Trevenar v Ussfeller & Ors [2005] NSWSC 582

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Trevenar v Ussfeller & Ors [2005] NSWSC 582

HEARING DATE(S) : 09/06/05, 10/06/05

JUDGMENT DATE : 23 June 2005

JUDGMENT OF : Gzell J

DECISION : Alleged gifts set aside

CATCHWORDS : EQUITY - Undue Influence and Duress - Plaintiff an 83 year old dependent personality emotionally dependent upon female defendant - Presumption of undue influence accepted - Female defendant wrote cheques in excess of $500,000 on plaintiff's bank account - Whether presumption rebutted - No new principles - Forensic evidence from indentations on cheques disproving defendants' contentions - Whether fraud established - Unnecessary to decide

Johnson v Buttress (1936) 56 CLR 113 Union Fidelity Trustee Co of Australia v Gibson [1971] VR 573 Allcard v Skinner (1887) 36 Ch D 145 CASES CITED : Stivactas v Michaletos (No 2), NSWCA, unreported, 31 August 1993 Spong v Spong (1914) 18 CLR 544 Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336

Melba Josephine Trevenar - Plainitff Margaret Mary Ussfeller - 1st Defendant PARTIES : Wolf Rainer Alfred Ussfeller - 2nd Defendant Christie Steve McGuiness - 3rd Defendant

FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 2842/04

Mr M Ashhurst - Plaintiff COUNSEL : Mr Christian Vindin - Defendants

Kemp Strang Solicitors SOLICITORS : Acclaim Legal

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION :

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES EQUITY DIVISION

GZELL J

THURSDAY 23 JUNE 2005

2842/04 MELBA JOSEPHINE TREVENAR v MARGARET MARY USSFELLER & ORS JUDGMENT 1 Margaret Mary Ussfeller, the first defendant, wrote cheques totalling $584,200.00 on the bank account of Melba Josephine Trevenar, the plaintiff, who brings her action by her tutor Peter Carusi. Mrs Trevenar signed each of the cheques. They were written in favour of, or for the benefit of, Mrs Ussfeller, her husband Wolf Rainer Alfred Ussfeller, the second defendant, and her father, Christie Steve McGuinness, the third defendant. The cheques were paid on presentation to Mrs Trevenar's bank. $7,000.00 was subsequently repaid. Mrs Trevenar sought an order against Mrs Ussfeller in the amount of $577,200.00 and orders against Mr Ussfeller and Mr McGuinness in lesser amounts. She made these claims on the alternative grounds of fraud and undue influence.