Middleton v Schofield [2022] NSWSC 1454

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Middleton v Schofield [2022] NSWSC 1454 Hearing dates: 11 – 13 April 2022 Decision date: 27 October 2022 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Robb J Decision: See [130 ] to [132] below. Catchwords: SUCCESSION — construction — use of extrinsic evidence — testator makes gift of named farming property by reference to proper noun and land area — whether subject matter of gift refers to one or all three of three contiguous but historically distinct farming properties — consideration of application of general law and statutory rules of admission of extrinsic evidence where Court required to determine objective meaning of testator's use of proper noun in will Legislation Cited: Administration of Justice Act 1982 (UK), s 21 Succession Act 2006 (NSW), ss 6, 27, 32 Cases Cited: Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336 at 361-2; [1938] HCA 34 Carrington v Wallace [2019] NSWSC 1301 De Lorenzo v De Lorenzo (2020) 104 NSWLR 155; [2020] NSWCA 351 Farrelly v Phillips (2017) 128 SASR 502; [2017] SASCFC 111 Fell v Fell (1922) 31 CLR 268 Hibbitt v Ziade [2022] NSWSC 904 In the Will and Codicil of Padbury, deceased; Home of Peace for the Dying and Incurable v Solicitor-General (1908) 7 CLR 680 at 686; [1908] HCA 72 James v Douglas [2016] NSWCA 178 Jukka Pekka Kemi v Peter Hedley Wood [2013] NSWSC 180 Layer v Burns Philp Trustee Co Ltd (1986) 6 NSWLR 60 Parry v Haisma [2012] NSWSC 290 Partington v Rossiter [2022] Ch 43; [2021] EWCA Civ 1564 The Estate of William John Gilbert [2017] NSWSC 1138 Vescio v Bannister (Estate of the late Betty Tait) [2010] NSWSC 1274; (2010) 3 ASTLR 619 Warton v Yeo [2014] NSWSC 494 Watson v Foxman (1995) 49 NSWLR 315 Texts Cited: Macquarie Dictionary, online ed Category: Principal judgment Parties: Phillip Paul Middleton (First Plaintiff) Chloe Elizabeth Middleton (Second Plaintiff) Julie Evelyn Schofield (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: LJ Ellison SC & C Coventry (Plaintiffs) WG Muddle SC & P Tierney (Defendant)