NSW Trustee and Guardian v Matthews [2024] NSWSC 595

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: NSW Trustee and Guardian v Matthews [2024] NSWSC 595 Hearing dates: 16 May 2024 Date of orders: 16 May 2024 Decision date: 16 May 2024 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Meek J Decision: Determination that the remainder interest of the deceased's estate ought to be distributed on the basis of an intestacy. Catchwords: JUDICIAL ADVICE — Discussion of nature of judicial advice — Discussion of ability of Court to expeditiously transform proceedings from a private advice application to a contested application binding all relevant interested parties, conducive to the just, quick and cheap disposition of the real issues between them WILL CONSTRUCTION — Identification of appropriate approach to Will construction — Discussion of guides to Will construction, including grammar and sentence structure WILL CONSTRUCTION — Last nominated remainder beneficiary predeceases the life tenant on the same day — Issue regarding successive interests and when the remainder interests vest — Held that the disputed clause which included a phrase "as shall be living at the date of death" in context to be construed as creating a survivorship condition that one or more of the remainder beneficiaries be living at the time of death of the life tenant, not merely at the date of the death of the life tenant WORDS — "date" RECKONING OF TIME — The law does not in general recognise fractions of a day — However, the law will have regard to parts of a day where it is necessary for the purposes of the decision to establish a sequence of events Legislation Cited: Administration of Estates Act 1954 (NSW) Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW) Trustee Act 1925 (NSW) Wills, Probate and Administration Act 1898 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) Cases Cited: Bassett v Bassett (2003) 58 NSWLR 258; [2003] NSWSC 691 Campbell v Strangeways (1877) 3 CPD 105 Combe v Pitt (1763) 3 Burr 1423; 97 ER 907 Cooper v Chief Commissioner of Land Tax (NSW) (1988) 12 NSWLR 660 Coorey v George (Supreme Court (NSW), Powell J, 27 February 1986, unrep) De Lorenzo v De Lorenzo (2020) 104 NSWLR 155; [2020] NSWCA 351 Fairbairn v Varvaressos (2010) 78 NSWLR 577; [2010] NSWCA 234 Fell v Fell (1922) 31 CLR 268; [1922] HCA 55 Gibb-Maitland v Perpetual Executors Trustee & Agency Co (WA) Ltd (1947) 74 CLR 579; [1947] HCA 35 Knight v Knight (1912) 14 CLR 86; [1912] HCA 36 La Forrest v Ford [2002] 2 Qd R 44; [2001] QCA 455 Life Insurance Co of Australia Ltd v Phillips (1925) 36 CLR 60; [1925] HCA 18 Macedonian Orthodox Community Church St Petka Inc v His Eminence Petar the Diocesan Bishop of the Macedonian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand (2008) 237 CLR 66; [2008] HCA 42 McLean v The Public Trust [2019] NZCA 449 Middleton v Schofield [2022] NSWSC 1454 Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v SZVFW (2018) 264 CLR 541; [2018] HCA 30 Muir v Winn [2009] NSWSC 857 Perpetual Trustee Co Ltd v Wright (1987) 9 NSWLR 18 Perrin v Morgan [1943] AC 399 Prowse v McIntyre (1961) 111 CLR 264; [1961] HCA 79 R v O'Brien; Ex parte Dalmatia Gold Mining Co Ltd (1880) 6 VLR (L) 429 Re Byrne, deceased [1967] VR 96 Re Dawson [1987] 1 NZLR 580 Re Estate Late Chow Cho-Poon; Application for judicial advice [2013] NSWSC 844; (2013) 10 ASTLR 251 Re Gaffney [1961] VR 682 Re Michell (deceased) (1971) 2 SASR 312 Re Selby (deceased) [1952] VLR 273 Re Smith's Trusts (1878) 9 Ch D 117 Reeves v Reeves [2024] NSWSC 134 Robertson v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1952) 86 CLR 463; [1952] HCA 71 Sturgess v Pearson (1819) 4 Madd 411; 56 ER 757 Texts Cited: Dal Pont, G E, Interpretation of Testamentary Documents (2019, LexisNexis Butterworths) Haines QC, David M, Construction of Wills in Australia (2007, LexisNexis Butterworths) Herzfeld, Perry and Thomas Prince, Interpretation (2nd ed, 2020, Lawbook Co) Kerridge, Roger (assisted by A H R Brierley), Parry and Kerridge: The Law of Succession (12th ed, 2009, Sweet & Maxwell) Meek J, "Will Construction" (Paper), NSW Bar Association Succession and Elder Law Committee, 22 March 2023 Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (6th ed, 2007, Oxford University Press) The Macquarie Dictionary (revised ed, 1985, Macquarie Library Pty Ltd) Category: Principal judgment Parties: NSW Trustee and Guardian (Plaintiff) Christina Majella Matthews (First Defendant) Timothy James Askew (Second Defendant) Elizabeth Drover (Third Defendant) Sister Karon Donnellon (Fourth Defendant) Representation: Counsel: C Birtles (Plaintiff) J Brown (First, Second and Third Defendants) P Wiggins (Fourth Defendant)