S.58 and 59 WESA Application Ordered to Trial

S.58 and 59 WESA Application Ordered to Trial

Estate of Palmer 2017 BCSC 1430 dealt with  an application to cure defects in a will under sections 58 and 59 of WESA, but was ordered to trial rather than having been dealt with summarily by affidavits.

Ms. Palmer executed a short will on August 18, 1988. By that document, she appointed Montreal Trust and her cousin, Emily Takats, as her executors and trustees. She also named Ms. Takats as the sole residual beneficiary of her estate. Ms. Takats died well before Ms. Palmer.

[5] Following her death, a copy of Pauline Palmer’s 1998 will was discovered bearing various handwritten alterations and initials. Some of the changes are in black ink and some in blue ink. The changes include:

• updating Ms. Palmer’s address;
• deleting Montreal Trust and Emily Takats as executors and trustees and substituting in their place “Alan Homeniuk (sic), 10 English Way, St. Albert, Alberta”; and
• deleting the name Emily Takats as a residual beneficiary.

[6] The operative words of the will containing the handwritten changes now read as follows:

• “I nominate, constitute and appoint Alan Homeniuk of 10 English way, St. Albert, Alberta, and my cousin [name deleted], presently of [city deleted] to be the executors and trustees of this my Will”;
• “To deliver the rest and residue of my estate unto my said cousin [name deleted] for his [changed from “her”] own use and benefit absolutely.”

WESA and the Determination of Testamentary Intentions

[27] The recent case of Estate of Young, 2015 BCSC 182, describes the legal framework applicable to s. 58 of WESA and the curing of “deficiencies” related to the making or alteration of a will. The history and intent of the legislation, including the case law in other jurisdictions addressing similar provisions, is set out in paras. 16–33 of that decision and will not be repeated here. The law is summarized in paras. 34–37 of the decision and can be paraphrased as follows:

• the courts’ curative power with respect to non-compliant testamentary documents is inevitably and intensely fact-sensitive;
• the first threshold issue is whether the document in question is authentic;
• the second, and core, issue is whether the non-compliant document represents the deceased’s testamentary intentions;
• a testamentary intention means much more than the expression of how a person would like his or her property to be disposed of after death. Rather, the document must record a deliberate or fixed and final expression of intention as to the disposal of the deceased’s property on death;
• the burden of proof that a non-compliant document embodies the deceased’s testamentary intentions is the balance of probabilities;
• factors relevant to establishing the existence of a fixed and final testamentary intention may include the presence of the deceased’s signature, the deceased’s handwriting, witness signatures, revocation of previous wills, funeral arrangements, specific bequests and the title of the document; and
• generally speaking, the further a document departs from the formal validity requirements of the legislation, the harder it may be for the court to find that it embodies the deceased’s testamentary intention.

[28] Both s. 58 and 59 of WESA provide for an “application” to court to determine whether a certain document represents the testamentary intentions of a deceased person and/or rectification is warranted because the will fails to implement the deceased’s intent.

[29] Rules 2-1(2)(b) and (2.1) of the Supreme Court Civil Rules provide for the initiation of proceedings in estate matters or in respect of any application authorized by statute to be made to the court. It is possible that the manner in which the present application has been brought does not properly comply with those rules but, in any event, there is no doubt that a chambers hearing is ultimately contemplated thereby triggering the application of Rule 22-1, including the following sub-rules:

Evidence on an application

(4) On a chambers proceeding, evidence must be given by affidavit, but the court may
(a) order the attendance for cross-examination of the person who swore or affirmed the affidavit, either before the court or before another person as the court directs,
(b) order the examination of a party or witness, either before the court or before another person as the court directs,
(c) give directions required for the discovery, inspection or production of a document or copy of that document,
(d) order an inquiry, assessment or accounting under Rule 18-1, and
(e) receive other forms of evidence.
…

Power of the court

(7) Without limiting subrule (4), on the hearing of a chambers proceeding, the court may
(a) grant or refuse the relief claimed in whole or in part, or dispose of any question arising on the chambers proceeding,
(b) adjourn the chambers proceeding from time to time, either to a particular date or generally, and when the chambers proceeding is adjourned generally a party of record may set it down on 3 days’ notice for further hearing,
(c) obtain the assistance of one or more experts, in which case Rule 11-5 applies, and
(d) order a trial of the chambers proceeding, either generally or on an issue, and order pleadings to be filed and, in that event, give directions for the conduct of the trial and of pre-trial proceedings and for the disposition of the chambers proceeding.

[30] I have attempted to explain above why the affidavit evidence tendered on this application respecting certain matters is insufficient to do justice to the testamentary intentions of Ms. Palmer. In my view, oral evidence from the three affiants is desirable including cross-examination of those affiants on certain aspects of their testimony. As well, evidence must be adduced respecting Ms. Palmer’s physical and mental health and, in particular, her testamentary capacity at the time the changes to her will were made.

