Joyce v Cam [2004] NSWSC 621

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Joyce v Cam [2004] NSWSC 621 HEARING DATE(S) : 5/7/04 - 6/7/04 JUDGMENT DATE : 28 July 2004 JURISDICTION: Equity JUDGMENT OF : Campbell J DECISION : Beneficiary not entitled to be registered as proprietor of land. Trustees have power to subdivide. Claim for "account" barred by laches.

CATCHWORDS : TRUSTS AND TRUSTEES - trust for sale with power to postpone sale and retain land in present state of investment - whether beneficiary entitled to transfer of legal estate when power of postponement exercised - whether trustees for sale with power to retain in same state of investment can subdivide land before selling - claim for "account" concerning administration of estate - operation of doctrine of laches - WORDS AND PHRASES - "retain in the same state of investment" - SUCCESSION - EXECUTORS AND ADMINISTRATORS - administration - whether order of application of assets under section 46C Wills, Probate and Administration Act 1898 affects duty of executors in realising assets for payment of debts and testamentary expenses - EQUITY - defences - laches - whether delay of predecessor in title relevant Administration of Estates Act 1925 (UK) Conveyancing Act 1919 Family Provision Act 1982 LEGISLATION CITED : Stamp Duties Act 1920 Supreme Court Rules 1970 Trustee Act 1925 Wills, Probate and Administration Act 1898 Chaworth v Beech (1799) 4 Ves Jun 555; 31 ER 285 Clarke v Earl of Ormonde (1821) Jacob 108; 37 ER 791 Commissioner of Stamp Duties (Queensland) v Hugh Duncan Livingston [1965] AC 694 Ewer v Corbett (1723) 2 P Wm 148; 24 ER 676 Lindsay Petroleum Company v Prosper Armstrong Hurd, Abram Farewell, and John Kemp (1874) 5 LR 5 PC 221 CASES CITED : Orr v Ford and Another (1989) 167 CLR 316 The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne v Lawler (1934) 51 CLR 1 Sleeman v Wilson (1871) 13 Eq Cas 36 In re Tong; Hilton v Bradbury [1931] 1 Ch 202 In re Worthington; Nichols v Hart [1933] 1 Ch 771 Wyndham and Others v McKenzie and Others (1918) 25 CLR 172 Candy Joyce - Plaintiff PARTIES : Gay Judith Cam - First Defendant Patricia Florence Clark - Second Defendant William Russell Deverall - Third Defendant FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 2451/03 COUNSEL : E Cohen - Plaintiff G A Sirtes; S Mason - Defendants SOLICITORS : Andrew Cohen - Plaintiff Peter R Murphy & Co - Defendants