A builder left with virtually nothing from his wealthy mother's £5m-plus fortune is suing his sister over claims she plundered it to pay for meals at the Ivy and her daughter's wedding at the Savoy. Gary MacDougall, 70, had expected to split his mother Jeanne MacDougall's estate with his sister Sandra Thomas, 65, and her husband Lloyd. But after a change of will in 2011 and a series of property sales and gifts, Gary was left with 'nil' to inherit when his mother died in April 2020.
Gary is now challenging the validity of his mother's final will and accusing his sister and brother-in-law of financial abuse, claiming they spent large sums on themselves while she was alive but incapable of consent. The disputed spending includes holidays, meals at the Ivy, and their daughter's five-star wedding at the Savoy Hotel. Two properties worth over £2.6m were also removed from the estate before his mother's death, with one sold for £900,000 and another handed to Sandra and Lloyd.
At the High Court, Gary is seeking to overturn the 2011 will and reclaim over £2m in cash and assets. However, Sandra and Lloyd argue that the will was valid because their mother was closer to her daughter and intended for her son to receive little, having already benefited from their father's estate. They claim that although some money was spent on their family, it was destined for Sandra anyway under the final wills.
The case is set for a 12-day trial dealing with the will's validity, property transactions, and what happened to the pensioner's money before her death. Gary's barrister, Harry Martin, described how the family fortune came from the siblings' property developer father, Alexander MacDougall, who built a substantial real estate portfolio in west London. Gary claims he contributed to the family wealth by maintaining properties free of charge through his building company.
Under a 2008 will, Gary and his family were to receive properties in Avenue Crescent and Berrymead Gardens, while Sandra and Lloyd got most of the cash and other houses. But the 2011 will gave all four properties to Sandra and Lloyd, leaving Gary with virtually nothing. Gary claims the 2011 will was made under undue influence when his mother was elderly and dependent on her daughter and son-in-law. He also challenges a 2015 gift of the Avenue Crescent house, valued at £1.7m, and a lease granted at an undervalue to his niece.
Gary's barrister said more than £2m left Mrs MacDougall's bank accounts between 2012 and 2020, with much of it spent by Sandra and Lloyd under a power of attorney. The court will now decide whether the will and transactions are valid, and whether Gary is entitled to a share of his mother's fortune.