[31] Furthermore, three of the potential beneficiaries under WESA have not been included in the proceedings to date. It appears that Ms. Perret has no interest in actively participating in the present proceeding, however the court is not satisfied that any meaningful effort has been invested by any of the parties in tracing and notifying each of Bradley Palmer, Grant Palmer and Dolores Palmer. Their legal interests are at stake in this proceeding and they cannot simply be ignored.

[32] Rule 22-1(7)(d) permits the court to order a trial of any chambers proceeding and to give directions respecting the filing of pleadings and the further conduct of the matter. The legal test for converting a chambers proceeding into a trial was recently reviewed by the Court of Appeal in British Columbia (Milk Marketing Board) v. Saputo Products Canada G.P., 2017 BCCA 247. It is akin to the test applicable for summary judgment under Rule 9-6, i.e., whether a bona fide triable issue arises on the evidence before the court which warrants determination at a trial. The threshold is relatively low in that regard.

Decision and Orders Made

[33] In my view, there is a bona fide triable issue between the parties whether the handwritten amendments to Ms. Palmer’s will record a fixed and final expression of intention to make Mr. Homeniuk the sole beneficiary of her estate, an issue which cannot be satisfactorily resolved based solely on the affidavit evidence adduced to date. Accordingly, I make the following orders:
1. the within chambers proceeding will proceed to a trial;

Unwitnessed Will Valid: S.58 WESA

Unwitnessed Will Valid: S.58 WESA

Re Riguidel Estate 2017 BCSC 1667 found a signed but unwitnessed will to be valid by invoking the curative provisions of Section 58 WESA.

The Facts:

The people present when the deceased signed the handwritten and typed documents were the deceased, Ms. Leonard and Mr. Kapinus. The deceased was present when Ms. Leonard and Mr. Kapinus signed their names as witnesses to the deceased’s signature.

[28] Mr. Kapinus also states that he was unaware that two witnesses were required. He used the same language as Ms. Leonard did in her Affidavit, where he swore:

16. The Deceased appeared confident about signing the Will. He did not hesitate. I asked him if the Will was exactly what he wanted and he advised me that it was.

17. At no time did I observe anyone pressuring the Deceased to change his Will or to make any specific gift.

18. The Deceased and I discussed the Will and it was clear that it reflected his final wishes. The Will is consistent with my prior discussions with the Deceased.

19. I have no reason to believe that the Will is not an accurate reflection of the Deceased’s final wishes. I observed no evidence that the Deceased was forced or compelled to distribute his estate in the manner set out in the Will. The Deceased appeared to be thinking clearly at the time. He was not confused and he understood what he was doing.

[29] The most compelling evidence is that of Donna Malley, the deceased’s daughter. She states that when she learned of her father’s cancer diagnosis in January 2016. She travelled to Kamloops in order to be with him, arriving on or about February 11, 2016. She swears to the following:

3. I have learned that prior to my arrival on February 11, 2016, my father signed a document to vary his will (the “Codicil”), a true copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit “A”.
(Exhibit A is the typewritten document prepared by Mr. Kapinus).

[30] Ms. Malley also swears the following:

4. On or about February 13, 2016, I had a conversation with my father, at which time he advised me that it was important to him that my sister, Debi, was to obtain the house that he owned after he died, as she had done so much for him.

5. Debi and her husband, Vince, lived with my parents for many years and contributed to the construction and upkeep of the house.

6. It is my understanding and belief that after my mother died, my father realized that he did not have enough money to pay his mortgage. In or about early November 2015, I was present during a conversation between my sister Debi Riguidel, Vince Kapinus, and my father in which Debi and Vince told my dad not to worry that they would pay his mortgage and bills and ensure that he would always be taken care of financially.

[31] In her Affidavit, Ms. Malley sets out her understanding as to why her sister and Mr. Kapinus were to receive the house, and describing their relationship as a “trusting and loyal friendship”, and that it is “his way of saying that he will always take care of them in the same way that they did for him”. She further swears:

11. I believe that my father intended to provide Debi and Vince with his house in part because both my sister, Kimberly, and I have houses of our own and we did not live with my parents as adults.

12. I am confident that the February 11, 2016, Codicil prepared by my father and attached hereto as Exhibit “A” is a true and accurate reflection of my father’s wishes.

The Law

[34] In Young Estate (Re), 2015 BCSC 182, Madam Justice Dickson, as she then was, described some of the factors that should be present when seeking a non-compliant document to represent the deceased’s person’s intention under the curative provisions of s. 58(3) of WESA. In determining the deceased’s final testamentary intentions, Madam Justice Dickson wrote:

[36] The burden of proof that a non-compliant document embodies the deceased’s testamentary intentions is a balance of probabilities. A wide range of factors may be relevant to establishing their existence in a particular case. Although context specific, these factors may include the presence of the deceased’s signature, the deceased’s handwriting, witness signatures, revocation of previous wills, funeral arrangements, specific bequests and the title of the document: Sawatzky at para. 21; Kuszak at para. 7; Martineau at para. 21.

