Daughter's Inheritance Claim Dismissed by Judge
A 72-year-old woman has lost a bitter legal fight against her brother over their mother's £1.1 million estate after a judge ruled she hadn't demonstrated sufficient 'love and respect'. Aysel Gencay accused her 74-year-old brother Dogan Halil of manipulating their mother into leaving him the entire fortune, but the court found no evidence to support her claims.
The Changing Wills and Family Conflict
Dervishe Halill, who moved to London from Cyprus with her husband in 1952, died as a wealthy 94-year-old in 2021. The court heard that over a five-year period, she made four separate wills, initially dividing her substantial estate among all her children. However, her final will in 2018 left everything to her son Dogan, completely excluding Aysel and their other brother, Attila.
The turning point came in 2015 when Dervishe sent a handwritten note to Aysel and Attila, threatening to remove them from her will unless they apologised and repaired their relationship with Dogan. The letter stated: 'Your actions have destroyed my life and home, your actions towards your brother Dogan are very bad and shameful – we saw nothing but goodness from Dogan to all of us.'
Court Battle and Judicial Ruling
Central London County Court heard that despite Aysel's claims of being close to her mother and flying regularly from Turkey to visit, Judge Mark Raeside KC described Dogan as a 'dutiful son' who had properly cared for his ageing mother. The judge rejected Aysel's allegation that her brother had exercised 'fraudulent calumny' or unduly influenced their mother.
Evidence showed that Dervishe had attended her solicitor's office alone and appeared mentally sharp, clearly understanding her decisions. She told her solicitor that the disinheritance resulted from her two children failing to visit or show interest in her. Judge Raeside stated that Aysel had become 'fixated' on proving her brother's dishonesty without evidence, and that her conduct in bringing the case was 'fundamentally wrong'.
The judge upheld the validity of the 2018 will, ending the inheritance dispute in Dogan's favour and leaving Aysel with nothing from her mother's £1.1 million estate.
