Bailey v Palombo [2020] NSWSC 1209

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Bailey v Palombo [2020] NSWSC 1209 Hearing dates: 29 – 30 June, 1 July 2020 Date of orders: 9 September 2020 Decision date: 09 September 2020 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Hallen J Decision: The Court directs the parties to provide to the Court, within 14 days, in hard and soft copy, Short Minutes of Order that reflect these reasons. Catchwords: SUCCESSION – Administration of estates – Persons entitled on intestacy – Distribution order – Multiple spouses – Where the deceased died intestate – The Plaintiff asserts that she was a "spouse" of the deceased upon the basis that she was in a de facto relationship with him that had been in existence for a continuous period of two years (or more) – Dispute about the nature of the relationship – Competing claim by the Defendant who was a de jure wife of the deceased although they had been separated for some years before his death – If more than one spouse, then question arises as to how the estate of the intestate should be distributed as no distribution agreement entered into between the spouses – Order sought that the property of the intestate should be distributed between the spouses in a way that the Court considers just and equitable pursuant to s 126 of the Succession Act 2006 (NSW) – Meaning of "just and equitable" – Further question arises, if more than one spouse, to whom should grant of administration on intestacy be made – Parties agree to appoint an independent person to be the administrator of the estate of the deceased, but before the appointment is made, they wish to consider whether grant should be made to one, or other, of them. WORDS AND PHRASES – "Just and equitable" – Succession Act 2006 (NSW), s 126(3) Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), s 98 Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), s 140 Family Law Act 1975 (Cth), ss 72, 78, 79, 90C, 90SE, 90SM Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW), s 21C Marriage Act 1961 (Cth), Pt VA NSW Trustee and Guardian Act 2009 (NSW), s 23 Probate and Administration Act 1898 (NSW), ss 63, 74 Property (Relationships) Act 1984 (NSW), s 4 Real Property Act 1900 (NSW), s 97 Relationships Register Act 2010 (NSW) Succession Act 1981 (Qld), s 36 Succession Act 2006 (NSW), ss 59, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 112, 123, 125, 126, Ch 4 Succession Amendment (Intestacy) Act 2009 (NSW) Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 75 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), rr 2.1, 29.5 Cases Cited: Alan Yazbek v Ghosn Yazbek (No 2) [2012] NSWSC 783 Bar-Mordecai v Hillston [2004] NSWCA 65 Bass v Permanent Trustee Company Limited (1999) 198 CLR 334; [1999] HCA 9 Bellman v Peters [2020] VSCA 143 Bezjak v Wyatt [2018] NSWSC 199 Bourdales v Carroll; Estate of Diane Holbrook (2007) 1 ASTLR 202; [2007] NSWSC 1057 Brownell v Robinson [2017] TASFC 11 Challenge Bank Ltd v Mailman (1993) 17 BPR 33,679; [1993] NSWCA 54 Chow Kwok Chuen v Chow Kwok Chi [2008] SGCA 37 Church of the Foursquare Gospel (Australia) Ltd v New Hope Church Swansea Inc [2019] NSWSC 519 Clarence City Council v Commonwealth of Australia [2020] FCAFC 134 Crawford v Davidson-Crawford [2019] NSWSC 728 Dakin v Sansbury [2010] FMCAfam 628 Dion v Rieser [2010] NSWSC 50 Dwyer v Kaljo (1992) 27 NSWLR 728 Eddy Lau Constructions Pty Ltd v Transdevelopment Enterprise Pty Ltd [2004] NSWSC 273 Estate of the late Shirley Joan Violet Gardner; Bernengo v Leaney [2019] NSWSC 1324 Estate Pamplin; Irwin v Pamplin [2017] NSWSC 1477 FO v HAF [2007] 2 Qd R 138; [2006] QCA 555 Forster v Jododex Australia Pty Limited (1972) 127 CLR 421; [1972] HCA 61 Hayes v Marquis [2008] NSWCA 10 In re Blériot Manufacturing Aircraft Company (Limited) (1916) 32 TLR 253 In the Goods of William Loveday [1900] P 154 In the Marriage of Rolfe (1977) 25 ALR 217; (1979) ¶FLC 90-629 In the matter of the Estate of Peter Douglas Sigg, deceased [2009] VSC 47 Indjic v Stojanovic [2020] NSWSC 470 Ingamells v Western Australian Trustees Ltd (Supreme Court (WA), 5 March 1993, unrep) Kardos v Sarbutt (2006) 34 Fam LR 550; [2006] NSWCA 11 Kennon v Spry (2008) 238 CLR 366; [2008] HCA 56 KQ v HAE [2007] 2 Qd R 32; [2006] QCA 489 Light v Anderson (Court of Appeal (NSW), Handley JA, 4 August 1992, unrep) Lynam v Director General of Social Security (1983) 52 ALR 128 Mallet v Mallet (1984) 156 CLR 605; [1984] HCA 21 Moby v Schulter (2010) FLC ¶93-447; [2010] FamCA 748 Na v Tiu (No 2) [2017] FamCAFC 269 Neeta (Epping) Pty Limited v Phillips (1974) 131 CLR 286 Paino v Paino (2008) 40 Fam LR 96; [2008] NSWCA 276 Peipi v Peipi as Administrator of the Estate of the late Ashoor Hilaney [2013] NSWSC 1520 Permanent Trustee Company Limited (1999) 198 CLR 334; [1999] HCA 9 Petersen v Gregory; Estate Glen Alfred Petersen [2007] NSWSC 8 Piras v Egan [2008] NSWCA 59 Qantas Airways Ltd v Gubbins (1992) 28 NSWLR 26 Ragland v Ballock [2020] FCCA 1685 Re Estate Jerrard, deceased (2018) 97 NSWLR 1106; [2018] NSWSC 781 Re Estate Miruzzi, deceased [2018] NSWSC 1899 Re Estate Wilson, Deceased (2017) 93 NSWLR 119; [2017] NSWSC 1 Reavill Farm Pty Limited v AR Mortgages Pty Ltd (No 3) [2020] NSWSC 740 Robson v Quijarro [2009] NSWCA 365 Russian Commercial and Industrial Bank v British Bank for Foreign Trade, Limited [1921] 2 AC 438 Sadiq v NSW Trustee & Guardian [2015] NSWSC 716 Sadiq v NSW Trustee and Guardian [2016] NSWCA 59 Schmidt v Malcolm [2016] WASC 209 Scragg v Scott [2006] NZFLR 1076 Simonis v Perpetual Trustee Co Ltd (1987) 21 NSWLR 677 Smith v NSW Bar Association (1992) 176 CLR 256; [1992] HCA 36 Stanford v Stanford (2012) 247 CLR 108; [2012] HCA 52 Sullman v Sullman [2002] NSWSC 169 Taisha v Peng (2012) 296 FLR 350; [2012] FamCA 385 Talga Ltd v MBC International Limited (1976) 133 CLR 622; [1976] HCA 22 Urban Transport Authority of NSW v Nweiser (1992) 28 NSWLR 471 Wilson v Porada; The Estate of Peter Wolfgang Porada, late of Pericoe [2017] NSWSC 818 Ye v Fung [2006] NSWSC 243 Yesilhat v Calokerinos [2015] NSWSC 1028 Zetting v Müller [2017] NSWSC 659 Texts Cited: G E Dal Pont and K F Mackie, Law of Succession (2nd ed, 2018, LexisNexis) P W Young, Declaratory Orders (2nd ed, 1984 Butterworths) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Jacqueline Bailey (Plaintiff) Gail Charlotte Palombo (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: D M Flaherty (Plaintiff) R W Tregenza (Defendant)