Assoum v Barrett [2021] NSWDC 641

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Assoum v Barrett [2021] NSWDC 641 Hearing dates: 25 – 27 August 2021; 30 August 2021 – 1 September 2021; 17 September 2021 (written submissions); 21 September 2021 (written submissions); 14 October 2021 (oral submissions) Date of orders: 23 November 2021 Decision date: 23 November 2021 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Dicker SC DCJ Decision: (1) Judgment for the plaintiff. (2) The parties are to bring in agreed short minutes of order within seven days reflecting these reasons for decision. (3) The defendant is to pay the plaintiff's costs of the proceedings as agreed or assessed. (4) Liberty is granted to the parties to apply within 14 days for a different costs order to that set out in (3) above. Catchwords: PERSONAL PROPERTY - whether advances of moneys by deceased person constituted absolute gifts, conditional gifts or a loan - relevance of deceased signing a letter to a financial institution indicating the main advance was a gift - relevance of later entry by deceased and defendant into a deed DEEDS - proper construction of deed - whether executing the deed could alter the status of a prior advance of money RESTITUTION - whether remedy available for money paid in the event that advances were determined to be a conditional gift – whether moneys paid under a mistake of fact or law ESTOPPEL - whether alleged estoppels were established on the facts Cases Cited: Barton v Armstrong (1973) 2 NSWLR 598 Braam v BBC Hardware Ltd [2020] VSCA 164 Ecosse Property Holdings Pty Ltd v G D Nominees Pty Ltd [2017] HCA 12; (2017) 261 CLR 544 Electricity Generation Corporation v Woodside Energy Ltd (2014) 251 CLR 640; [2014] HCA 7 Flourentzou v Spink [2019] NSWCA 315 Fox v Percy [2003] HCA 22; (2003) 214 CLR 118 Macquarie International Health Clinic Pty Ltd v Sydney Local Health District [2020] NSWCA 161 McKay v National Australia Bank [1998] 4 VR 677 Mei Zhang v Ye Chang [2018] NSWCA 299 Mei Zhang v Ye Cheng [2018] NSWDC 147 Moubarak v Holt [2019] NSWCA 102 Spink v Flourentzou [2019] NSWSC 256 Ta Lee Investment Pty Ltd v Antonios [2019] NSWCA 24 Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co Ltd v Hans Bo Kristian Holgerson [2019] WASCA 114 Troncone v Aliperti (1994) 6 BPR 13,291 Upper Hunter District Council v Australian Chilling & Freezing Co Ltd (1968) 118 CLR 429 Watson v Foxman (1995) 49 NSWLR 315 WLD Practice Holdings Pty Ltd v Sara Stockham [2020] NSWSC 1488 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Barea Assoum (Plaintiff) Linda Jayne Barrett (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: N Condylis (Plaintiff) R Freeman (Defendant)