A former cleaner who married multimillionaire businessman Richard Scott has won a £43 million inheritance battle against his eldest stepson after a UK court ruled that the late entrepreneur was of sound mind when he disinherited his son.
Jennifer Scott, 60, inherited the vast estate of her late husband, known as the “car boot king”, following a High Court judgment delivered on October 29. Her victory came after Adam Scott, 62, challenged the will, arguing that his father lacked mental capacity when he excluded him from his fortune.
Richard, who died of cancer in 2018 aged 81, made his wealth from running one of the UK’s largest car boot fairs on his sprawling Cheshire farm, where ITV’s Car Boot Challenge was filmed. The self-made businessman, described in court as a “ruthless and single-minded” tycoon, had 19 children from multiple relationships.
He married Jennifer, 28 years his junior, in 2016 — two years before his death — after the death of his first wife. Their marriage was fiercely opposed by Adam, who tried to stop the wedding by claiming his father lacked mental capacity. However, after multiple interviews, registrars confirmed Richard was fit to marry, and the ceremony went ahead.
Following Richard’s death, Jennifer inherited his estate, which probate records value at £7 million, though she claimed its true market value — including development potential — exceeds £43 million.
Adam sued his stepmother earlier this year, accusing her of manipulating his father and claiming his father had promised him the family farm in exchange for decades of work. He also alleged his father suffered from a degenerative brain condition and lacked capacity when making the 2016 wills.
Jennifer’s legal team argued that Richard’s decision to cut Adam out was deliberate and motivated by a complete breakdown in their relationship after Adam attempted to have him sectioned and accused him of domestic abuse — claims later dismissed by social services. They also noted Adam had already received land and property worth more than £10 million during his father’s lifetime.
In his ruling, Mr Justice Richards dismissed Adam’s case, finding that Richard’s decision to disinherit him was not the result of mental illness but rather his strong-willed personality.
“His decisions were the product of a personality type that disliked being thwarted,” the judge said. “They were not the result of a disease that distorted his natural affections.”
The judge also rejected Adam’s claim under proprietary estoppel, a legal principle protecting promised inheritances, noting that Adam had long known his father might not honour earlier assurances.
Jennifer, who began as Richard’s cleaner in 1994 before becoming his wife, now remains the sole executor and primary beneficiary of his multimillion-pound estate, along with her two sons and one of Richard’s daughters.
The ruling ends a bitter family feud that has captivated public attention — a tale of love, power, and legacy in one of Britain’s most unusual inheritance disputes.
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Source:Africa Publicity
