Metropolitan Petar v Mitreski [2003] NSWSC 262

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Metropolitan Petar v Mitreski [2003] NSWSC 262 HEARING DATE(S) : 12, 14 & 15, 19 - 23 and 26 August, 4 September, 30 October and 5 November 2002 and 13 March 2003 JUDGMENT DATE : 4 April 2003 JURISDICTION: Equity JUDGMENT OF : Hamilton J DECISION : Trust of land to permit it to be used by a specified body (being an unincorporated association) as a site for a church of the Macedonian Orthodox Religion held valid as a charitable trust and its terms determined. Land held not to have been freed of trust by vesting in incorporated association upon its incorporation.

CATCHWORDS : ASSOCIATIONS AND CLUBS [49] - Incorporated associations - Matters relating to incorporation - Effect of incorporation - Vesting of property - Whether property vested is freed from charitable trust on which it was previously held - CHARITIES [80] - Charitable gifts and trust - Validity and practicability - Property subject to charitable trust - Other matters - Property held to permit its use by a particular entity as a church of the Macedonian Orthodox Religion - Validity and terms of trust - EQUITY [111] - Trusts and trustees - Express trusts constituted inter vivos - Declaration of trust - Necessity for intention - Ascertainment of intention - Principles applicable - STATUTES [21] - Acts of Parliament - Interpretation - Rules of construction - Where meaning ambiguous or uncertain - Presumptions as to legislative intention - Not to alienate vested proprietary interests or subvert common law or equitable rights - General principle - Necessity for clear language. Associations Incorporation Act 1984 s 15(3), Schedule 2 clauses 1 & 2(1) & (2), Schedule 3 clause 6 LEGISLATION CITED : Associations Incorporation (Amendment) Act 1992 Charitable Collections Act 1934 Attorney-General v Gould (1860) 28 Beav 485; 54 ER 452 Attorney-General v Wylde (1948) 48 SR(NSW) 366 Attorney-General ex rel Elisha v Holy Apostolic and Catholic Church of the East (Assyrian) Australia NSW Parish Association (1989) 37 NSWLR 293 Attorney-General for New South Wales v The Perpetual Trustee Company (Limited) (1940) 63 CLR 209 Attorney General for the State of Queensland (at the relation of Nye) v The Corporation of the Lesser Chapter of the Cathedral Church of Brisbane (1977) 136 CLR 353 Bacon v Pianta (1966) 114 CLR 634 Balog v Independent Commission against Corruption (1990) 169 CLR 625 Bank of Credit and Commerce International SA v Ali [2002] 1 AC 251 Bishop of Natal v Gladstone (1866) LR 3 Eq 1 Bishop of Newcastle v Walker (1898) 14 WN(NSW) 191 Bismark Range (Lucknow) Gold Exploration NL v Wentworth (Lucknow) Gold Fields NL (1935) 35 SR(NSW) 400 Brooks v NSW Grains Board [2002] NSWSC 1049 C J Burland Pty Ltd v Metropolitan Meat Industry Board (1968) 120 CLR 400 Charter Reinsurance Co v Fagan [1997] AC 313 Clissold v Perry (1904) 1 CLR 363 Codelfa Construction Proprietary Limited v State Rail Authority of New South Wales (1982) 149 CLR 337 Dragelevich v Rajsich 263 NE (2d) 778 (1970) General Assembly of Free Church of Scotland v Lord Overtoun [1904] AC 515 HIH Superannuation [2003] NSWSC 65 His Grace Metropolitan Petar v Aco Kostovski; Alexander v Branov VSC Byrne J 27 October 1997 unreported Holy Apostolic & Catholic Church of the East (Assyrian) Australia NSW Parish Association v Attorney-General (NSW) ex rel Elisha (1989) 18 NSWLR 291 CASES CITED : In re Gulbenkian's Settlements [1970] AC 508 In re Moroney; Maguire v Reilly (1939) 39 SR(NSW) 249 In re Vernon's Will Trusts [1972] Ch 300 Investors Compensation Scheme Ltd v West Bromwich Building Society [1998] 1 WLR 896 Liverpool and District Hospital for Diseases of the Heart v Attorney-General [1981] Ch 193 McCracken v Attorney-General for Victoria [1995] 1 VR 67 Mannai Investment Co Ltd v Eagle Star Assurance Co Ltd [1997] AC 749 Minister for Lands and Forests v McPherson (1991) 22 NSWLR 687 New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church v Fisher 438 A (2d) 62 (1980) Potter v Minahan (1908) 7 CLR 277 Prenn v Simmonds [1971] 1 WLR 1381 Radmanovich v Nedeljkovic (2001) 52 NSWLR 641 Reardon Smith Line v Hansen-Tangen [1976] 1 WLR 989 Roman Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne v Lawlor (1934) 51 CLR 1 Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust v South Sydney City Council (2002) 76 ALJR 436 Wade v New South Wales Rutile Mining Co Pty Ltd (1970) 121 CLR 177 Watson v Jones 80 US 679 (1871) Wylde v Attorney-General for New South Wales (ex rel Ashelford) (1948) 78 CLR 224 Baalman and Wells, Land Titles Office Practice (5th ed, loose leaf) [90.550] G Dal Pont, Charity Law in Australia and New Zealand (2000) 154 - 157 Ford and Lee, Principles of the Law of Trusts (3rd ed, looseleaf) [2010] New South Wales Law Reform Commission Report on the Incorporation of Associations, LRC 30 (1982) Pearce and Geddes, Statutory Interpretation in Australia (5th ed, 2001) [5.15], [5.16], [5.21] - [5.23] His Grace Metropolitan Petar, the Diocesan Bishop of the Macedonian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand (P1) The Very Reverend Father Mitko Mitrev (P2) Lambe Mitreski (D1) Pero Damceski (D2) PARTIES : Boris Minovski (D3) Eftim Eftimov (D4) Mile Marcevski (D5) Macedonian Orthodox Community Church St Petka Incorporated (D6) Naum Despotovski (D8) Attorney General for State of NSW (D9) FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 3369/97 B A J Coles QC and T G R Parker (Ps) COUNSEL : B J Walker SC and M J Heath (D1 - 6 & 8) R Lancaster and N L Sharp (D9) Sachs Gerace Lawyers (Ps) SOLICITORS : McConnell Jaffray (D1 - 6 & 8) I V Knight, Crown Solicitor (D9)