A son has lost a court battle with his mother over a £6m estate he claimed he was promised would be “all his one day”.
Peter Horsford, 54, was challenged by his mother, 88 year-old Marion Horsford, over the 540-acre estate in Hungtingdon, Cambridgeshire.
Peter claimed during the court proceedings that he had been “groomed” since he was a schoolboy to take over the farm from his father. He also claimed it had been his “life’s work” to keep the farm running.
However, his mother Marion, shared her thoughts with the court, which included her two daughters inheriting part of the family wealth.
Judge Murray Rosen, agreed with Marion, ruling that she rightfully owns part of the estate, and if her son wanted the land, he’d have to pay her £2.52m.
Continuing the ruling, the judge outlined that while Marion had said in the past that she might leave her share to her son, it was never promised to him.
Seemingly, Marion had evidenced this in her diary where she wrote that she “wanted fairness between her three children.”
This familial dispute began as a result of Marion retiring from the farm in 2016. Having previously divorced Peter’s father in 2011, she asked for her share of the farm to be paid to her. Peter refused to pay his mother the value of half of the estate, which resulted in the subsequent court case.
Following the ruling, Peter expressed his concerns that the farm would inevitably have to be sold in order for him to afford to pay his mother.
Judge Rosen commented that he hoped the family would be able to sort it out amicably amongst themselves and “find some measure of empathy and compassion”.
