Eva Joy Ambrus v Lee Ellen Buchanan [2022] NSWSC 1628

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Eva Joy Ambrus v Lee Ellen Buchanan [2022] NSWSC 1628 Hearing dates: 21-23 November 2022 (3 days) Date of orders: 29 November 2022 Decision date: 29 November 2022 Jurisdiction: Equity - Real Property List Before: Williams J Decision: See paragraph [130] Catchwords: REAL PROPERTY – co-ownership – application for appointment of trustees for sale pursuant to s 66G of the Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW) – where defendants oppose appointment of trustees on grounds of hardship or unfairness and also rely on promissory estoppel, alleged breach of fiduciary duty and alleged unconscionability – where land is owned by 13 co-owners as tenants in common and plaintiff holds a 1/56th share – where co-owners adopted a practice of occupying different areas of the land and independently improved those areas without any planning approvals – mere hardship or unfairness not a basis to refuse application – no other basis for refusal of s 66G order established – orders made appointing trustees for sale Legislation Cited: Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW), ss 66F, 66G Cases Cited: Eaton v Rare Nominees Pty Ltd [2019] 2 Qd R 222; (2019) 373 ALR 386; [2019] QCA 190 Ferella v Official Trustee in Bankruptcy [2015] NSWCA 411 Forgeard v Shanahan (1994) 35 NSWLR 206 Foundas v Arambatzis [2020] NSWCA 47 Hogan v Baseden (1997) 8 BPR 15,723 Hospital Products Ltd v United States Surgical Corporation (1984) 156 CLR 41; [1984] HCA 64 John Alexander's Clubs Pty Ltd v White City Tennis Club Ltd (2010) 241 CLR 1; [2010] HCA 19 Kardos v Sarbutt (No. 2) [2006] NSWCA 206 Maio v Sacco [2009] NSWSC 413 O'Dea v O'Dea [2019] NSWSC 1560 Pascoe v Dyason [2011] NSWSC 1217 Ryan v Dries (2002) 10 BPR 19,497; [2002] NSWCA 3 Stubbings v James 2 Pty Ltd (2022) 399 ALR 409; [2022] HCA 6 Thistleton v Thistleton [2022] NSWSC 101 Tory v Tory [2007] NSWSC 1078 Vacation Club Ltd v A GG Properties Pty Ltd (2019) 19 BPR 39,799; [2019] NSWSC 1357 Waltons Stores (Interstate) Ltd v Maher (1988) 164 CLR 387 Williams v Legg (1993) 29 NSWLR 687 Woodson (Sales) Pty Ltd v Woodson (Australia) Pty Ltd (1996) 7 BPR 14,685 Texts Cited: S Gageler in "Expansion of the Fiduciary Paradigm into Commercial Relationships: The Australian Experience" in P Devonshire and R Havelock (eds), The Impact of Equity and Restitution in Commerce (Hart Publishing, Oxford, 2018) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Eva Joy Ambrus (Plaintiff) Lee Ellen Buchanan (First Defendant) Rudolf Ernst Thaesler (Second Defendant) Erin Frances Donkin (Third Defendant) Sharon Elizabeth Boyd (Fourth Defendant) Willow Hallgren (Fifth Defendant) Courtney Donkin (Sixth Defendant) Michael Wayne Donkin (Seventh Defendant) Earthwands Pty Limited (Eighth Defendant) Caitlin Donkin (Ninth Defendant) Barbara Straker (Tenth Defendant) Ian James McQueen (Eleventh Defendant) Michael David McQueen (Twelfth Defendant) Representation: Counsel: D. Hand (Plaintiff) P.G. Smart (First to Twelfth Defendants)