Canada)
    • 31 d1 Outubro d1 2011
    ...¶¶ 14, 17 - 18 vii. Ramsay v Ramsay Estate , 2004 NSSC 162, ¶¶ 7 viii. Winters Estate , 1999 CanLII 18600 (¶¶NSPC ix. Harnum v Moser , 2007 NSSC 351 at para 25 x. Thorsen Estate v Thorsen , 2002 NSSC 97 at ¶¶ 15 - 16. [10] My synopsis of the applicant's submissions is: a) The application wa......

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