Armstrong v CBA [1999] NSWSC 588

Reported Decision : [1999] 9 BPR 17,035 [2000] ANZ ConvR 470

New South Wales Supreme Court CITATION : Armstrong v CBA [1999] NSWSC 588 CURRENT JURISDICTION : Equity FILE NUMBER(S) : 6319/91 HEARING DATE(S) : 21 - 25, 28 - 31 July, 1 & 6 Aug, 27 - 30 Oct, 7, 17 - 20 Nov 1997, 27 - 30 Apr, 4 & 6 May, 13 Aug and 3 Sep 1998, further written submissions 9 Oct 1998 JUDGMENT DATE : 17 June 1999

PARTIES : Gwenyth Louise Armstrong (P) Commonwealth Bank of Australia (D) JUDGMENT OF : Hamilton J

COUNSEL : A S Martin (P) R G Forster SC & M Walton (D) SOLICITORS : Carneys (P) Abbott Tout Russell Kennedy (D) CATCHWORDS : EQUITY [54] - Undue influence - Effect on third parties - Bank relying on guarantee of wife obtained by actual undue influence of husband; EVIDENCE [139] - Burden of proof and sufficiency of weight of evidence - Onus of proof - Whether untrue evidence on part of plaintiff assists defendant Atra v Farmers & Graziers Co-operative Co Ltd NSWCA, 24 October 1985, unreported Barclays Bank Plc v O'Brien [1994] 1 AC 180 Commercial Bank of Australia Ltd v Amadio (1983) 151 CLR 447 Commonwealth Bank of Australia v Khouri [1998] VSC 128 [65] Connor v Blacktown District Hospital [1971] 1 NSWLR 713 Garcia v National Australia Bank Ltd (1993) 5 BPR 11,996 Garcia v National Australia Bank Ltd (1998) 72 ALJR 1243 CASES CITED : Hobbs v Tinling (CT) and Co Ltd [1929] 2 KB 1 National Australia Bank Ltd v Garcia (1996) 39 NSWLR 577 Scott Fell v Lloyd (1911) 13 CLR 230 State Bank of NSW v Muir (1997) 8 BPR 15,483 Steinberg v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1975) 134 CLR 640 Warburton v Whiteley (1989) 5 BPR 11,628 Yerkey v Jones (1939) 63 CLR 649 1A Wigmore on Evidence (Tillers Rev) s 92 DECISION : Guarantee and mortgages set aside.