Lasting Powers of Attorney for proprietà 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.
Data: 28 gennaio 2022
Le procure permanenti in materia patrimoniale e finanziaria conferiscono ai procuratori ampi poteri per la gestione dei beni del mandante. Tuttavia, come spiega Katharine Whittingham, il recente caso Chandler contro Lombardi conferma che tali poteri non si estendono necessariamente alla concessione di donazioni.
Chandler v Lombardi concerns a donor who had made a volontà 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.
Nel 2016 la donatrice si era incontrata con gli avvocati in due occasioni, durante le quali aveva espresso le proprie intenzioni riguardo all'immobile, sebbene in entrambe le occasioni fosse presente anche la figlia.
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 supporto. 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.
Il figlio del donatore ha contestato la validità del trasferimento. Il donatore è deceduto prima dell'udienza dinanzi all'Alta Corte, durante la quale il giudice ha stabilito che il procuratore non aveva né il potere né l'autorità di donare una quota dell'immobile. Il trasferimento è stato dichiarato nullo e l'immobile è tornato a far parte del patrimonio del donatore.
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.
Se il donatore ha la volontà e la capacità di effettuare una donazione, nulla gli impedisce di farlo personalmente, anche se un avvocato sta già gestendo i suoi beni e i suoi affari finanziari.
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.
Al momento della sottoscrizione di una procura permanente, il procuratore dichiara di comprendere il proprio dovere di agire nel rispetto dei principi del MCA 2005 e del Codice di condotta relativo al Mental Capacity Act. È quindi sua responsabilità assicurarsi di averne compreso appieno il significato.
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 Clienti privati department would be more than happy to assist you. Our team can be contacted at PrivateClient@rfblegal.co.uk
