Cropley v Cropley [2002] NSWSC 349

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Cropley v Cropley [2002] NSWSC 349 CURRENT JURISDICTION: (1) Equity Division - Probate List (2) Equity Division FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 100191/00; 4029/01 HEARING DATE(S) : 12/03/02, 13/03/02 JUDGMENT DATE : 26 April 2002

(1) Elizabeth Anne Cropley - Plaintiff Richard Oswald Cropley - First Defendant Susan Gai Thorley - Second Defendant PARTIES : Peter Allan Rowlands Clinch - Third Defendant Richard Oswald Cropley Cross-Claimant Elizabeth Anne Cropley - Cross-Defendant (2) Geoffrey David Cropley - Plaintiff Elizabeth Anne Cropley - Defendant JUDGMENT OF : Barrett J

(1) Mr P.H. Blackburn-Hart - Plaintiff COUNSEL : Ms P.J. Gormly - Defendants (2) Ms P.J. Gormly - Plaintiff Mr P.H. Blackburn-Hart - Defendant (1) Teece Hodgson and Ward - Plaintiff SOLICITORS : Holding Redlich - Defendants (2) Holding Redlich - Plaintiff Teece Hodgson and Ward - Defendant CATCHWORDS : SUCCESSION - informal wills - whether documents signed by testator after making formal will operate as amendments of will - EQUITY - assignments in equity - assignment of part of debt - no consideration - assignment valid in equity - FAMILY PROVISION - principles upon which relief granted - competing claims of widow and adult sons - failure by testator to make sufficient income provision for widow - no failure to make adequate provision for adult sons Conveyancing Act 1919 LEGISLATION CITED : Family Provision Act 1982 Interpretation Act 1987 Wills Probate and Administration Act 1898 Blackmore v Allen [2000] NSWCA 162 Bosch v Perpetual Trustee Co Ltd [1938] AC 463 Re Application of Brown; Estate of Springfield (1991) 23 NSWLR 535 Estate D M Edwards; Treacey v Edwards [2000] NSWSC 846 In the Estate of Gatt (unreported, NSWSC, 13 June 1990) Gregory v Hudson [1999] NSWCA 221 King v Foster (unreported, NSWCA, 7 December 1995) CASES CITED : Luciano v Rosenblum (1985) 2 NSWLR 65 Marshall v Carruthers [2002] NSWCA 47 O'Loughlin v Low [2002] NSWSC 222 Permanent Trustee Co Ltd v Fraser (1995) 36 NSWLR 24 Sayer v Sayer [1999] NSWCA 340 Shepherd v Commissioner of Taxation (1965) 113 CLR 385 Singer v Berghouse (1994) 181 CLR 201 In re Steel Wing Co Ltd [1921] 1 Ch 349 White v Barron (1980) 54 ALJR 333 DECISION : See paragraphs [36] and [97] to [100]