[37] While imperfect or even non-compliance with formal testamentary requirements may be overcome by application of a sufficiently broad curative provision, the further a document departs from the formal requirements the harder it may be for the court to find it embodies the deceased’s testamentary intention: George at para. 81.

[35] The curative provisions of s. 58(3) of the WESA are fact sensitive.

[36] Extrinsic evidence is permitted in order to determine whether the non-compliant document is the deceased’s final expression, as to his or her testamentary intentions pursuant to s. 58(3) of WESA: Litke Estate (Re), 2017 BCSC 1079 at para. 39.

[37] It comes down to this – whether the document presented was prepared by the deceased and that its contents represent a “deliberate or fixed and final testamentary intention at the material time for the disposition of the estate: Litke Estate (Re) at para. 42.

Discussion

[38] I am satisfied, on the evidence, that the documents dated February 7, 2016, copies of which are in Appendix 1 to these reasons, are the deliberate expressions of the deceased’s wishes as to the disposition of his property upon his death.

[39] I also find that the handwritten document signed by the deceased and the witnesses, Ms. Leonard and Mr. Kapinus, in the deceased’s presence was to record and confirm that the typewritten document set out the terms of the handwritten document, which reflected the deceased’s intentions before the deceased signed the typewritten document.

[40] It is clear from all of the evidence that the deceased recognized a moral, if not a legal obligation, to his daughter and son-in-law for their contributions to his estate.

[41] I determine that the typewritten document dated February 7, 2016 represents and embodies the deceased’s testamentary intentions sufficient to alter his Will as to the disposition of the assets of his estate and is effective as part of the Will

Section 58-59 WESA Rectification Application Referred to Trial

Section 58-59 WESA Rectification Application Referred to Trial

Estate of Palmer 2017 BCSC 1430 dealt with an application by affidavits pursuant to Sections 58 and 59 WESA to cure deficiencies in a will left by a deceased who hand wrote certain changes to a typed and properly witnessed prior will.

The  Judge referred the matter to the trial list under a rule 22-1-(7) (d) finding that there was a triable issue, particularly concerning her competence.

WESA and the Determination of Testamentary Intentions

[27]         The recent case of Estate of Young, 2015 BCSC 182, describes the legal framework applicable to s. 58 of WESA and the curing of “deficiencies” related to the making or alteration of a will.  The history and intent of the legislation, including the case law in other jurisdictions addressing similar provisions, is set out in paras. 16–33 of that decision and will not be repeated here.  The law is summarized in paras. 34–37 of the decision and can be paraphrased as follows:

  • the courts’ curative power with respect to non-compliant testamentary documents is inevitably and intensely fact-sensitive;
  • the first threshold issue is whether the document in question is authentic;
  • the second, and core, issue is whether the non-compliant document represents the deceased’s testamentary intentions;
  • a testamentary intention means much more than the expression of how a person would like his or her property to be disposed of after death.  Rather, the document must record a deliberate or fixed and final expression of intention as to the disposal of the deceased’s property on death;
  • the burden of proof that a non-compliant document embodies the deceased’s testamentary intentions is the balance of probabilities;
  • factors relevant to establishing the existence of a fixed and final testamentary intention may include the presence of the deceased’s signature, the deceased’s handwriting, witness signatures, revocation of previous wills, funeral arrangements, specific bequests and the title of the document; and
  • generally speaking, the further a document departs from the formal validity requirements of the legislation, the harder it may be for the court to find that it embodies the deceased’s testamentary intention.

[28]         Both s. 58 and 59 of WESA provide for an “application” to court to determine whether a certain document represents the testamentary intentions of a deceased person and/or rectification is warranted because the will fails to implement the deceased’s intent.
[29]         Rules 2-1(2)(b) and (2.1) of the Supreme Court Civil Rules provide for the initiation of proceedings in estate matters or in respect of any application authorized by statute to be made to the court.  It is possible that the manner in which the present application has been brought does not properly comply with those rules but, in any event, there is no doubt that a chambers hearing is ultimately contemplated thereby triggering the application of Rule 22-1, including the following sub-rules:

Evidence on an application

(4)        On a chambers proceeding, evidence must be given by affidavit, but the court may
(a)        order the attendance for cross-examination of the person who swore or affirmed the affidavit, either before the court or before another person as the court directs,
(b)        order the examination of a party or witness, either before the court or before another person as the court directs,
(c)        give directions required for the discovery, inspection or production of a document or copy of that document,
(d)        order an inquiry, assessment or accounting under Rule 18-1, and
(e)        receive other forms of evidence.
…

Power of the court

(7)        Without limiting subrule (4), on the hearing of a chambers proceeding, the court may
(a)        grant or refuse the relief claimed in whole or in part, or dispose of any question arising on the chambers proceeding,
(b)        adjourn the chambers proceeding from time to time, either to a particular date or generally, and when the chambers proceeding is adjourned generally a party of record may set it down on 3 days’ notice for further hearing,
(c)        obtain the assistance of one or more experts, in which case Rule 11-5 applies, and
(d)        order a trial of the chambers proceeding, either generally or on an issue, and order pleadings to be filed and, in that event, give directions for the conduct of the trial and of pre-trial proceedings and for the disposition of the chambers proceeding.

