Ian Arthur Reinhard v Robyn Lynette Denkel [2024] NSWSC 925

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Ian Arthur Reinhard v Robyn Lynette Denkel [2024] NSWSC 925 Hearing dates: 27 June, 2 and 26 July 2024 Date of orders: 31 July 2024 Decision date: 31 July 2024 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Williams J Decision: See orders at [73]. Catchwords: SUCCESSION – wills – application under s 86A of the Trustee Act 1925 (NSW) for approval of arrangement to vary testamentary trusts created by will dated 1925 by bringing forward the vesting date which would otherwise occur in 2034 – Held: arrangement approved. SUCCESSION – wills – construction – whether reference to "child" and "children" in will made in 1925 included adopted child or children. Legislation Cited: Adoption Act 2000 (NSW) ss 5, 98, sch 3 Adoption of Children Act 1965 (NSW) ss 5, 35, 36 Child Welfare Act 1923 (NSW) s 127 Child Welfare Act 1939 (NSW) s 168 Trustee Act 1925 (NSW) ss 81, 86A, 86B, 86C, div 3A Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) r 6.24(1) Cases Cited: Campbell v Campbell [2022] NSWSC 554 Cisera v Cisera [2023] NSWSC 1507 Coote v Clarke [2007] WASC 97 Farrelly v Phillips (2017) 128 SASR 502; [2017] SASCFC 111 Fell v Fell (1922) 31 CLR 268; [1922] HCA 55 Harris v Ashdown (1985) 3 NSWLR 193 In Re Plator Nominees [2012] VSC 284 John Alexander's Clubs Pty Ltd v White City Tennis Club Ltd (2010) 241 CLR 1; [2010] HCA 19 Marley v Rawlings [2015] AC 129; [2014] UKSC 2 Perpetual Trustees Victoria Ltd v Barns (2012) 34 VR 387; [2012] VSCA 77 Reinhard v Bell [2015] NSWSC 818 Re PDC [2021] NSWSC 1701 Wright v Stevens [2018] NSWSC 548 Texts Cited: P Herzfeld and T Prince, Interpretation (2nd ed, 2020, Thomson Reuters) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Ian Arthur Reinhard as Trustee of the Estate of the late William Gotlett Reinhard (First Plaintiff) Warren Reinhard as Trustee of the Estate of the late William Gotlett Reinhard (Second Plaintiff) Robyn Lynette Denkel (First Defendant) Adrian Brett Johnson (Second Defendant) Denise Lorraine McConnell (Third Defendant) Bradley John Reinhard (Fourth Defendant) Glenn Francis Reinhard (Fifth Defendant) Murry Frederick Reinhard (Sixth Defendant) Andrew William Reinhard (Seventh Defendant) Ronald Joseph Reinhard (Eighth Defendant) Ann Elizabeth Gilberthorpe (Nineth Defendant) Garry John Reinhard (Tenth Defendant) Janice Kaye Lithgow (Eleventh Defendant) John Richard Trowell (Twelfth Defendant) Malcolm Graham Trowell (Thirteenth Defendant) Maureen Frances Lavina Bell (Fourteenth Defendant) Debbra Ann Bell (Fifteenth Defendant) Allan William Bell (Sixteenth Defendant) James Herbert Bell (Seventeenth Defendant) Gae Parmenter (Applicant for Joinder) Representation: Counsel: Ms G Mahony SC with Ms A Merrett (Plaintiffs) Mr W Burke (Solicitor) (Defendants) Mr P Bolster (Applicant for Joinder)