Lasting Powers of Attorney for Eigenschaft and financial affairs give attorneys wide powers to manage the donor’s assets. However, as Katharine Whittingham explains, the recent case of Chandler v Lombardi confirms that these powers do not necessarily extend to making gifts.
Datum: 28. Januar 2022
Eine Vorsorgevollmacht für Vermögens- und Finanzangelegenheiten räumt dem Bevollmächtigten weitreichende Befugnisse zur Verwaltung des Vermögens des Vollmachtgebers ein. Wie Katharine Whittingham jedoch erläutert, bestätigt der jüngste Fall „Chandler gegen Lombardi“, dass sich diese Befugnisse nicht zwangsläufig auf die Vornahme von Schenkungen erstrecken.
Chandler v Lombardi concerns a donor who had made a wird in 1993 leaving her home equally between her four children. One daughter was later appointed as her attorney for both her Property and Financial Affairs and Health and Welfare.
Die Schenkende hatte sich 2016 zweimal mit den Anwälten getroffen, um ihre Absichten in Bezug auf die Immobilie zu äußern, wobei die Tochter beide Male anwesend war.
On the first occasion, the donor told the solicitor that she wished to transfer half the property to the daughter. The solicitor had concerns about accepting these instructions and ultimately declined to act.
The following month, she met with a solicitor at a different firm with a view to updating her will. An attendance note from the meeting recorded that she wished for her daughter to receive the property on her death. However, no changes were in fact made to her will, despite her GP having confirmed that he considered she had the capacity to make a new will.
After registration of the power of attorney, the daughter consulted a solicitor in relation to the ownership of the property, stating that the donor had wished it to be transferred to her in return for her care and Unterstützung. In June 2018 she signed a transfer of the property into the joint names of herself and her mother using the power of attorney. By this time, the donor would not have had the capacity to make the gift herself.
Der Sohn des Schenkers focht die Gültigkeit der Übertragung an. Der Schenker verstarb noch vor der Verhandlung vor dem Obersten Gerichtshof, in der der Richter entschied, dass der Bevollmächtigte weder die Befugnis noch die Vollmacht hatte, einen Anteil an der Immobilie zu verschenken. Die Übertragung wurde für nichtig erklärt, und die Immobilie fiel wieder in den Nachlass des Schenkers zurück.
The judge pointed out that attorneys have very limited powers to make gifts on behalf of donors under Lasting Powers of Attorney. The Mental Capacity Act 2005 permits attorneys to make gifts to relatives and other people connected to the donor only on customary occasions such as on birthdays and marriages and only where these are reasonable in value in relation to the size of the donor’s estate. The court did not consider that a transfer of half the property fulfilled these conditions.
Sofern der Spender den Wunsch und die Möglichkeit hat, eine Spende zu tätigen, steht ihm nichts im Wege, dies persönlich zu tun, selbst wenn bereits ein Bevollmächtigter seine Vermögens- und Finanzangelegenheiten regelt.
Where the donor lacks capacity and an attorney considers it would be in their best interests to make a gift falling outside the parameters of the authority given under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, the attorney can make an application to the Court of Protection for an order giving authority for the gift to be made. The daughter claimed that she was not aware of the need to make a court application and had not been advised on this by the solicitor dealing with the transfer. This was not held to be a reasonable excuse.
Mit der Unterzeichnung einer dauerhaften Vollmacht erklärt der Bevollmächtigte, dass er sich seiner Pflicht bewusst ist, gemäß den Grundsätzen des MCA 2005 und des „Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice“ zu handeln. Es liegt daher in seiner Verantwortung, sicherzustellen, dass er versteht, was dies beinhaltet.
If an attorney does make a gift on behalf of a donor on the basis of the powers set out in the Mental Capacity Act 2005, it is important to keep clear records of the date, recipient and value. This information may need to be provided to the Office of the Public Guardian in the event of a later challenge to the validity of a gift.
If you are looking for advice in relation to gifting or wish to make Lasting Powers of Attorney for either Property and Financial Affairs or Health and Welfare or an application to the Court of Protection, our Privatkunde department would be more than happy to assist you. Our team can be contacted at PrivateClient@rfblegal.co.uk
