Davis v Williams [2003] NSWCA 371

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : Davis v Williams [2003] NSWCA 371 HEARING DATE(S) : 25/07/03 JUDGMENT DATE : 16 December 2003

JUDGMENT OF : Hodgson JA at 1; Young CJ in Eq at 52; Gzell J at 224 DECISION : (1) Appeal allowed; (2) Orders made by Davies AJ be set aside; (3) Order that the claim by the opponent as surviving joint tenant to a half share in the half share of the estate of Malcolm Clarence Williams in the property 19 Heyson Avenue, Ermington, NSW, be dismissed; (4) Order that the opponent pay the costs of the claimant and of the second opponent both of the trial before Davies AJ and this appeal; (5) First opponent to have a certificate under the Suitors Fund Act if qualified; (6) Remit the proceedings to the Equity Division for the Family Provision Act application to be heard and determined.

CATCHWORDS : REAL PROPERTY- Torrens System- Fraud- Alteration of document by registration clerk- Whether fraud- Whether attributable to registered proprietor. AGENCY- Principle that he who takes benefit of an authorised agent's act is bound- What is meant by "benefit". Family Law Act 1975, s 79 LEGISLATION CITED : Family Provision Act 1982 Local Government Act 1993 Real Property Act 1900, ss 42, 97, 118 Assets Co Ltd v Mere Roihi [1905] AC 176 Australian Guarantee Corporation v De Jager [1984] VR 483 Bahr v Nicolay (No 2) (1988) 164 CLR 604 Bank of South Australia Ltd v Ferguson (1998) 192 CLR 248 Barrow v Bank of New South Wales [1931] VLR 323 Beatty v ANZ Banking Group Ltd [1995] 2 VR 301 Blackburn, Low & Co v Vigors (1887) 12 App Cas 531 BNP Paribas v Pacific Carriers Ltd [2002] NSWCA 379 Bogdanovic v Koteff (1988) 12 NSWLR 472 Boyd v Mayor of Wellington [1924] NZLR 1174 Brickwood v Young (1905) 2 CLR 387 Butler v Fairclough (1917) 23 CLR 78 Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society Ltd v Producers & Citizens Co-Operative Assurance Co of Australia Ltd (1931) 46 CLR 41 Conlan v Registrar of Titles (2001) 24 WAR 299 Corin v Patton (1990) 169 CLR 540 Cray v Willis (1729) 2 P WMS 529; 24 ER 847 Demetrios v Gikas Dry Cleaning Industries Pty Ltd (1991) 22 NSWLR 561 Dixon v Olmius (1787) 1 Cox 414; 29 ER 1227 Forgeard v Shanahan (1994) 35 NSWLR 206 Frazer v Walker [1967] 1 AC 569 Grgic v Australian & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (1994) 33 NSWLR 202 Hardy v Lane (1994) 6 BPR 13968 Hedley v National Commercial Banking Corporation of Australia Ltd (C/A, unreported, 31.10.86) Hickey v Powershift Tractors Pty Ltd (1998) 9 BPR 17339 Hollis v Vabu Pty Ltd (2001) 207 CLR 21 Houghton v Immer (No 155) Pty Ltd (1997) 44 NSWLR 46 Huguenin v Baseley (1807) 14 Ves 273; 33 ER 526 Jervis v Berridge (1873) LR 8 Ch App 351 Jessett Properties Ltd v UDC Finance Ltd [1992] 1 NZLR 138 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298 Kettlewell v Refuge Assurance Co [1908] 1 KB 545 Kooragang Investments Pty Ltd v Richardson & Wrench Ltd [1982] AC 462; [1981] 2 NSWLR 1 Latec Investments Ltd v Hotel Terrigal Pty Ltd (1965) 113 CLR 265 Leigh v Dickeson (1884) 15 QBD 60 R Leslie Ltd v Sheill [1914] 3 KB 607 Lister v Hesley Hall Ltd [2002] 1 AC 215 Lloyd v Grace Smith & Co [1912] AC 716 CASES CITED : Lodge v National Union Investment Co Ltd [1907] 1 Ch 300 McMahon v The Public Curator of Queensland [1952] St R Qd 197 McNab v Earle [1981] 2 NSWLR 673 Macquarie Bank Ltd v Sixty-Fourth Throne Pty Ltd [1998] 3 VR 133 McVey v Denis (1984) 55 ALR 201 Mair v Rio Grande Rubber Estates Ltd [1913] AC 853 Munro v Stuart (1924) 41 SR (NSW) 203 Re Murdoch and Barry (1975) 64 DLR (3d) 222 National Commercial Banking Corporation of Australia Ltd v Hedley (1984) 3 BPR 9477 National Trustees Executors & Agency Co of Australasia Ltd v Boyd (1926) 39 CLR 72 New South Wales v Lepore (2003) 77 ALJR 558 Overton v Banister (1844) 3 Hare 503; 67 ER 479 Pyramid Building Society (In liq) v Scorpion Hotels Pty Ltd (1996) 136 ALR 166 Pyramid Building Society (In liq) v Scorpion Hotels Pty Ltd [1998] 1 VR 188 Refuge Assurance Co Ltd v Kettlewell [1909] AC 243 Russo v Bendigo Bank Ltd [1999] 3 VR 376 Ryan v Dries (2002) 10 BPR 19497 Sansom v Westpac Banking Corp (1996) 7 BPR 14615 Scallan v Registrar General (1988) 12 NSWLR 514 Schultz v Corwill Properties Pty Ltd (1969) 90 WN (Pt 1) (NSW) 529 Scott v Davis (2000) 204 CLR 333 Spark v Meers [1971] 2 NSWLR 1 Stuart v Kingston (1923) 32 CLR 309 Swan v Swan (1820) 8 Price 516; 146 ER 1281 Swift v Jewsbury (1874) LR 9 QB 301 Tanzone Pty Ltd v Westpac Banking Corp (1999) 9 BPR 17287 Tara Shire Council v Garner [2003] 1 Qd R 556 Taylor v Yorkshire Insurance Co Ltd [1913] 2 Ir R 1 Tierney v Halfpenny (1883) 9 VLR (Eq) 152 Unic SA v Quartermain Holdings Pty Ltd [2002] 2 Qd R 660 Vassos v State Bank of South Australia [1993] 2 VR 316 Wright v Gibbons (1949) 78 CLR 313 JA Westaway & Son Pty Ltd v Registrar General (1996) 7 BPR 14773 Westpac Banking Corp v Sansom (1994) 6 BPR 13790 Westpac Banking Corp v Tanzone Pty Ltd (2000) 9 BPR 17521 Wiamiha Sawmilling Co Ltd v Waione Timber Co Ltd [1926] AC 101 Wicks v Bennett (1921) 30 CLR 80 Williams v Hensman (1861) 1 J & H 546; 70 ER 862 Brian Arthur Davis (First Claimant) PARTIES : Sherrill Louise Gisler (Second Claimant) Ivy Gladys Williams (First Opponent) Registrar General (Second Opponent) FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40515/03 COUNSEL : B W Rayment QC and D Kell (Claimants) T Alexis and K Sainsbury (First Opponent) SOLICITORS : Tzovaras Legal (Claimants) Gells Lawyers (First Opponent)