US Bethelite of Australian Descent Sues To Get Inheritance From Sibling

by Justitia Themis 4 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Justitia Themis

  Due to another thread, I decided to take a stroll though Australian legal databases. I found this case interesting. A Bethelite is suing the estate of her brother saying he had a "duty" to provide for her maintainence. First she says that she could be kicked out of Bethel at any time; then she says that they would provide for her for life. It doesn't seem that the 'judge' gives much credibility to her testimony and gave the property to the "governing body" (I know its a legal term, but it sooo bothers me) of a University.

  Since she gets only $130 monthly, I wonder where she got the money to pay for a lawyer?

  I found a link to the case on a free database if anyone is interested:

  http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinodisp/au/cases/vic/VSC/2004/231.html?stem=0&synonyms=0&query=Jehovah's%20witnesses
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  Broken Promises

  Since she gets only $130 monthly, I wonder where she got the money to pay for a lawyer?

  According to the court documents, she had $43,000 in savings, so I suppose she could have accessed some of that. I doubt the WTS would have contributed since it wasn't a case involving them or their doctrines.
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  Leolaia

  In her third affidavit, sworn the day before the hearing she deposed:

  I did not know that Jack [the deceased] had ever left me a house in his will until after he died. However on a number of occasions we discussed that house and he told me how disappointed he was with what the house sold for. I told him that Uncle Les (whose house it had been) had always told me before I was married that he (Uncle Les) would leave me the house. In one of these discussions Jack replied "Don't worry, I'll take care of you".

  I did not find that evidence to be entirely convincing, but assuming that the conversation there described took place, I do not, in all the circumstances, regard it as creating any relevant obligation or responsibility.

  The lesson here is: Get it in writing, or the promise is just words.
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  Aussie Oz

  1. As to the relationship between the plaintiff and the deceased, the deceased was born in November 1920 and the plaintiff in March 1923 and they were the only children of their parents. Their father died in 1931 and their mother in 1934. Thereafter the plaintiff was brought up by an aunt who lived in Hamilton, and the deceased by an aunt who lived in Brisbane. The deceased later returned to Hamilton and worked there until World War II when he joined the RAAF.

  2. It appears that the deceased lived and worked in Melbourne from at least 1952. In 1954 the plaintiff and her husband began full-time work, described as "voluntary" with the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, otherwise known as Jehovah's Witnesses . After a few years in Ballarat and Adelaide, they spent a year in New York and then worked in India until 1999. During that time they kept contact by letter and occasionally returned to Australia, and if they were in Melbourne would visit the deceased, have a meal in a restaurant with him, go for drives with him, and exchange gifts. They have lived in Sydney since 1999 and visited the deceased in Melbourne two or three times in that time. They have no children.

  Sounds to me like an old bethelite/missionary, wanted MONEY incase she got downsized from bethel...Good lord, i just worked out at the time (2004) she would have been 81 years old! what a way to finish...fighting over $$$

  oz
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  Balaamsass