Wilcox v Chapple [2024] NSWSC 1394

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Wilcox v Chapple [2024] NSWSC 1394 Hearing dates: 12 – 15 August 2024; 29 August 2024 Date of orders: 5 November 2024 Decision date: 05 November 2024 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Ward P Decision: In both proceedings 2021/59314 and 2023/168649: 1. Dismiss the proceedings with costs (reserving the question whether there should be an indemnity costs order). 2. Direct the defendants to file and serve within 14 days any submissions in support of an application for indemnity costs. 3. Direct the plaintiff to file and serve within 14 days thereafter any submissions opposing any application for indemnity costs. 4. Direct the defendants to file and serve any brief reply submissions within 7 days of receipt of the plaintiff's submissions. 5. Note that any application for indemnity costs will be determined on the papers. Catchwords: EQUITY – Trusts – Where plaintiff alleges that rural properties in Walgett are held on express trust for the benefit of himself and the fourth defendant – Where trust established in 1962 over a monetary sum for the benefit of plaintiff's mother – Whether properties held on same trust – Where plaintiff alleges various conversations regarding the fact of the properties being held on trust – Where plaintiff's claim fails on its merits – Where plaintiff's claims have been released – Where plaintiff is estopped by issue estoppel and Anshun estoppel SUCCESSION – Family provision – Claim by plaintiff for provision from stepfather's estate – Where plaintiff is not an eligible person – Where no factors warrant the grant of provision – Where lack of provision justifiable in circumstances of estrangement – Where adult stepchild not a natural object of testamentary intention Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), ss 56, 58, 62, 64 Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), s 135 Equity Act 1880 (NSW) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), s 131(1)(a) Family Law Act 1975 (Cth), ss 114S, 114Q Jurisdiction of Courts (Cross-Vesting) Act 1987 (NSW) Limitation Act 1969 (NSW), s 47 New South Wales Act 1823 (4 Geo IV c 96), s 9 Succession Act 2006 (NSW), ss 57, 59, 60, 63, 95, 96, Ch 3 Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), ss 22, 75A, 101 Supreme Court of Judicature Act 1873 (36 & 37 Vict c 66) Trustee Act 1925 (NSW), s 63 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), rr 34.1, Pt 36.15 Cases Cited: Achurch v The Queen (2014) 253 CLR 141; [2014] HCA 10 Aon Risk Services Australia Ltd v Australian National University (2009) 239 CLR 175; [2009] HCA 27 Armitage v Nurse [1997] EWCA Civ 1279 Barrett Property Group Pty Ltd v Dennis Family Homes Pty Ltd (No 2) [2011] FCA 276 Blair & Perpetual Trustee Co Ltd v Curran (Adam's will) (1939) 62 CLR 464; [1939] HCA 23 Bosch v Perpetual Trustee Company [1938] AC 463 Brimaud v Honeysett Instant Print Pty Ltd (1988) 217 ALR 44 Burnham v City of Mordialloc [1956] VLR 239 Chamberlain v Deputy Commissioner of Taxation (1988) 164 CLR 502; [1988] HCA 21 Champerslife Pty Ltd v Manojlovski (2010) 75 NSWLR 245; [2010] NSWCA 33 Chapple v Wilcox [2014] NSWCA 392 Clone Pty Ltd v Players Pty Ltd (In liq) (2018) 264 CLR 165; [2018] HCA 12 Coles v Burke (1987) 10 NSWLR 429 Cong v Shen (No 3) [2021] NSWSC 947 Coshott v Burke [2013] FCA 513 CSR Ltd v Amaca Pty Ltd (2016) 62 VR 359 D'Orta-Ekenaike v Victoria Legal Aid (2005) 223 CLR 1; [2005] HCA 12 Daley v Donaldson [2022] NSWCA 96 Derry v Peek [1889] UKHL 1 Douglas v Mikhael [2024] NSWCA 89 Farrow Mortgage Services Pty Ltd v Hogg (1995) 64 SASR 450 Fidelitas Shipping Co Ltd v V/O Exportchleb [1966] 1 QB 630 Field v Commissioner for Railways (NSW) (1957) 99 CLR 285; [1957] HCA 92 Foundas v Arambatzis (2022) 109 NSWLR 73; [2022] NSWCA 