A long-running family feud over a Devon farm has finally come to a close, with two brothers losing their bid to inherit a multimillion-pound property.
The case centered on West Hook Farm, a 170-acre estate near Okehampton, which had been in the family for nearly a century.
John Maile, 37, and Steven Maile, 40, had taken legal action claiming that their grandmother, Mary Stevens, repeatedly promised them the farm “one day it will be yours” during Sunday lunches.
Despite those assurances, Mary, who passed away in 2020 aged 96, left the farm to her two daughters—Ruth Maile, 73, and Sheila Kempthorne, 69—in a 2016 will amendment.
Sunday Lunch Promises and Long Hours on the Farm
The brothers argued that their hard work on the farm for minimal pay should have entitled them to inherit.
“We were told many times over Sunday lunch that the farm would be ours one day,” John recalled.
However, the court heard that a 2011 will had initially left John and Steven equal shares, but Mary later amended it in 2016 to benefit her daughters instead, explaining she wanted things to be fairer to Sheila’s side of the family.
The brothers were allowed to keep the farm’s livestock but not the land or property.
Allegations of Pressure and Secret Recordings
John and Steven claimed that Sheila, their aunt, had influenced their grandmother and conspired with the family solicitor to ensure the farm went to the daughters.
John also secretly recorded conversations with Mary, attempting to capture her promises on tape.
Mr Justice Green of the High Court in Bristol dismissed these claims, describing John’s behavior as “intimidating” and “scheming.”
The judge said that despite John’s persistence and attempts to pressure his grandmother, she had clearly made her own decisions and had no intention of changing the 2016 will.
Court Scrutinizes Family Dynamics
The court also noted a contrast between the brothers: John was aggressive and determined to secure the farm, while Steven was more reserved and appeared willing to accept their grandmother’s decision.
The judge highlighted that Mary’s comments to her grandsons were often simply attempts to placate John rather than indications she would alter her will.
John’s insistence that the farm had been promised to them as teenagers, including showings of the property’s 1927 auction documents, was rejected.
The judge also found their claims about working for mere “pocket money” misleading, as the brothers had substantial savings invested in family farming partnerships.
No Evidence of Undue Influence
The court dismissed the brothers’ accusations against their aunt and the family solicitor, calling the idea of a “cunning plan” to cut them out of the will “extraordinary.”
Mr Justice Green concluded there were no clear assurances that Mary intended to leave the farm to John and Steven.
Ultimately, the 2016 codicil stood. The brothers, along with their mother and father, Peter Maile, were ordered to hand over possession of West Hook Farm to Sheila Kempthorne as executrix of Mary’s estate.
West Hook Farm’s Legacy
West Hook Farm is a substantial estate, featuring a six-bedroom farmhouse, holiday cottages, outbuildings, arable fields, and pastures, valued at around £2.65 million.
The farm has been run as part of family partnerships for decades, and despite the legal wrangling, it remains in the hands of Mary Stevens’ daughters, continuing its long history of family farming in Devon.