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Successful estate trustee awarded blended costs payable partially by respondent beneficiaries and partially by the estate.
The applicant, an estate trustee, sought costs following a successful motion for directions regarding the sale of an estate property to the respondent beneficiaries.
The court applied the modern approach to estate litigation costs, emphasizing the 'loser pays' principle to discourage treating the estate as an ATM for litigation.
The court awarded the applicant partial indemnity costs of $3,500 payable by the respondents, and a further $5,000 payable by the estate to fully indemnify her reasonable costs as trustee.
Beneficiaries purchasing an estate property must pay the full purchase price to the estate to cover potential expenses before distribution.
The applicant, an estate trustee and beneficiary, brought a motion for directions regarding the sale of the deceased's home to two other beneficiaries, who were also estate trustees.
The purchasing beneficiaries sought to credit their one-third beneficial interests against the discounted fair market value purchase price.
The applicant argued that the full purchase price should be paid to the estate to cover potential estate expenses before final distribution.
The court directed that the beneficiaries must pay the full discounted purchase price to the estate, without crediting their beneficial interests, to ensure sufficient funds for anticipated estate costs.
