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14
Oct 2022
Harrogate widow's claim against Ramus estate rejected by judge
A high court judge has blocked a Harrogate widow's attempt to receive a regular income from the estate of her late husband, a well-known businessman.
Christopher Ramus was found by a coroner to have taken his own life aged 72 following the breakdown of his 48-year marriage to Elizabeth Ramus, and difficulties in other relationships.
The couple were the founders of Ramus Seafood, which operated for many years from Kings Road until the couple sold it and retired. Despite their separation, Mr Ramus's will still made provision for his wife, entitling her to an income from his estate for the rest of her life.
However, the income was at the discretion of the three trustees, including the couple's daughter, Claire Holt, and two family friends. Mr Ramus wrote a letter of wishes in September 2019, stating:
The letter also made reference to the couple's son, Alistair, saying:
Mrs Ramus took her daughter to the High Court under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependents) Act 1975, stating she did not want to be at the mercy of Mrs Holt, with whom she had a difficult relationship.
The hearing reflected the challenges between them, such as over the sale of the business premises on Kings Road.
Mrs Ramus and her daughter also disagreed over the home she would buy, with court documents showing Mrs Ramus wanted somewhere with enough space for visitors and a garden for her to enjoy. The documents stated:
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Regular monthly income
Mrs Ramus, 77, had said in order to maintain her lifestyle, she would need a regular monthly income from Mr Ramus's estate, otherwise she would use up her own assets and risk running out of money.
She submitted to the court a list of monthly outgoings which totalled more than £5,000, against income from pensions of £1,800 and other assets including bonds and ISAs.
However, sitting in Leeds, Judge Mark West found Mrs Ramus's own assets of more than £1.6m were significantly more than the value of Mr Ramus's estate, at just under £1.1m. He said:
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