113 Fysh v Page (1956) 96 CLR 233; [1956] HCA 13 Galafassi v Kelly (2014) 87 NSWLR 119; [2014] NSWCA 190 Gamser v Nominal Defendant (1977) 136 CLR 145; [1977] HCA 7 GPI Leisure Corporation Ltd (in liq) v Yuill (1997) 42 NSWLR 225 Grant v John Grant (1954) 91 CLR 112; [1954] HCA 23 Green v Gaul [2006] EWCA Civ 1124; [2007] 1 WLR 591 Habib v Radio 2UE Sydney Pty Ltd [2009] NSWCA 231 Harrison v Schipp (2002) 54 NSWLR 612; [2002] NSWCA 78 Harvey v John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd [2005] NSWCA 255 Henderson v Henderson (1843) 3 Hare 100 Hunter v Hunter (1987) 8 NSWLR 573 In re Loftus (dec'd) [2005] EWHC 406 In re Pauling's Settlement Trusts, Younghusband and others v Coutts & Co [1964] Ch 393 In re St Nazaire Co (1879) 12 Ch D 88 Kuligowski v Metrobus (2004) 220 CLR 363; [2004] HCA 34 Leary v NSW Trustee and Guardian [2017] NSWSC 1113 Liu v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd [2012] NSWSC 1352 McDonald v McDonald (1965) 113 CLR 529; [1965] HCA 45 McKenzie v Topp [2004] VSC 90 Murphy v Abi-Saab (1995) 37 NSWLR 280 Nashco Pty Ltd v Yang [2022] NSWCA 137 Nicholls v Carpenter [1974] 1 NSWLR 369 Orr v Ford (1989) 167 CLR 316; [1989] HCA 4 Plunkett v Bull (1915) 19 CLR 544; [1915] HCA 14 Port of Melbourne Authority v Anshun Pty Ltd (1981) 147 CLR 589; [1981] HCA 45 Ramsay v Pigram (1968) 118 CLR 271; [1968] HCA 34 Re Dick [1953] Ch 343 Richards v Cornfed (No 3) [2010] NSWCA 134 Russell v NSW Trustee and Guardian [2013] NSWSC 370 Sarant v Sarant [2020] NSWSC 1686 Seven Network Ltd v News Ltd [2006] FCA 343 Sgro v Thompson [2017] NSWCA 326 Smith v NSW Bar Association (No 2) (1992) 176 CLR 256 Spata v Tumino (2018) 95 NSWLR 706; [2018] NSWCA 17 Spies v Commonwealth Bank (1991) 24 NSWLR 691 Stone v Stone [2016] NSWSC 605 Sze Tu v Lowe (2014) 89 NSWLR 317; [2014] NSWCA 462 Tamaya Resources Limited (in liq) v Deloitte Touch Tohmatsu (A Firm), in the matter of Tamaya Resources Limited (in liq) [2015] FCA 1098 The Public Trustee v Mullane (Supreme Court of NSW, 12 June 1992, unreported) Thoday v Thoday [1964] 1 All ER 341; [1964] 2 WLR 371 Tomlinson v Ramsey Food Processing Pty Ltd (2015) 256 CLR 507; [2015] HCA 28 Trevelyan v Charter (1835) 4 LJ (NS) Ch 209 Trustee for the Salvation Army (NSW) Property Trust & Anor v Becker & Anor [2007] NSWCA 136 Vatcher v Paull [1915] AC 372 Vigolo v Bostin (2005) 221 CLR 191; [2005] HCA 11 Watson v Foxman (1995) 49 NSWLR 315 Wentworth v Rogers (No 5) (1986) 6 NSWLR 534 White v Overland [2001] FCA 1333 Wilcox v Chapple (No 2) [2021] NSWSC 1607 Wilcox v Chapple [2015] NSWSC 2154 Wilcox v Chapple [2020] NSWSC 1859 Wilcox v Chapple [2021] NSWSC 860 Wilcox v Chapple [2024] NSWSC 82 Wilcox v Wilcox (No 2) [2014] NSWSC 88 Wilcox v Wilcox (No 3) (Supreme Court (NSW), Pembroke J, 17 April 2014, unreported) Wilcox v Wilcox [2012] NSWSC 1138 Wilcox v Wilcox [2019] NSWSC 306 Texts Cited: J D Heydon and M Leeming, Jacobs' Law of Trusts in Australia (8th ed, 2016, LexisNexis) M Leeming, 'Fusion-Fission-Fusion: Pre-Judicature Equity Jurisdiction in New South Wales 1824-1972' in J Goldberg et al (eds), Equity and Law: Fusion and Fission (Cambridge University Press, 2019) N Seddon, Seddon on Deeds (2nd ed, 2022, Federation Press) S Janes et al, Wills, Probate and Administration Law in New South Wales (2nd ed, 2020, Thomson Reuters) The Hon. P Keane, Spencer, Bower and Handley: Res Judicata (6th ed, 2024, LexisNexis) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Robert William Wilcox (Plaintiff) John Francis Chapple (First Defendant) Lorraine Monique Wye (Second Defendant) Sanderson Estates Pty Ltd (Receivers & Managers Appointed) (Third Defendant) Benjamin Ian Alexander Wilcox (Fourth Defendant) Representation: Counsel: D Wilson (Plaintiff) (Solicitor) P Afshar (First Defendant) TE O'Brien (Second Defendant) B Koch (Third Defendant)