Jerry Lewis and Wills Variation

Jerry Lewis and Wills Variation

In British Columbia, Jerry Lewis’s six disinherited children would have a wills variation claim under Section 60 of WESA.

The news today reported:

When comedian Jerry Lewis died from heart failure in August at the age of 91, as it turns out, he left the majority of his estranged children nothing — and rather proudly.

People obtained his last will and testament, and discovered that Lewis cut out all six of his children with his first wife Patti Palmer, who are therefore set to inherit nothing.

The will, which was executed in 2012, reads: “I have intentionally excluded Gary Lewis, Ronald Lewis, Anthony Joseph Lewis, Christopher Joseph Lewis, Scott Anthony Lewis, and Joseph Christopher Lewis and their descendants as beneficiaries of my estate, it being my intention that they shall receive no benefits hereunder.”

Lewis and Palmer were married for 36 years from 1944 to 1980. Their sixth child, Joseph, mentioned above, actually died of a drug overdose in 2009.

However, Lewis remarried in 1983, to Las Vegas dancer SanDee Pitnick. As his widow, Lewis’s estate will likely be passed down to Pitnick. Second in line to inherit is Lewis’s remaining child, 25-year-old daughter Danielle, whom he adopted with Pitnick and who was also working as Lewis’s manager up until his death.

Special Costs In S 58 WESA Application

Special Costs in S 58 WESA Application | Disinherited

Re: Hadley Estate 2017 BCCA 311 the BC Appeal court upheld the principle of costs in estate litigation where the litigation is necessary due to the conduct of the deceased, then each party will normally be entitled to have their legal fees paid for from the estate as special costs. In Hadley the document in question was found not to be a will but it was reasonable for the parties to ask the court for a determination as to whether or not the document was a will:

What costs order should be made on the appeal?

[47] In estate litigation, courts commonly award special costs payable out of the estate to all parties. This practice is based on the principle that where an estate issue must be litigated to remove any doubts, all interested parties must be joined and all are entitled to be heard. In such circumstances, they should not be out of pocket if, in the result, the litigation does not conclude in their favour. The central question as to costs is whether the contested issue arises from the conduct of the deceased or the conduct of another. In the case of the former, an award of special costs from the estate will usually be made: Milwarde-Yates v. Sipila, 2009 BCSC 277 at paras. 81–82.

[48] The judge awarded special costs payable out of the estate to all parties. Her costs award has not been challenged and, in my view, the same costs award is appropriate on appeal. All parties to the appeal were drawn into the litigation because Ms. Hadley wrote the 2014 Will and provided it to Ms. McDermott for safe-keeping. The appeal concerned its validity and legal implications and, while ultimately unsuccessful, was not brought unreasonably

Revocation of Wills Post WESA

Revocation of Wills Post WESA - Disinherited

The introduction of the Wills Estates and Succession act (WESA) on March 31,2014 made a few  significant changes to the law relating to the revocation of wills.

Probably the most significant change was that marriage after the execution of a will no longer revokes a will. This largely unknown fact had created much hardship in estate law over a long period of time.

The other significant change is the insertion of section 58 WESA known as the curative provision for  otherwise defective wills.

Section 55 of WESA provides as follows:

55 (1) A will or part of a will is revoked only in one or more of the following circumstances:

  • by another will made by the will-maker in accordance with this Act;
  • by a written declaration of the will-maker that revokes all or part of a will made in accordance with section 37 ;
  • by the will-maker, or a person in the presence of the will-maker and by the will-maker’s direction, burning, tearing or destroying all or part of the will in some manner with the intention of revoking all or part of it;
  • by any other act of the will-maker, or another person in the presence of the will-maker and by the will-maker’s direction, if the court determines under section 58 that

(i)     the consequence of the act of the will-maker or the other person is apparent on the face of the will, and

(ii)     the act was done with the intent of the will-maker to revoke the will in whole or in part.

(2) A will is not revoked in whole or in part by presuming an intention to revoke it because of a change in circumstances.

VOLUNTARY REVOCATION

It should be stated at the outset that section 58 WESA which is discussed later in this paper may well alter the common law stated hereafter quite dramatically if it is applied in the same sweeping effect that the courts have used that section to cure defective wills. To date there have been no reported cases on how the courts will apply section 58 WESA to remedy defective revocations, but I anticipate that the effects will be dramatic.

