Ray Watts planned to divide his inheritance among his six children but changed his will before he died in 2021, leaving most of his estate and his valuable stamp collection to his housekeeper.
The 90-year-old man named Sue Pope, who cleaned his house and cared for him, as the heir to a £250,000 fortune and stamp collection.
Beverley Neate, Mr Ray’s stepdaughter, is taking legal action to overturn the will at the Central London Crown Court, claiming her stepfather never intended to disinherit her and Sue cannot prove the new will reflects his true intentions.
Beverley Neate (left), stepdaughter of Ray Watts and Sue Pope (right), is embroiled in a legal dispute over inheritance. Photo: Champion News
Mr. Ray had three children with his first wife. After his wife died, he remarried in 1998. Beverley is one of three children from his second wife (who died in 2011).
Mr Ray, a former Lloyds Bank employee, turned to stamp collecting after retiring. Beverley valued his stepfather’s stamp collection at £200,000, including stamps dating back to the 1840s.
Sue worked for Ray after he advertised for a cleaner, but she took on much more than that.
Ray had intended to divide his assets equally between his three biological children and three stepchildren in a will written in 2007. But the new will was made in 2019 after he was hospitalized for a fall at home and was not discovered until hours later.
The new will left £15,000 to each of his biological children and Beverley, with the remainder worth around £250,000 going to Sue. However, Mr Ray made an amendment in 2020, cutting Beverley’s share to just £1.
Beverley’s lawyers argued that Sue could not prove that the frail elderly man “understood and approved” the contents of the will and codicil, meaning they did not reflect his wishes. The lawyer said Mr Ray was described in hospital as having “impaired consciousness” and “slowed thinking”.
Beverley claims to have a “good relationship” with her stepfather, she keeps in touch and helps with medical appointments, and Mr Ray also spends Christmas with her and her husband.
Sue was not accused of “undue influence” over the will, but was asked to prove that the will and codicil reflected Ray’s “true wishes”. But Sue’s lawyers insisted the will and codicil were perfectly valid.
Sue said she was more than just a cleaner and carer to Mr Ray. She said Mr Ray cut his stepdaughter’s inheritance to £1 for being “disrespectful” after Beverley changed the locks on his house while he was in hospital.
Sue’s account was corroborated by Ray’s three biological children, who said he had said he had given them enough throughout his life.
In addition to Mr Ray’s £250,000 fortune, Sue was also given a token sum of £1 to buy his stamp collection, but she said it was worth no more than £40,000 rather than £200,000.
The case has not yet been adjudicated.
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