van Camp v Bellahealth Pty Ltd [2024] NSWSC 7

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: van Camp v Bellahealth Pty Ltd [2024] NSWSC 7 Hearing dates: 1, 2, 3 and 4 May 2023 Date of orders: 22 January 2024 Decision date: 22 January 2024 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Henry J Decision: See [280] Catchwords: EQUITY — superannuation fund — death benefits — where member of self-managed superannuation fund signed binding death benefit nomination on day of death nominating de facto partner as beneficiary — whether binding death benefit nomination valid and binding — capacity — assessment of member's mental capacity — where member had ill-health, hospitalised and administered opioids — unconscionable conduct — whether special disadvantage — whether notice of special disadvantage — whether donee took advantage of special disadvantage — whether transaction was improvident — held that member did not lack capacity and transaction not unconscionable Legislation Cited: Succession Act 2006 (NSW) Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 (Cth) Cases Cited: A v N [2012] NSWSC 354 Attorney-General (NSW) v World Best Holdings Ltd (2005) 63 NSWLR 557; [2005] NSWCA 261 Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Kobelt (2019) 267 CLR 1; [2019] HCA 18 Blomley v Ryan (1956) 99 CLR 362; [1956] HCA 81 Bridgewater v Leahy (1998) 194 CLR 457; [1998] HCA 66 Collins v May [2000] WASC 29 Commercial Bank Australia Limited v Amadio (1983) 151 CLR 447; [1983] HCA 14 Drivas v Jakopovic [2019] NSWCA 218 Gibbons v Wright (1954) 91 CLR 423; [1954] HCA 17 Guthrie v Spence (2009) 78 NSWLR 225; [2009] NSWCA 369 Hanna v Raoul [2018] NSWCA 201 Hill v Zuda Pty Ltd (2022) 275 CLR 24; [2022] HCA 21 Johnson v Smith [2010] NSWCA 306 Kakavas v Crown Melbourne Ltd (2013) 250 CLR 392; [2013] HCA 25 Landers v Landers (1914) 19 CLR 222; [1914] HCA 74 Louth v Diprose (1992) 175 CLR 621; [1992] HCA 61 Mentink v Olsen [2020] NSWCA 182 Murphy v Doman (2003) 58 NSWLR 51; [2003] NSWCA 249 Nitopi v Nitopi (2022) 109 NSWLR 390; [2022] NSWCA 162 Paciocco v Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (2016) 258 CLR 525; [2016] HCA 28 Parker v Felgate (1883) LR 8 PD 171 Scott v Scott [2012] NSWSC 1541 Szozda v Szozda [2010] NSWSC 804 Stubbings v Jams 2 Pty Ltd [2022] HCA 6; 96 ALJR 271 Thorne v Kennedy (2017) 262 CLR 85; [2017] HCA 49 Turner v Windeyer [2003] NSWSC 1147 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Lindy van Camp (Plaintiff/Cross-Defendant) Bellahealth Pty Ltd (First Defendant/First Cross-Claimant) Walter Nespolon (Second Defendant/Third Cross-Claimant) James Dickson (Third Defendant/Second Cross-Claimant) Representation: Counsel: D. C. Price (Plaintiff) C. P. Birtles (Defendants)