Perpetual Trustee v Baker [1999] NSWCA 244

New South Wales Court of Appeal CITATION : Perpetual Trustee v Baker [1999] NSWCA 244 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40320/97 HEARING DATE(S) : 21/06/99 JUDGMENT DATE : 16 July 1999

PARTIES : Perpetual Trustee Company Ltd (Appellant) Peter Baker (Respondent) JUDGMENT OF : Giles JA at 1; Brownie AJA at 1; Cole AJA at 17

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : Supreme Court LOWER COURT FILE NUMBER(S) : CL109704/95 LOWER COURT JUDICIAL OFFICER : Bennett AJ

Mr D.P.P Officer & COUNSEL : Ms D. Stewart (Appellant) Mr P. Hallen (Respondent) SOLICITORS : Gadens (Appellant) Teece Hodgson & Ward (Respondent) CATCHWORDS : WILLS - Testamentary capacity; apparent intelligcnce; whether nonetheless delusional belief as to claims on bounty; distinction from mistaken belief; costs of successful appeal; whether out of estate. Wills, Probate and Administration Act 1898 ACTS CITED : Suitors Fund Act Credit Act 1984 Hire Purchase Agreements Act Re Griffith, Easter v Griffith NSWCA 7 June 1995 unreported at 10-13 Banks v Goodfellow (1870) LR 5 QB 549 at 563 In the estate of Hodges: Shorter v Hodges (1988) 14 NSWLR 698 aT 709 In the estate of Moyle: Moyle v Moyle (Santow J, 18 June 1988, unreported) Davies v Gregory (1873) 3 P & D 28 Roe v Nix (1893) P 55 CASES CITED: In the will of Millar (1908) VLR 682) In the will of Sivers (1887) 13 VLR 572 Phillips v Dundas (Smith J VSC 4 December 1995, unreported) Redroff v Miegoch (Santow J, NSWSC 22 April 1996, unreported) re Ryan: Williams v Ryan (1998) VSC 109 In the will of Ryan: Williams v Ryan (Byrne J VSC, 23 October 1998, unreported) cf Middlebrook v Middlebrook (1963) 26 ALJR 216 Browne v M'Encroe (1890) 11 NSWLR Eq. 134 at 146. DECISION : (1) Appeal upheld; (2) Order of Bennett AJ 9 May 1997 set aside); (3) Order probate of the last will and testament of Mary Victoria Tompson 19 August 1993 in solemn form be granted to Perpetual Trustee Company Limited ACN 000 001 007; (4) Order appellant's costs and respondent's costs on a trustee basis, of the trial before Bennett AJ be paid paid out of the estate; (5) By majority the order of the Court will be that the appellant's and the respondent's costs of the appeal be paid out of the estate of the deceased, in the case of the appellant on a trustee basis.