Voluntary Revocation can be accomplished by any of the following:

  • by executing a subsequent will or codicil that typically contains a revocation clause of the previous will;
  • a written declaration declaring an intention to revoke a will and duly executed in the same prescribed manner as a will;
  • by burning, tearing or otherwise destroying the will by the testator or by someone in the presence and by the direction of the testator

The execution of a subsequent will or codicil is by far the most common method of revoking a will.

In fact, when a testamentary document is valid and contains a revocation clause , there is a very heavy onus on anyone attacking the will attempting to argue that the revocation clause was not intended to be operative. McCarthy v Fawcett ( 1945) 1 W.W.R. 70 ( B.C.C.A)

Drawing a line through the signature and adding the words  I hereby revoke this will was held to be of no legal effect in Bell v. Matthewman ( 1920) 49 O.L.R 364.

A letter properly attested by two witnesses and addressed to the bank manager who held the original will on deposit stating “ will you please destroy the will already made out was held to have effectively revoked the will in Re Spracklan ( 1938) 2 All E.R. 730.

With respect to the destruction of a will, there must be both the act of destruction as well as the intention to destroy the will and any symbolic destruction will not suffice. Partial tearing of the will which leaves the words legible does not necessarily show an intention to revoke. There must be such an injury with intent to revoke that it destroys the entirety of the will to have an effective revocation. Re Shafner ( 1956) 2 D.L.R. ( 2d) 593 ( N.S.C.A.)

The Common Law Presumption of Destruction

Very often in estate disputes the original or a will cannot be found and an attempt is made to probate a copy, giving rise to the legal issue as to whether the will had been destroyed or simply lost.

If an original duly executed will that was in the possession of the testator is not propounded upon death and the executor fails to prove that the original was not merely lost and not destroyed, then there is a common law presumption that is rebuttable by sufficient evidence that the will was destroyed by the testator, that the testator destroyed the will for the purpose of revoking it. Sigurdson v Sigurdson (1935) 4 DLR 529 ( S.C.C.)  and Kumar v Kumari ( 1993) BCJ No. 108.

The evidence necessary to rebut the presumption of revocation need not be such as to amount to a positive certainty , but only such as to produce moral conviction. Re Matt estate ( 1954) 11 WWR ( NS) 28 ( Man.C.A).

The Sigurdson case ibid stated that the evidence to rebut the presumption of revocation must be clear and convincing to satisfy the court that the will had in fact been lost and not destroyed by the testator with an intention of revoking the will.

Various Factors of Consideration by the Court Whether the Presumption Applies

Haider v Kalugin  2008 BCSC 930 enumerated some of the factors the court will consider in deciding whether the presumption of revocation applies, and if so, whether it has been rebutted:

  • whether the testator continued to have good relations with the named beneficiaries in the copy of the will up to the date of death;
  • whether the terms of the will were reasonable
  • the nature and character of the deceased in taking care of personal effects- ie orderly vs hoarding;
  • statements made by the testator to either confirm or contradict the terms of the will copy;
  • whether the deceased understood the consequences of having a will and the effects of an intestacy;
  • were personal papers stored carefully or haphazardly;

The presumption of revocation does not apply where the original will cannot be traced to the possession of the testator. Brimicombe v Brimicombe Estate  (2001) NSJ No. 157 (N.S.C.A). For example if the original was stored at the drafting lawyers office and the will was lost while there, the presumption would not apply.

SECTION 58  WESA

Section 58 of WESA, reads as follows:

58 (1) In this section, record includes data that

(a)   is recorded or stored electronically,

(b)   can be read by a person, and

(c)    is capable of reproduction in a visible form.

(2) On application, the court may make an order under subsection (3) if the court determines that a record, document or writing or marking on a will or document represents

(a)   the testamentary intentions of a deceased person,

(b)   the intention of a deceased person to revoke, alter or revive a will or testamentary disposition of the deceased person, or

(c)    the intention of a deceased person to revoke, alter or revive a testamentary disposition contained in a document other than a will.

(3) Even though the making, revocation, alteration or revival of a will does not comply with this Act, the court may, as the circumstances require, order that a record or document or writing or marking on a will or document be fully effective as though it had been made

(a)   as the will or part of the will of the deceased person,

(b)   as a revocation, alteration or revival of a will of the deceased person, or

(c)    as the testamentary intention of the deceased person.

(4) If an alteration to a will makes a word or provision illegible and the court is satisfied that the alteration was not made in accordance with this Act, the court may reinstate the original word or provision if there is evidence to establish what the original word or provision was.

Section 58 WESA is a dramatic change to the law of revocation given that even if the document attempting to revoke a will is defective, if the court finds that the intention of the testator was to revoke the will, then under Section 58 (3) the court can cure the defect so as to give legal effect to the intention of the testator.

The “curative” provisions of Section 58 was illustrated in Horton v Bruce 2017 BCSC 712 where the court remedied only the revocation clause and not the distributive clauses of a subsequent  draft will that had been signed by the testator but not witnessed by two witnesses in the presence of each other. The legal effect of the imposition of Section 58 (3) was to cause the deceased to die intestate.

Horton v. Bruce relied upon  a Supreme Court of Canada decision Bell Express Vu Limited Partnership v Rex 2002 SCC 42 for the authority to interpret Section 58 to give the courts the power to cure only a part of a document or a writing deemed to be a will, and not the entire document.

CONCLUSION

The effects of WESA will be dramatic upon the law of revocation of wills. Section 55 WESA abolished the revocation of a will by any marriage that takes place after March 31, 2014.

The effect of Section 58 WESA has yet to be recognized but the application of that section in the Horton v Bruce decision leads me to believe that Section 58 will be liberally applied to remedy any defective revocation if the court concludes that it was the intention of a testator to revoke a will but failed to do so in a  manner that the common law previously demanded.

Unwitnessed Will Valid

Can An Unwitnessed Will be Valid?

Section 58 WESA was once again successfully used in Re Litke Estate 2017 BCSC 1079 to find a hand written unwitnessed signed “will-like” document to be a valid will.

Such documents are now routinely found valid by the courts if certain criteria are met. The application in Re Litke was not even opposed.

STATUTE, CASELAW AND DISCUSSION

17      Part 4 of the WESA provides:

Part 4 — Wills

Division 1 — Making a Will

Who can make a will

36 (1) A person who is 16 years of age or older and who is mentally capable of doing so may make a will.

(2) A will made by a person under 16 years of age is not valid.

How to make a valid will

37 (1) To be valid, a will must be

(a) in writing,

(b) signed at its end by the will-maker, or the signature at the end must be acknowledged by the will-maker as his or hers, in the presence of 2 or more witnesses present at the same time, and

(c) signed by 2 or more of the witnesses in the presence of the will-maker.

(2) A will that does not comply with subsection (1) is invalid unless

(a) the court orders it to be effective as a will under section 58 [court order curing deficiencies],

(b) it is a will recognized as valid under section 80 [validity of wills made in accordance with other laws], or

(c) it is valid under another provision of this Act.

18      Section 58 of Part 4 provides:

58 (1) In this section, “record” includes data that

(a) is recorded or stored electronically,

(b) can be read by a person, and

(c) is capable of reproduction in a visible form.

(2) On application, the court may make an order under subsection (3) if the court determines that a record, document or writing or marking on a will or document represents

(a) the testamentary intentions of a deceased person,

(b) the intention of a deceased person to revoke, alter or revive a will or testamentary disposition of the deceased person, or

(c) the intention of a deceased person to revoke, alter or revive a testamentary disposition contained in a document other than a will.

(3) Even though the making, revocation, alteration or revival of a will does not comply with this Act, the court may, as the circumstances require, order that a record or document or writing or marking on a will or document be fully effective as though it had been made

(a) as the will or part of the will of the deceased person,

(b) as a revocation, alteration or revival of a will of the deceased person, or

(c) as the testamentary intention of the deceased person.

(4) If an alteration to a will makes a word or provision illegible and the court is satisfied that the alteration was not made in accordance with this Act, the court may reinstate the original word or provision if there is evidence to establish what the original word or provision was.

Case Review

19      The decision of Dixon J. in Estate of Young, 2015 BCSC 182 [Young], was the first case to consider the WESA, which came into force in British Columbia on March 31, 2014, apparently modelled after similar legislation in Manitoba.

20      At para 16, Dickson J. noted that the enactment of c. 13 represented “a significant change in wills and estate administration law in the province”, with s. 58 “one of the WESA’s most far-reaching remedial provisions.” She noted that “It marks a departure from the traditional principles of formalism that previously governed the creation, alteration and revocation of wills in British Columbia.”

21      At para. 17, Dickson J. noted:

[17] Section 58 of the WESA is a curative provision. It confers a discretion on the court to relieve against the consequences of non-compliance with testamentary formalities in the “record, document or writing or marking on a will or document”. In prescribed circumstances, s. 58 permits the court to address and cure issues of formal invalidity in such documents. It cannot, however, be used to uphold a will that is invalid for substandard reasons such as testamentary incapacity or undue influence.

22      At para. 24, Justice Dickson referred to George v. Daily (1997), 143 D.L.R. (4th) 273 (Man. C.A.). As noted by Dickson J. at para. 26, Philp J.A. at paras. 62 and 65 of the Manitoba decision, stated the following on “the limits placed on the court’s curative powers”:

Not every expression made by a person, whether made orally or in writing, respecting the disposition of his/her property on death embodies his/her testamentary intentions . . .

The term “testamentary intention” means much more than a person’s expression of how he would like his/her property to be disposed of after death. The essential quality of the term is that there must be a deliberate or fixed and final expression of intention as to the disposal of his/her property on death [citations omitted].

