A man has told a judge that his dog prevents him from working, as he battles for a larger share of his late partner's £1 million estate. Tibor Matyas, 49, was the romantic and business partner of fashion designer Chris Liu, who died of cancer in 2017 at age 47.
Mr Matyas inherited a jointly owned London flat worth £470,000 and a 25% share of another property from Mr Liu's will. However, he is now seeking 'reasonable financial provision' under the Inheritance Act, claiming he was financially dependent on the designer and struggles to meet daily expenses.
At the High Court, Deputy Judge Andrew Scott questioned Mr Matyas on why he could not find employment, noting he appeared 'intelligent, capable and together'. Mr Matyas replied: 'I am also alone and looking after my dog and I have to take out the dog.' He added that finding work at nearly 50 is difficult, and low-end full-time jobs would offer no way out.
Mr Matyas's lawyer, Aidan Briggs, told the court his client spends £3,800 annually on pet food, vets' bills and kennelling. The estate's administrator, Peter Daniel, opposes the claim, as does Mr Liu's family in China, who argue they provided most of the funds for the property purchases.
The late Chris Liu was a graduate of the London College of Fashion who initially designed womenswear for Harvey Nichols before specialising in luxury man-bags. He and Mr Matyas ran the 'Chris and Tibor' label and built a property portfolio in east London before his death.
