O’Brien v Grabowski; Airvest Pty Ltd v O’Brien [2024] NSWSC 692

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: O'Brien v Grabowski; Airvest Pty Ltd v O'Brien [2024] NSWSC 692 Hearing dates: 04, 05 June 2024 Decision date: 06 June 2024 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Peden J Decision: Proceedings 2023/00099474: (1) Statement of claim dismissed. (2) Plaintiff to pay the defendant's costs as agreed or assessed. Proceedings 2024/00165274: (1) Order the defendants, as administrators of the deceased estate of Elizabeth Maree O'Brien, repay the plaintiff the sum of $749,639.91; (2) Defendants to pay the plaintiff's costs as agreed or assessed. (3) Order, by consent, that the defendants, as administrators of the deceased estate of Elizabeth Maree O'Brien, repay the plaintiff the sum of $23,976.84. Catchwords: CONTRACTS — Formation — Agreement —Whether money advanced pursuant to an oral loan agreement, or as a gift or trust distribution ESTOPPEL — Proprietary estoppel — Encouragement — Nature of promise — Whether daughter induced assumption that father would obtain life interest SUCCESSION — Family provision — Intestate estate — Claim by father of deceased — Whether inadequate and improper provision made and, if so, the nature and quantum of the provision to be made Legislation Cited: Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW) s 54A Succession Act 2006 (NSW) ss 57, 59, 60 128 Cases Cited: Blendell v Blendell [2020] NSWCA 154 Chapple v Wilcox (2014) 87 NSWLR 646 DJ Singh v DH Singh [2018] NSWCA 30 Georgopoulos v Tsiokanis [2022] NSWSC 563 Giumelli v Giumelli (1999) 196 CLR 101 Horn v GA & RJ Horn Pty Ltd [2022] NSWSC 1519 Li v Tao [2023] NSWCA 310 Lloyd-Williams v Mayfield (2005) 63 NSWLR 1 Lodin v Lodin [2017] NSWCA 327 Maddison v Alderson (1883) 8 App Cas 467 Mayfield v Lloyd-Williams [2004] NSWSC 419 MCI WorldCom International Inc v Primus Telecommunications Inc [2004] 2 All ER (Comm) 833 Pipikos v Trayans (2018) 265 CLR 522 Q (a pseudonym) v E Co (a pseudonym) [2020] NSWCA 220 Reeves v Reeves [2024] NSWSC 134 Shymko v Lach [2022] NSWSC 1096 Strang v Steiner [2019] NSWCA 143 Stone v Stone [2019] NSWSC 233 Sullivan v Sullivan [2006] NSWCA 312 Tarbes v Taleb [2023] NSWSC 565 Verzar v Verzar [2012] NSWSC 1380 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Proceedings 2023/00099474 Michael James O'Brien (Plaintiff) Lyn Maree Grabowski (Defendant)