23      At para. 35 of Young, Dickson J noted:

[35] . . . A deliberate or fixed and final intention is not the equivalent of an irrevocable attention, given that a will, by its nature, is revocable until the death of its maker. Rather, the intention must be fixed and final at the material time, which will vary depending on the circumstances.

24      At para. 27, Dickson J. noted the following:

[27] In Kuszak v. Smoley, [1986] M.J. No. 670 (Q.B.), a partially-printed and partially-handwritten document signed by the deceased but not witnessed was found to reflect the deceased’s testamentary intentions. The court relied on several factors in making this determination, including:

(1) the document was in the deceased handwriting;

(2) the document was signed by the deceased in four places;

(3) the date was in four places;

(4) the printed portion identified the document as a will and was properly filled out; and

(5) there was nothing before the Court refuting the conclusion that the document embodied the deceased’s intentions.

In these circumstances, the handwritten document was validated pursuant to s. 23 of the WA.

25      After a further review of cases at paras. 28 to 33, Justice Dickson came to the following conclusion at paras. 34 to 37:

[34] As is apparent from the foregoing, a determination of whether to exercise the court’s curative power with respect to a non-compliant document is inevitably and intensely fact-sensitive. Two principal issues for consideration emerge from the post-1995 Manitoba authorities. The first in an obvious threshold issue: is the document authentic? The second, and core, issue is whether the non-compliant document represents the deceased’s testamentary intentions, as that concept was explained in George.

[35] In George the court confirmed that testamentary intention means much more than the expression of how a person would like his or her property to be disposed of after death. The key question is whether the document records a deliberate or fixed and final expression of intention as to the disposal of the deceased’s property on death. A deliberate or fixed and final intention is not the equivalent of an irrevocable intention, given that a will, by its nature, is revocable until the death of its maker. Rather, the intention must be fixed and final at the material time, which will vary depending on the circumstances.

[36] The burden of proof that a non-compliant document embodies the deceased’s testamentary intentions is a balance of probabilities. A wide range of factors may be relevant to establishing their existence in a particular case. Although context specific, these factors may include the presence of the deceased’s signature, the deceased’s handwriting, witness signatures, revocation of previous wills, funeral arrangements, specific bequests and the title of the document: Sawatzky at para. 21; Kuszak at para. 7; Martineau at para. 21.

[37] While imperfect or even non-compliance with formal testamentary requirements may be overcome by application of a sufficiently broad curative provision, the further a document departs from the formal requirements the harder it may be for the court to find it embodies the deceased’s testamentary intention: George at para. 81.

26      The facts in Yaremkewich Estate (Re), 2015 BCSC 1124 [Yaremkewich] are fairly similar to the case at bar.

27      In Yaremkewich, the deceased left documents that failed to comply with the formal execution requirements of the WESA. She purported to appoint her niece, the applicant, as one of the executors. The other executor renounced her co-executorship. The estate property, listed in a Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Distribution provided by the applicant, included her “principal residence, various banking and investment accounts, her motor vehicle, and some insurance benefits. The only liabilities of the estate [were] relatively small fees, many of which [had] already been paid. . . . [T]he value of the estate [was] approximately $545,000.” [Para. 3.]

28      As in this case, the application was not opposed in Yaremkewich.

29      In Yaremkewich, the deceased had been diagnosed with cancer. Her health continued to decline in the months preceding her death. She took multiple medications (as noted at para. 7) including “hydromorphone (a form of morphine) and Ativan”. As in this case, the evidence did not indicate her medical condition or whether medications seriously affected her mental abilities at the time she drafted the will. In the case at bar, there is no evidence the deceased was ill at the time or taking medications that could have affected her mentation at the time she signed the will-like document.

30      The deceased executed a pre-printed will template form titled “Last Will and Testament”. The document purported to revoke all her former wills, codicils and testimony dispositions, although Watchuk J. noted there was no evidence of any prior will to revoke.

31      The deceased had appointed two persons as executors; one of them who had stepped aside.

32      As noted at para 13, “The original of the pre-printed will was kept in an unsealed envelope first opened on July 7, 2014 after [the deceased’s] death”. The words, “Will of [the deceased]”, were written in what her executor, who the court found seemed to have a strong relationship with the deceased, believed was the deceased’s handwriting.

33      The “Will” appointed executors, set out burial arrangements, and directed payment of certain taxes and expenses to be paid out of the estate. As in this case, it provided “a number of gifts, that included money bequests”. It provided for “a five-way division of the proceeds of [the deceased]’s house” and included with the document was a 12-page, stapled, handwritten list of bequests, organized by beneficiary and type of gift for the 19 beneficiaries which included nieces, nephews, stepsons, extended family and friends. [Para. 15.]

34      A third document entitled “Charitable Bequests” was a one-page, handwritten list of charitable bequests that purported to distribute the “remaining money from [the] estate”. Justice Watchuk noted the list appears to have been stapled to the personal bequests list but, at some point, became loose in the envelope containing the Will template.

