Diverse probleme rondom die bestaan en geldigheid van 'n testament by die dood van die erflater (deel 2)

• Jurisdiction: South Africa
• Date: 01 January 2013
• Published date: 01 January 2013
• DOI: 10.10520/EJC146729
• Pages: 684-706
• Published By: University of Pretoria
• Author: Linda Schoeman-Malan

684

Diverse probleme rondom die bestaan en

geldigheid van ’n testament by die dood

van die erflater (deel 2)

Linda Schoeman-Malan

BA LLB LLD

Professor Departement Privaatreg, Universiteit van Pretoria

SUMMARY

Miscellaneous Problems Relating to the Existence and Validity of a Will at

the Death of the Testator (part 2)

Executing a will is an important step in estate planning. A will gives the

testator the opportunity to bequeath his assets and to indicate how he

wants his estate to be distributed after his death. Not only is the proper

execution of a will important but it should be updated regularly and

carefully to provide for changed circumstances. The will must accordingly

be readily available for the testator to amend or revoke. The availability of

the will after the testator’s death is crucial in order for the administration

process to commence. Although an easy accessible will can lead to

problems surrounding the authenticity of the will, it can contribute to the

prompt administration of the estate as it must be submitted to the master

in terms of the Administration of Estates Act.

In this article numerous problems relating to the existence, availability and

recovery of a will at the death of the testator are discussed. Interrelated

issues such as forgery, lost wills, missing wills, concealment of wills and

revocation by destruction of a will are discussed with reference to case law

and other examples. Questions as to the proper custody of the will, before

and after the death of the testator, resolving disputes amongst next-of-kin,

and the onus of proof, are discussed. Cases that in fact dealt with common

law lost wills, but where section 2(3) condonation applications were

incorrectly brought, are discussed. Possible resolutions for the

miscellaneous problems with wills are explored and recommendations

made to solve potential problems.

6 Waar ’n Testament nie Gevind is nie, maar

Beweer word dat daar wel ’n Testament was

6 1Algemeen

Dikwels kan ’n testament by die dood van ’n testateur nie gevind word

nie.115 Indien dan aangevoer word dat daar wel ’n testament verly is,

ontstaan die volgende vrae:

115Vgl FISA “Original Will Lost” beskikbaar by htt p://fidsa.org.za/original–will–

lost/ 2010 (besoek 2010-03-04); Solicitors free helpline “Revoked Missing or

Lost Will Lost or Deliberately Revoked” beskikbaar by http://www.

probatesolicitoraustralia.com/ (besoek 2013-01-31) wat opmerk: “Wills get

lost for any number of reasons, and it's not an uncommon situation. In

Diverse probleme rondom die bestaan en geldigheid va n ’n testament685

(i)Waar is die “vermiste of verlore” testament?

(ii)Wat het daarvan geword?116

Die belangrikheid daarvan om voor en na die dood van ’n testateur

sorgsaam met ’n testament om te gaan moet weereens beklemtoon

word.117 Die omvang van probleme met vermiste testamente word soos

volg saamgevat op die Australiese webtuiste Probate Lawyers

Australia:118

This thorny topic is one that consistently appears in probate courts and

principally relates to dishonesty by potential beneficiaries who believe that they

may have been excluded from a will. If the first person on the scheme after death

finds a will in which they do not appear as a beneficiary, they may well destroy

that will in the hope that an earlier will may take precedence or in the hope that

the intestacy rules may include them as a beneficiary. There are many other

equally difficult scenarios. If a will has been chewed by the dog was it an accident

or did the testator give the will to the dog to tear up as an act of revocation? If the

original has been lost or destroyed or spirited away by another disgruntled

person can a copy take its place and form the basis for a grant of probate or has

the missing original been destroyed and removed by the testator as an act of

revocation? All of these situations and many other vexed questions are dealt with

by judges in the probate courts and in every case the end result and the final

judgement depend on the overall evidence presented to the court by the claimant

who must, on balance of probability, prove the case in order to be awarded

judgement in their favour.

Smith v Sampson119is ’n voorbeeld van presies hoe bedrieglike optrede

met ’n testament verkeerd kan loop. Die testateur en sy vrou het ’n

stormagtige huwelik gehad.Die testateur verly in 1992 terwyl hy van sy

vrou vervreem is, ’n testament waarin hy sy dogter (een van ses kinders)

as eksekuteur en enigste erfgenaam van sy boedel aanwys. Hy sterf in

2005 en sy vrou (met wie hy intussen versoen geraak het) meld die

boedel as intestaat aan (die 1992-testament word nie geopenbaar nie).

Sy word aangestel om die boedel af te handel ingevolge artikel 18(3) van

116some cases, for instance, the deceased stored it in a safe deposit box and

failed to m ention it to their family and when it’s not found but a copy is, its

assumed to be a lost will.”

116Vir ander regstelsels wat soortgelyke probleme ervaar sien Hamill “How to

find a lost will (or at least where to look)” 2009 Estate Planning, probate/

estate administration beskikbaar by http://www.lhamillattorney.type

pad.com/Massachucetts (besoek 2012-07-23); Burger “How to find a lost

will” 1999 beskikbaar by http://www.burger.///willfind.htm (besoek 2012-

09-02); Biggs “Losing It” 2005 The Step J 28; Duhaime “The Lost Will” 2007

Legal Resources beskikbaar by http://www.org/LegalResources/

ElderLawWillsTrustsEstates/Law Article–270/The–Lost–Will.aspx (besoek

2012-09-22). Sien verder Jacobs “The Lost or Missing Testamentary

Instrument” The Elec J Bar Assoc Q’land beskikbaar byhhtp://www.

hearsay.org.au(besoek 2012-08-14); Jooste 2010 Finweek 48.

117Sien par 3 1 hierbo.

118Sien “Revoked Missing or Lost Will”beskikbaar by http://www.

australianprobate.com/lost.html(besoek 2012-08-28 ).

119[2013] ZAWCHC 11 par 15.