Restaurant owners can keep £10m left to them in friend's will
14th Feb 2008
The owners of a Chinese restaurant have been told they can inherit £10m left to them by a friend in her will.
Golda Bechal died in 2004 aged 88. She made a will in 1994 leaving nearly all her estate to her best friends, Kim Sing Man and his wife Bee Lian Man, who run a restaurant in Essex.
The High Court was told that Mrs Bechal had become sad and lonely after the death of her husband and the loss of her son Peter who died at the age of 28. She became close to the Mans and became like a member of their family, often visiting their restaurant and taking holidays with them.
After her death, her five nephews and nieces challenged the will saying that she suffered from dementia and didn’t know what she was doing when it was drawn up. Mr Man was asked in court if he had expected to inherit nearly all of the estate but he said Mrs Bechal had not talked to him or his wife about her will and they were not present when it was drawn up.
Judge Sir Donald Rattee, QC, said he was satisfied that Mrs Bechal was aware of what she was doing when she drew up the will and was also fully aware of the extent of her estate. He said: “In my judgment, on the balance of probabilities, Mrs Bechal had testamentary capacity. The will executed by Mrs Bechal in August 1994 was valid."