THE LONG ARM OF THE LAWYER; LEGACY PAID

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27471, 4 October 1954, Page 8

THE LONG ARM OF THE LAWYER; LEGACY PAID

Among what many persons regard as the benefits of modern civilisation, there are few that grind so slowly, or so exceedingly small, as the processes of the law. From time to time, there are reports of long-standing crimes being brought home against the offenders but not only the police and their flies should be credited with long memories A Christchurch woman has every reason to believe that the legal fraternity has the same attributes In 1920 a woman died at Dunedin and under her will a woman friend was advised that she was entitled to a legacy of £5 After the inevitable pause While the solicitors assembled their wherefores” and "thereby’s” and °j f.be various parts, she was further advised that there was insufficient money in the estate to pay the

legacy in full, and she received, ultimately, £2 3s 6d. There the matter remained for 34 years. The beneficiary died. A few days ago, some of her children were advised by the solicitors who had handled the original estate that land of which they had not known at the time the will was executed had been discovered, and because of its sale they were now able to pay the legacy in full. They enclosed, among an array of suitable terms, the information that they would pay the remaining £2 16s pa, with interest, which, at £4 5s sd, brought the legacy to £7 Is lid. This is to be divided among three children of the original beneficiary, two of whom are to receive cheques for £2 7s 4d. The third one, because of the inexorable accuracy of the law, is to receive £2 7s 3d.