Re Estate Kleinlehrer, Deceased [2024] NSWSC 648

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Re Estate Kleinlehrer, Deceased [2024] NSWSC 648 Hearing dates: 10, 24 and 29 April; 1 May 2024 Decision date: 29 May 2024 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Lindsay J Decision: An application of an intermeddling nominated executor for leave to renounce probate granted and a grant of probate made in favour of his co-executor (also an intermeddler). Catchwords: SUCCESSION – Probate and Administration – Renunciation – Intermeddling Executor – Grant of Leave to renounce probate not a release of any liability arising from intermeddling – Nature of liability of executor de son tort. Legislation Cited: Court of Probate Act 1857 UK Legal Profession Uniform Conduct (Barristers) Rules 2015 NSW Probate and Administration Act 1898 NSW Supreme Court Rules 1970 NSW Succession Act 2006 NSW Trustee Act 1925 NSW Cases Cited: Armitage v Nurse [1998] Ch 241 Griffin v Coe [2012] NSWSC 412 Howling v Kristofferson (Supreme Court of NSW, Cohen J, 14 October 1992, unreported) BC 9201556 In re Blow [1914] 1 Ch 233 In re Gale (1883) 22 ChD 820 In re Stevens [1897] 1 Ch 422 In re Stevens [1898] 1 Ch 162 In the Goods of Badenach (1864) 3 Sw&Tr 465; 164 ER 1355 In the Goods of Honoria Fitzpatrick (1892) 29 LR (Ir) 328 In the Will of Lyndon [1960] VR 112 JD & KZ Zohs Properties Pty Ltd v Ferme [2015] SASC 55 Lacons v Warmell [1907] 2 KB 350 Levy v Kum Chah (1936) 56 CLR 159 Lowry v Fulton (1839) 9 Sim 104; 59 ER 298 McKerracher v McKerracher [2011] NSWSC 1288 McLean v Burns Philp Trustee Co Pty Ltd (1985) 2 NSWLR 623 Mulray v Ogilvie (1987) 9 NSWLR 1 National Trustees Executors and Agency Co of Australasia Limited v Dwyer (1940) 63 CLR 1 Orr v Newton (1791) 2 Cox 274; 30 ER 127 Profilio v Profilio [1999] NSWSC 657 Re Burstyner [2021] VSC 531 Re Estate of Abat, Deceased [2020] VSC 560 Re Estate of Daphne Lillian May Thurston [2001] NSWSC 144 Re Kay [1897] 2 Ch 518 Re Lim [2020] NSWSC 322; 20 ASTLR 158 Re Orloff [2010] VSC 48; 3 ASTLR 260 Riccardi v Riccardi [2013] NSWSC 1655 Robinson v Pett (1734) 3P.WMS.249; 22 ER 1049 Thorne v Kerr (1855) 2 K&J 54; 69 ER 691 University of Adelaide v Attorney General (SA) [2018] SASC 82; (2018) 18 ASTLR 11 Texts Cited: Archie J Rabinowitz, "Plene Administravit: Obscure but not Obsolete" (2009) 28 Estates, Trusts & Pensions Journal 110 FC Hutley "The Executor De Son Tort in the Law of New South Wales" (1952) 25 ALJ 716 GE Dal Pont, Law of Succession (Lexis Nexis, Australia, 3rd ed, 2021) GL Certoma, The Law of Succession in New South Wales (Lawbook Co, 4th ed, 2010) Hutley, Woodman & Wood, Succession: Commentary and Materials (Lawbook Co, Sydney, 4th ed, 1990) JD Heydon and MJ Leeming, Jacobs' Law of Trusts in Australia (LexisNexis Butterworths, Australia, 8th ed, 2016) Joseph Warren, Problems in Probate and Administration (1918-1919) 32 Harvard Law Review 315 LS Sealy, "Fiduciary Relationships" (1962) 69 Cambridge Law Journal 69. Osborn's Concise Law Dictionary (Sweet & Maxwell, London, 10th ed, 2005) Paul Finn, Fiduciary Obligations (Lawbook Co, 1st ed, 1977; Federation Press, Republication, 2016) Perram J, "The [Origins] and Present Operation of the Action in Devastavit" [2012] (FCA) FedJSchol [Federal Judicial Scholarship] 23 Queensland Law Reform Commission (Report No 65, April 2009) Sir Francis Buller, Introduction to the Law Relative to Trials at Nisi Prius (London, 7th ed, 1817) Stephen Janes, David Liebhold and Paul Studdert (Edes), Wills, Probate and Administration Law in New South Wales (Lawbook Co, Sydney, 2nd ed, 2020) T Wentworth, The Office and Duty of Executors (J & WT Clarke London,1829) EV Williams, Treatise on the Law of Executors and Administrators (Stevens, London, 1841) Williams on Executors (Stevens, London, 8th ed, 1879) Williams, Mortimer & Sunnucks on Executors, Administrators and Probate (Sweet & Maxwell London, 21st ed, 2018) WS Holdsworth and CW Vickers, The Law of Succession: Testamentary and Intestate (Oxford, 1899) Category: Procedural rulings Parties: First Plaintiff: Bill Loukas Second Plaintiff: Lorelle Gay Klaare Interested Party: The Emmanuel School Representation: Counsel: