Torok v Becker [2020] NSWSC 1570

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Torok v Becker [2020] NSWSC 1570 Hearing dates: 30 September; 1, 6–7, 9 October 2020 Date of orders: 9 November 2020 Decision date: 09 November 2020 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Ward CJ in Eq Decision: 1. Direct the parties to provide written submissions within seven days as to the form of the orders to be made to reflect these reasons and as to costs. Catchwords: EQUITY — Undue influence — Relationships giving rise to presumption of undue influence — Actual undue influence — Relevant factors — Unconscionable conduct — Special disability or disadvantage SUCCESSION — Family provision — Claim by adult child — Notional estate — Whether order designating property as notional estate should be made Legislation Cited: Partnership Act 1892 (NSW), ss 1, 2 Succession Act 2006 (NSW), ss 59, 60, 75, 76, 78, 80, 87 Cases Cited: Ahmad v Ahmad [2002] NSWSC 579 Allcard v Skinner (1887) 36 Ch D 145 Andrew v Andrew (2012) 81 NSWLR 656; [2012] NSWCA 308 Asset Risk Management v Hyndes [1999] NSWCA 201 Bank of Credit and Commerce International SA v Aboody [1990] 1 QB 923; [1992] 4 All ER 955 Barkley v Barkley Brown [2009] NSWSC 76 Bayside Council v Estate of Goodman [2019] NSWSC 530 Blomley v Ryan (1956) 99 CLR 362; [1956] HCA 81 Bova v Avati [2009] NSWSC 921 Bridgewater v Leahy (1998) 194 CLR 457; [1998] HCA 66 Burke v Burke (No 2) [2015] NSWCA 195 Camernik v Reholc [2012] NSWSC 1537 Canny Gabriel Castle Jackson Advertising Pty Limited v Volume Sales (Finance) Pty Limited (1974) 131 CLR 321; [1974] HCA 22 Collings v Vakas [2006] NSWSC 393 Commercial Bank of Australia Limited v Amadio (1983) 151 CLR 447; [1983] HCA 14 Day v Perisher Blue Pty Ltd (2005) 62 NSWLR 731; [2005] NSWCA 110 Dimitrovski v Australian Executor Trustees Limited [2014] NSWCA 68 Doss v Doss (1843) 3 Moo Ind App 175; 18 ER 464 Foye v Foye [2008] NSWSC 1305 Hewitt v Gardner [2009] NSWSC 705 Hildebrandt v Soncini [2007] NSWSC 1227 Hospital Products Limited v United Surgical Corporation (1984) 156 CLR 41; [1984] HCA 64 Huguenin v Basely (1807) 14 Ves Jun Supp 273 In re Coomber [1911] 1 Ch 723 In re Everett; Executor Trustee and Agency Company of South Australia Limited v Everett [1917] SALR 52 In the Estate of the late Anthony Marras [2014] NSWSC 915 Industrial Equity Ltd v Lyons (Supreme Court (NSW), Cohen J, 15 October 1991, unrep) Johnson v Buttress (1936) 56 CLR 113; [1936] HCA 41 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298; [1959] HCA 8 Kastrounis v Foundouradakis [2012] NSWSC 264 Leary v NSW Trustee and Guardian [2017] NSWSC 1113 Lord Chedworth v Edwards (1802) 8 Ves Jun 46; 32 ER 68 Louth v Diprose (1992) 175 CLR 621; [1992] HCA 61 Mayfield v Public Trustee [2009] NSWSC 330 McDonald v O'Connor [2019] NSWSC 261 McLean v Burns Philp Trustee Co Pty Ltd (1985) 2 NSWLR 623 Mentick v Olsen [2020] NSWCA 182 Moore v Aubusson [2020] NSWSC 1466 Morrison v Coast Finance Ltd (1965) 55 DLR (2d) 710 Nicholas v Tubb [2016] TASSC 53 Nielsen v Kongspark [2019] NSWSC 1821 Page v Hull-Moody [2020] NSWSC 411 Page v Page [2016] NSWSC 1218 Pearse v Green (1819) 1 Jac & W 135 at 140; 37 ER 327 Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company v Johnson [1937-1938] 60 CLR 189; [1938] HCA 16 Perochinsky v Kirschner [2013] NSWSC 400 Plunkett v Bull (1915) 19 CLR 544; [1915] HCA 14 Poosathurai v Kannappa Chettiar (1919) LR 47 Ind App 1 Reynolds v Bonnici [2017] NSWSC 828 Rhodes v Bate (1866) LR 1 Ch App 252 Riz v Perpetual Trustee Australia Ltd [2007] NSWSC 1153 Rosebanner Pty Limited v Energy Australia (2009) 223 FLR 406; [2009] NSWSC 43 Sgro v Thompson [2017] NSWCA 326 Singh v Singh [2015] NSWSC 1457 Spong v Spong (1914) 18 CLR 544; [1914] HCA 52 Stivactas v Michaletos (No 2) [1994] ANZ ConvR 252 Stone v Stone [2019] NSWSC 233 Torok v Becker [2019] NSWSC 1662 Toscano v Toscano [2017] NSWSC 419 Towson v Francis [2017] NSWSC 1034 Tulloch (deceased) v Braybon (No 2) [2010] NSWSC 650 Turner v Windever [2003] NSWSC 1147 Underwood v Gaudron [2014] NSWSC 1055 United Dominions Corporation Limited v Brian Proprietary Limited (1985) 157 CLR 1; [1985] HCA 49 Urane v Whipper [2001] NSWSC 796 Warman International Limited v Dwyer (1995) 182 CLR 544 at 577; [1995] HCA 18 Watton v MacTaggart [2020] NSWSC 1233 Whereat v Duff [1972] 2 NSWLR 147 Winefield v Clarke [2008] NSWSC 882 Yasuda Fire & Marine Insurance Co of Europe Ltd v Orion Marine Insurance Underwriting Ltd [1995] QB 174; [1995] 3 All ER 211 Texts Cited: Ford and Lee, Principles of the Law of Trusts (1st ed, 1983, Law Book Co) Jordan, Administration of the Estates of Deceased Persons (3rd ed, 1948, Government Printer) Meagher Gummow & Lehane, Equity: Doctrines and Remedies (5th ed, 2015, LexisNexis) Sir Anthony Mason, "The Impact of Equitable Doctrine on the Law of Contract" (1998) 27 Anglo-American Law Review 1 Underhill and Hayton, Underhill's Law of Trusts and Trustees (13th ed, 1979, Butterworths) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Lara Caroline Torok (First Plaintiff) Lara Caroline Torok as legal representative of the estate of the late Isolde Becker (Second Plaintiff) David Theodore Becker (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: D Smallbone (Plaintiffs) P Russell (Defendant)