You goat to be kidding me…

Published in Coffs Coast News of the Area on 26 June 2026.

Brigid O'Sullivan passes away at 78, leaving behind a carefully drafted Will and a cottage-sized problem.

For years, Brigid's nephew, Declan, lived alone in a stone cottage that had once belonged to Brigid's sister, Margaret. Under Margaret's Will, Declan was entitled to live there for life, with the balance of the estate to pass to Brigid and Brigid’s husband, Seamus, upon Declan’s death.

Declan was known throughout the district for two things: his refusal to throw anything away and a one-eyed goat named Patrick, whom he claimed could predict rain better than the Bureau of Meteorology.

When Brigid later made her own Will, she left to her late husband's sister, Niamh:

"whatever rights I may have in relation to any real property."

The remainder of her estate was divided among family members.

Seamus died first. Years later, Brigid also passed away.

Just six days after Brigid's death, Declan also died, leaving no children and no Will.

At Declan’s wake, relatives reminisced about family holidays, old arguments and somewhat unexpectedly, who should inherit Patrick the goat.

With Declan gone, the cottage became available for distribution. By then, the value of the cottage had boomed following rumours of a major renewable energy company acquiring surrounding farmland.

Niamh claimed the cottage formed part of the gift made to her under Brigid's Will.

The residuary beneficiaries disagreed. They argued that Brigid never owned the cottage and had no right to possess it when she died. At most, she held a future entitlement under Margaret's estate.

What began as a family debate about an eccentric goat soon became a dispute over whether a future right to inherit land can pass under a gift of rights relating to real property.

Meanwhile, Patrick the goat remains blissfully unaware that the cottage had inherited his position as the family's most divisive asset.

Thank you to Ellysha Laklem for her assistance with this column.

If you have a request for a Hypothetical, call Manny Wood on (02) 66 487 487 or email [email protected].

This fictional column is not legal advice.