Aristocrat loses court battle for family estate

An aristocrat today lost a court battle with his mother over ownership of his family's 3,000-acre estate after a judge dismissed his claim it was promised to him as inheritance.

William Reeve, 38, said he was told he would be passed full control of Leadenham Estate by his father Peter before it was split between his parents following their divorce in 2013.

The couple agreed to "partition" the estate, with Henrietta Reeve, 62, a lay canon at Lincoln Cathedral, owning 40 per cent and her husband the remaining 60 per cent.

The 38-year-old claimed the split had put his inheritance at risk as he argued the Lincolnshire manor, which includes Grade-II listed Leadenham House, would inevitably be sold because of lack of funds to carry out maintenance repairs.

He said his parents had acted in an "unconscionable manner" by agreeing to settle their divorce by dividing ownership of the estate.

His arguments were last year rejected by a judge, who said any assurances given to him by his father were "not sufficiently clear" to be relied upon.

Judge Jane-Anne Evans-Gordon had accepted that Peter had "made various representations to William about passing on control or ownership of the estate."

But she ruled Mr Reeve had been given "no sufficiently clear assurance" that the estate would be transferred to him during his father's lifetime

Dismissing Mr Reeve's claim, she ruled he could have no legal complaint as he had not in fact "relied on anything said by Peter."

But Mr Reeve challenged the ruling in the Court of Appeal after he claimed the judge was was "biased" against him.

Yesterday, the Court of Appeal dismissed his claim as Lord Justice Baker concluded there were "no grounds whatsoever for thinking that Judge Evans-Gordon was biased."

Last month, it was revealed Mr Reeve's brother James was subject of an investigation by the Bishop of Lincoln, who agreed to examine allegations by his former partner Georgina David he failed to provide financial assistance to their son Henry.

A spokesman for Reeve family said James had cooperated fully with the child maintenance service (CMS).