Abdi v Abdi [2022] NSWSC 423

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Abdi v Abdi [2022] NSWSC 423 Hearing dates: 23 – 26 August 2021 Date of orders: 12 April 2022 Decision date: 12 April 2022 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Ward CJ in Eq Decision: 1. Order pursuant to r 7.15 of the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) that Nabil Abdi be appointed with effect from the filing of the amended statement of claim as the tutor for the plaintiff (Hanife Abdi) for the purposes of the proceeding. 2. Declare that the second defendant (Nazih Abdi) holds his one-third interest in the proceeds of sale of the property referred to in these reasons as the Croydon property upon a resulting trust for the first defendant (Mahmoud Abdi) and the plaintiff (Hanife Abdi) as tenants in common in equal shares. 3. Order that the funds presently held in the second defendant's solicitors' controlled moneys account representing the one-third share of the proceeds of sale of the Croydon property referable to the interest held by Nazih Abdi be disbursed as to one-half to the plaintiff (Hanife Abdi) and as to one-half to the first defendant (Mahmoud Abdi) in accordance with directions to that effect to be provided by the solicitors for the plaintiff and the first defendant, respectively. 4. Order the second defendant to pay the plaintiff's costs of the proceeding. Catchwords: EQUITY — Trusts and trustees — Resulting trusts — Presumption of advancement – Whether evidence establishes intention of the parties at the time the property was purchased – Whether evidence establishes contribution made towards the purchase of the property – Whether constructive trust arose on the same facts Legislation Cited: Duties Act 1997 (NSW) s 55 NSW Trustee and Guardian Act 2009 (NSW), s 41(1) Protected Estates Act 1983 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 7.15 Cases Cited: Allen v Snyder [1977] 2 NSWLR 685 Amit Laundry v Jain [2017] NSWSC 1495 Anderson v McPherson (No 2) [2012] WASC 19 Baumgartner v Baumgartner (1987) 164 CLR 137; [1987] HCA 59 Black Uhlans Inc v New South Wales Crime Commission and Others (2002) 12 BPR 22,421; [2002] NSWSC 1060 Bloch v Bloch (1981) 180 CLR 390; [1981] HCA 56 Brown v Brown (1993) 31 NSWLR 582 Buffrey v Buffrey (2006) 12 BPR 23,619; [2006] NSWSC 1349 Calverley v Green (1984) 155 CLR 242; [1984] HCA 81 Carl Zeiss Stiftung v Herbert Smith & Co (No 2) [1969] 2 Ch 276; [1969] 2 All ER 367 Currie v Hamilton [1984] 1 NSWLR 687 Damberg v Damberg (2001) 52 NSWLR 492; [2001] NSWCA 87 Drever v Drever [1936] ALR 446 Dyer v Dyer (1788) 2 Cox Eq Cas 92 E Co [a pseudonym] v Q [a pseudonym] No 4 [2019] NSWSC 429 Elddin v Hamed (No 2) [2015] NSWSC 654 Fowkes v Pascoe (1875) LR 10 Ch App 343 Gissing v Gissing [1971] AC 886; [1970] UKHL 3 Grant v Edwards [1986] Ch 638; [1986] 2 All ER 426 Great Investments Ltd and Others v Warner and Others (2016) 243 FCR 516; [2016] FCAFC 85 Green v Green (1989) 17 NSWLR 343 Grimaldi v Chameleon Mining NL (No 2) [2012] FCAFC 6; 200 FCR 296 Hamed v Elddin [2016] NSWCA 9 Hansen v Noble (2021) 20 BPR 41,181; [2021] NSWSC 138 Holt v Protective Commissioner (1993) 31 NSWLR 227 M v M [2013] NSWSC 1495 Maharaj v Chand [1986] AC 898; [1986] 3 All ER 107 Martech Energy Systems Pty Ltd (in liq) v Bell [2005] VSC 198 Martin v Martin (1959) 110 CLR 297; [1959] HCA 62 Murtagh v Murtagh [2013] NSWSC 926 Muschinski v Dodds (1985) 160 CLR 583; [1985] HCA 78 Napier v Public Trustee (WA) (1980) 32 ALR 153 Nelson v Nelson (1995) 184 CLR 538; [1995] HCA 25 Ong v Lottwo Pty Ltd (in Liq) (2013) 116 SASR 280; [2013] SASCFC 57 P9/2000 [2011] NSWSC 49 Pettitt v Pettitt [1970] AC 777; [1970] UKHL 5 Re Kerrigan; Ex parte Jones (1946) 47 SR (NSW) 76 Re L [2000] NSWSC 721 Re M (1988) 2 VAR 213 Re R [2000] NSWSC 886 Ryan v Dries (2002) 10 BPR 19,497; [2002] NSWCA 3 Ryan v Ryan [2012] NSWSC 636 Shepherd v Doolan [2005] NSWSC 42 Sze Tu & Ors v Lowe & Ors (2014) 89 NSWLR 317; [2014] NSWCA 462 Weige v Cupton Pty Ltd (2012) 8 ASTLR 229; [2012] NSWCA 414 Texts Cited: D Ong Trusts Law in Australia (4th ed), Federation Press, 2012 Halsbury's Laws of Australia Heydon & MJ Leeming, Jacobs' Law of Trusts in Australia (Lexis Nexis, 8th ed, 2016) J Glister, "Is There a Presumption of Advancement?" (2011) 33 Sydney Law Review 39 Jacobs' Law of Trusts in Australia (8th ed, 2016) W Swadling, "Explaining Resulting Trusts" (2008) 124 Law Quarterly Review 72 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Hanife Abdi by her tutor, Nabil Abdi (Plaintiff) Mahmoud Abdi (First Defendant) Nazih Abdi (Second Defendant) Representation: Counsel: NCT Bilinsky (Plaintiff) H El-Husseini (First Defendant) BJ Skinner with C Swanson (Second Defendant)