Court Upholds Father's Will Favoring One Daughter in Family Property Dispute
Inside the bitter feud between two sisters over their father's multi-million dollar property empire that he built from scratch - and how he ensured his youngest daughter was left everything
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A bitter legal battle has emerged between sisters Josephine Puopolo Passas and Maria D'Apice over their late father's multimillion-dollar property estate in Sydney. The Supreme Court upheld Alessio Puopolo's 2012 will, which left everything to Josephine, citing her extensive caregiving and the father's documented intentions.
- 01Alessio Puopolo's 2012 will left his entire estate to his younger daughter, Josephine, after previously planning to split it with her sister, Maria.
- 02The court found no evidence that Puopolo lacked mental capacity when signing the will, despite Maria's claims of 'suspicious circumstances.'
- 03Josephine provided significant care for their parents, especially after their mother was diagnosed with dementia, which influenced the court's decision.
- 04A 2014 statutory declaration from Puopulo clarified his reasons for favoring Josephine, citing Maria's failure to follow his property division instructions.
- 05Justice Bennett ruled that the property division was fair, considering prior financial support given to Maria during their father's lifetime.
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A family dispute over a multimillion-dollar property portfolio in Sydney culminated in a Supreme Court battle between sisters Josephine Puopolo Passas and Maria D'Apice. Their father, Alessio Puopulo, left his entire estate to Josephine in a 2012 will, overturning a previous arrangement that would have split the assets equally. Maria challenged the will, claiming it was created under suspicious circumstances, but the court found no evidence of mental incapacity at the time of signing. Justice Hayley Bennett noted that Josephine had provided extensive care for their parents, particularly after their mother was diagnosed with dementia. A crucial factor was a statutory declaration made by Alessio in 2014, which outlined his reasons for favoring Josephine, including Maria's failure to comply with his property directives. The court ruled that both daughters had received comparable financial support and upheld the will, emphasizing that the current value of properties should not dictate perceived fairness. This case highlights the importance of clear documentation of intentions in estate planning.
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The ruling affects the distribution of a significant property portfolio in Sydney, influencing how families approach estate planning.
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