In a decision delivered by Judge Davis‑White KC in Leeds on 23 April 2026, the High Court dismissed Jane Hodgson’s bid to secure a share of her late father Tony’s £1.25 million farm in Slingsby, North Yorkshire.
Tony Hodgson’s will, drafted on 23 March 2016, earmarked the residue of his estate for his wife Joyce, with conditional gifts to Jane and brother James that would activate only if Joyce predeceased him.
Because Tony and Joyce held the property as joint tenants, Tony’s interest automatically passed to Joyce upon his death in October 2020, leaving no estate share for Jane.
Jane cited promises made in the 1990s that the farm would eventually belong to her, but the judge found no detrimental reliance, noting that she had benefited from rent‑free use and subsidies.
Her appeal under the 1975 Act was also rejected, as the court determined that the widow’s entitlement outweighed any perceived need for Jane’s provision.
For Jane, who has spent decades tending the fields and inviting visitors to Wyville Farm, the verdict means the future of her childhood home rests solely with her mother.