35      Justice Watchuk noted many of the gifts were of a highly personal nature.

36      Although “[t]he Will was signed by two witnesses” (para. 19), Justice Watchuk noted that both the purported witnesses recalled the Will they signed was a blank template with no attached pages setting up bequests. They further believed that the deceased had not signed the Will before they signed and they “[did] not specifically recollect” whether she signed the Will the same time as them.

37      Justice Watchuk found it impossible to determine exactly when the deceased executed the Will. She concluded it was likely that the deceased had completed all the various documents referred to at the same time and shortly after the witnesses signed the Will.

38      Justice Watchuk was satisfied the Will did not conform with the formalities of the WESA as the deceased had not signed or acknowledged her signature in the presence of at least two witnesses, present at the same time and signed in the presence of the will maker. It was accordingly clear the form was not validly witnessed as required by the WESA.

39      On the question of what extrinsic evidence is admissible on the subject of testamentary intent, In Langseth Estate v. Gardiner, (1990), 75 D.L.R. (4th) 25 (Man. C.A.) at 33, Philp J.A. concluded that:

The general rule that extrinsic evidence is not admissible in construing a will (the function of a court of construction) does not apply to the probate court whose duty is to determine whether a document is a valid will. Extrinsic evidence is admissible on the question of testamentary intent, and the Court is not limited to the evidence that an inspection of the document provides.

40      Justice Watchuk found (at para. 56) “that the two bequests lists enclosed in the envelope [that contained the Will template] also represented the testamentary intention of the deceased and [were] therefore part of the Will”, noting that “[e]ach of the documents in substance contemplate[d] gifts on her death and in that sense were testamentary in nature.” At para. 57, Watchuk J. found it “obvious that [the deceased had] spent a great deal of time considering which gifts to give to each beneficiary . . . [and] that this represented her carefully-considered testamentary intentions”. Her observations with respect to the charitable bequests were of a similar nature. She found one of the documents found the made provision for care of the deceased’s dog after her death was not a testamentary intention as it did not contain funeral instructions for her for disposition of her property and death. As such that document, she concluded, did not have testamentary status and was now within the curative power of s. 58. She found, however, that the Will, the personal bequest list and the charitable bequest list included in the envelope containing the Will were fully effective as the deceased’s Will pursuant to s. 58 of the WESA.

41      It is apparent from the cases that the analysis that s. 58 engages is heavily fact-based. The circumstances in which a will-like document could be prepared are infinite.

42      As I read the section and the cases, the basic questions are whether the document presented is a valid document prepared by the deceased and that its contents represent a deliberate or fixed and final testamentary intention at the material time for the disposition of the estate.

Understanding Testamentary Documents

A testamentary document is like a will because the will is the most common form of that type of document. A will is a document that has its vigor and effect upon a death. In other words, a will is an invalid document until a death. It’s an important document but it’s not the type of document that you can take to the bank and borrow against until the actual death occurs and you can prove that you are a beneficiary.

Now, what’s the significance? Some documents look testamentary but may not be. While other documents do not necessarily look testamentary but might be. The legal test is whether the document requires its vigor and effect to be a death in order for the document to come into force and effect. The significance is is that if it is a testamentary document, then it must be signed in accordance with the Wills Act which requires two witnesses and the presence of the person signing the document all in the presence of each other. If it’s not validly witnessed in the court in such as that, then the document might not be valid. The article shows cases where the document is testamentary and cases where the document is found not to be testamentary.

How to Keep Wills Variation Out of BC Court

This video is about how to keep wills variation out of court which is basically what most testators want to do at the end of the day. The video and article is a very in-depth review of what the requirements are with respect to executing valid wills and dealing with various wills issues that arise in a state litigation such as ambiguities or missing pages or all sorts of problems that can arise. As I said, a very detailed examination of very, very many wills issues that can arise in a state litigation.

Do You Live in a Common Law Marriage or Not?

This video is about whether or not you live in a common law relationship. As you know, many couples have for some time now lived in common law relationships without the sanctity of a marriage certificate. For many of those years, they were legally unprotected but in recent years, that has changed. Now, generally speaking, if a party—if parties, I should say, lived together for two years, they’re generally considered in British Columbia for most of our statutes to be a common law couple. Thus, they have claims under the Wills Variation Act. They can inherit on an intestacy and they have claims under statutes such as the Family Compensation Act with respect to wrongful deaths.

There are many criteria as to whether a couple lives in a common law relationship because just as many possibilities of various relationships exist today as one could possibly imagine. So the courts will look at such things as whether you in fact even live under the same roof or do you hold yourself up to the community at large as a married couple, whether you share expenses, whether you share assets and just what type of lifestyle you have. But none of them themselves are necessarily conclusive. This is an evolving area of law. Many people have come out of the closet in recent years and have talked about long time relationships which no one knew about. This area will continue to grow and typically the rights of common law spouses will be increasingly protected.