Oliver v Renwick Street Pty Ltd; Scahill v Parker [2024] NSWSC 346

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Oliver v Renwick Street Pty Ltd; Scahill v Parker [2024] NSWSC 346 Hearing dates: 4, 5 and 6 March 2024 Date of orders: 4 April 2024 Decision date: 04 April 2024 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Hmelnitsky J Decision: In proceedings 2021/00264886: (1) Declare that the second defendant holds the Wedderburn property subject to a resulting trust in favour of the plaintiff as to 31.75% as an equitable tenant in common. (2) Otherwise dismiss the amended summons filed 2 February 2022. (3) Dismiss the cross-claim. (4) The first defendant to pay the plaintiff's costs of the proceedings. In proceedings 2022/00052316: (1) Proceedings dismissed with costs. Catchwords: EQUITY — Trusts and trustees — Resulting trusts — Purchase money trusts – Where purchase price was paid using the funds obtained from a loan which was eventually paid by the legal owner EQUITY — Trusts and trustees — Express trusts — Declaration of trust – Where there was no writing EQUITY — Trusts and trustees — Express trusts — Declaration of trust over land – Writing requirement - Whether an affidavit sworn in the proceedings in which satisfaction of the writing requirement is in issue can constitute sufficient compliance with s 23C of the Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW) ESTOPPEL — Proprietary estoppel — Encouragement — Detrimental reliance – Whether sufficient evidence that circumstances amounted to detrimental reliance – Whether remedy would be proportional to detriment suffered. EQUITY — Subrogation — Requirements – Where mortgage not yet discharged – Whether a declaration should be made that a third party has a right to be subrogated to the position of the mortgagee once discharge has occurred – Where there is no evidence that funds were intended to be repaid – Where there was no expectation of subrogation CONTRACTS — Performance — Discharge by performance – Whether the confiscation of money paid in satisfaction of a loan agreement "revives" the repayment obligation under the loan agreement. Legislation Cited: Agricultural Holdings Act 1941 (NSW) Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW) ss 23C, 37A Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) s 3F Criminal Assets Recovery Act 1990 (NSW) ss 10A, 12 Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) s 136 Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Cth) ss 5, 19, 38, 39 Property Law Act 1969 (WA) s 34 Property Law Act 1974 (Qld) s 11 Statute of Frauds 1677 (UK) Cases Cited: Aged Care Services Pty Ltd v Kanning Services Pty Ltd (2013) 86 NSWLR 174; [2013] NSWCA 393 Ambridge Investments Pty Ltd (in liquidation) v Baker [2010] VSC 59 Barkworth v Young (1856) 26 LJ Ch 153 Bofinger v Kingsway Group Ltd (2009) 239 CLR 269; [2009] HCA 44 Bosanac v Commissioner of Taxation (2022) 2754 CLR 37; [2022] HCA 34 Byrnes v Kendle (2011) 243 CLR 253; [2011] HCA 26 Calverley v Green (1984) 155 CLR 242; [1984] HCA 81 Cheltenham & Gloucester Plc v Appleyard [2004] EWCA Civ 291 Ciaglia v Ciaglia [2010] NSWSC 341 Cochrane v Cochrane (1985) 3 NSWLR 403 Delaforce v Simpson-Cook (2010) 78 NSWLR 483; [2010] NSWCA 84 Draper v Official Trustee in Bankruptcy (2006) 156 FCR 53; [2006] FCAFC 157 Dudgeon v Chie (1954) 55 SR (NSW) 450 Equuscorp Pty Ltd v Jiminez [2002] SASC 225 Fletcher v Burns (1997) 12 BPR 22937 Giumelli v Giumelli (1999) 196 CLR 101; [1999] HCA 10 Kelly v Commissioner of Taxation [2012] FCA 423 Kelly v Federal Commissioner of Taxation [2013] FCAFC 88 Korda v Australian Executor Trustees (SA) Limited (2015) 255 CLR 62; [2015] HCA 6 Lucas v Dixon (1889) 22 QBD 357 Michael Aronis & Aronis Nominees Pty Ltd (trading as Welland Tyrepower) v Hallett Brick Industries Ltd [1999] SASC 92 Moore v Aubusson [2020] NSWSC 1466 Nguyen v Sage Consultant Group Pty Ltd; Dang v Nguyen [2021] NSWSC 753 Northwestern Shipping & Towage Co Pty Ltd v Commonwealth Bank of Australia (1993) 118 ALR 453 Padovan and anor v MGG Group Pty Ltd (in liq) [2011] NSWSC 1080 Popiw v Popiw [1959] VR 197 Priestley v Priestley [2017] NSWCA 155 Re Romer & Haslam [1893] 2 QB 286 Scahill v DPP (Cth) [2019] NSWCCA 190 Secretary, Department of Social Security v James (1990) 95 ALR 615 Sidhu v Van Dyke (2014) 251 CLR 505; [2014] HCA 19 South Coast Oils (Q and NSW) Pty Ltd v Look Enterprises Pty Ltd [1988] 1 Qd R 680 State Bank of New South Wales v Geeport Developments Pty Ltd (1991) 5 BPR 11 The Commonwealth v Verwayen (1990) 170 CLR 394; [1990] HCA 39 Travelex Ltd v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (2010) 241 CLR 510; [2010] HCA 33 Texts Cited: Goode on Payment Obligations in Commercial and Financial Transactions (3rd Ed, 2016, Sweet & Maxwell) Jacobs' Law of Trusts in Australia (8th ed, 2016, LexisNexis) Tyree, Banking Law in Australia (10th Ed, 2021, LexisNexis) Category: Principal judgment Parties: 2021/00264886: Siobhan Oliver (Plaintiff, Second Cross-defendant) Renwick Street Pty Ltd (First Defendant, Cross-claimant) Anthony Parker (Second Defendant, First Cross-defendant)