Smith v Central Coast Council [2024] NSWSC 981

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Smith v Central Coast Council [2024] NSWSC 981 Hearing dates: 29-30 July 2024 Decision date: 08 August 2024 Jurisdiction: Equity - Real Property List Before: Peden J Decision: See [66] Catchwords: LAND LAW — Adverse possession — Possessory application over Torrens title land ­­— Where the plaintiff seeks a declaration that he is the rightful owner of part of the defendants' rural land by reason of adverse possession for more than 40 years — Whether the acts of the plaintiff and his predecessors in title establish factual possession and intention to possess Legislation Cited: Imperial Act Adoption Act 1837 (NSW) (repealed) Limitation Act 1969 (NSW) Public Roads Act 1902 (NSW) Public Roads Act 1897 (NSW) ss 4-5, 7, 19 Real Estate (Limitation of Actions) Act 1837 (NSW) (repealed) ss 17, 34 Real Property Act 1900 (NSW) ss 28U(2), 45C(2), 45D(2) Roads Act 1993 (NSW) Roads and Streets Act 1833 (NSW) ss 1-3, 16, 17 Cases Cited: Australian Retirement Holdings Pty Ltd v Tracey Anne Higgins in her capacity as administrator of the estate of the late Monica Mary Pritchard [2021] NSWSC 1158 Braye v Tarnawskyj [2019] NSWSC 277 Clement v Jones (1909) 8 CLR 133 Cooke v Dunn (1998) 9 BPR 16,489 Powell v McFarlane (1979) 38 P & CR 452 Riley v Penttila [1974] VR 547 Rogers v Registrar General of NSW [2024] NSWSC 590 Sidoti v Hardy (2021) 105 NSWLR 1 Whittlesea City Council v Abbatangelo [2009] VSCA 188 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Kenneth Linton Smith (Plaintiff) Central Coast Council (First Defendant) David John Evans (Second Defendant) Carolyn Anne Evans (Third Defendant) Representation: Counsel: M Maconachie, M Summerhayes (Plaintiff) L Chan (Second and Third Defendants)