De Lorenzo v De Lorenzo [2020] NSWCA 351

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: De Lorenzo v De Lorenzo [2020] NSWCA 351 Hearing dates: 29 September 2020, further submissions 20 October 2020 and 5 November 2020 Decision date: 22 December 2020 Before: Gleeson JA at [1]; Leeming JA at [2]; White JA at [47]. Decision: 1. Grant leave to appeal. 2. Appeal dismissed, with costs. Catchwords: SUCCESSION – construction of will – gift of two shares to three children as tenants in common – will stated that if shares not divisible by three, daughter would receive more – whether daughter entitled to both shares under will – consideration of joint ownership of choses in action Legislation Cited: Companies (New South Wales) Code, Sch 3 Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), ss 140, 168, 169, 231, 237, 247A, 1070A Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW), ss 12, 26, 27, 66F, 66G Copyright Act 1968 (Cth), s 196 Judicature Act 1873 (UK), s 25 Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 101 Cases Cited: Beck v Henley [2014] NSWCA 201; 11 ASTLR 457 Blackborough v Graves (1673) 1 Mod Rep 102; 86 ER 765 Chhabra v McPherson as Trustee for the McPherson Practice Trust [2019] FCAFC 228 Christopher John De Lorenzo in his capacity as an executor of the Estate of the late Patricia Ellen De Lorenzo v Vincent Joseph De Lorenzo in his personal capacity & in his capacity as an executor of the Estate of the late Patricia Ellen De Lorenzo [2020] NSWSC 188 Clerk v Equity Trustees Executors and Agency Co Ltd (1913) 15 CLR 625; [1913] HCA 8 Commonwealth Bank of Australia v McDonald [2000] NSWSC 553; 10 BPR 18,111 Fell v Fell (1922) 31 CLR 268; [1922] HCA 55 Hatzantonis v Lawrence [2003] NSWSC 914 In Re Allan [1950] VLR 405 Lewin v Lewin [2019] NSWSC 380 Michael Victor Henley; In the Estate of Hedy Jadwiga Weinstock and Leo Arie Weinstock [2013] NSWSC 975; 10 ASTLR 1 Neilan v Neilan [2019] NSWSC 66 Nullagine Investments Pty Ltd v The Western Australian Club Inc (1993) 177 CLR 635; [1993] HCA 45 Parmalat Capital Finance Ltd v Food Holdings Ltd [2008] UKPC 23; [2009] 1 BCLC 274 Perrin v Morgan [1943] AC 399 Re McIlrath, decd [1959] VR 720 Re McKerrell [1912] 2 Ch 648 Re Pulbrook; Pulbrook v Pulbrook (1937) 37 SR (NSW) 345 Re VGM Holdings Ltd [1942] Ch 235 Re Wood Trading Co Ltd (1927) 28 SR (NSW) 106 Rule v Mallon [2000] NSWSC 346; (2000) 10 BPR 18,005 Russell v Scott (1936) 55 CLR 440; [1936] HCA 34 Saunders v Vautier (1841) Cr & Ph 240; 41 ER 482 Seven Network (Operations) Ltd v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd (2005) 146 FCR 183; [2005] FCAFC 144 Winter v Perratt (1843) 6 Man & G 314; 134 ER 914 Texts Cited: I Alexander, Copyright Law and the Public Interest in the Nineteenth Century (Cambridge University Press, 2010) C Butler (ed), Commentary upon Littleton (J & W T Clarke, 19th ed, 1832) Carter, Lane, Tolhurst and Peden, Helmore's Commercial Law and Personal Property in New South Wales (10th ed, Lawbook Co 1992) H Cary (ed), A Commentary on the Tenures of Littleton (Saunders and Benning, 1829) P Davies and S Worthington, Principles of Modern Company Law (9th ed, Sweet & Maxwell, 2012) Halsbury's Laws of Australia, Vol 19, "Personal Property" Halsbury's Laws of England (5th ed 2013), Vol 80, "Personal Property" F C Hutley "Conveyancing Act 1919 – 1938 (NSW), s 26 – Application to Choses in Action" (1939) 13 ALJ 230" F Pollock, Possession and the Common Law (Clarendon Press, 1888) C Sherrin et al, Williams on Wills (8th ed, Butterworths, 2002), Vol 1, p 791 R Smith, Plural Ownership (Oxford University Press, 2005) M Vitoria et al, The Modern Law of Copyright and Designs (4th ed, LexisNexis, 2011), Vol 1 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Christopher John De Lorenzo (First Applicant) Jo-Ann De Lorenzo (Second Applicant) Vincent Joseph De Lorenzo (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: I Pike SC, J Burnett (Applicants) T Maltz (Respondent)