KHOURY & ANOR v KHOURI [2006] NSWCA 184

Reported Decision : 66 NSWLR 241

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION: KHOURY & ANOR v KHOURI [2006] NSWCA 184

HEARING DATE(S): 02/05/2006

JUDGMENT DATE: 14 July 2006

JUDGMENT OF: Handley JA at 1; Hodgson JA at 9; Bryson JA at 26

DECISION: Appeal allowed: see para [93]

CATCHWORDS: VENDOR and PURCHASER - agreement for sale of interest in land - no written memorandum under Conveyancing Act s.23C or s.54A - part performance by payments - brother and brother made oral agreement for sale of half interest as tenant in common held by vendor in common with sister - agreement operated as present declaration of trust - consideration whether compliance with s.23C necessary for enforcement - consideration whether compliance with s.54A necessary for enforcement - held that it is necessary - Doctrine of Part Performance considered - whether part payment to vendor and arrangement for third party to pay off mortgage for which vendor was liable constituted Part Performance - held they did not - consideration of history of Part Performance in applying Statute of Frauds - payments are not acts of Part Performance - appeal allowed.

Conveyancing (Amendment) Act 1930 (NSW) LEGISLATION CITED: Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW) ss.54A and 23C, 23D(1), 7(1), 23E Law of Property Act 1925 (UK) Statute of Frauds 1677 (England) ss.3, 4, 7, 8 and 9.

Abjornsen v Urban Newspapers Ltd (1989) WAR 191 Acorn Computers Ltd v MCS Microcomputer Systems Pty Ltd (1984) 6 FCR 277 Adamson v Hayes (1973) 130 CLR 276 Australian and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd v Widin (1990) 26 FCR 21 Baloglow v Konstantinidis & Ors (2001) 11 BPR 20,721, [2001] NSWCA 451 Britain v Rossiter (1882) 11 QBD 123 Butcher v Stapely (1685) 1 Vernon 363, 23 ER 524 Cooney v Burns (1922) 30 CLR 216 Gunter v Halsey (1739) Ambler 586, 27 ER 381 Hagan v Waterhouse (1991) 34 NSWLR 308 CASES CITED: Halloran v Minister Administering National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 [2006] HCA 3, 80 ALJR 519 ISPT Nominees Pty Ltd v Chief Commissioner of State Revenue [2003] NSWSC 697, 53 ATR 527 JC Williamson Ltd v Lukey & Mulholland (1931) 45 CLR 282 Khouri v Khoury [2004] NSWSC 770 Last v Rosenfeld [1972] 2 NSWLR 923 Maddison v Alderson (1883) 8 App Cas 467 McBride v Sandland (1918) 25 CLR 69 Regent v Millett (1976) 133 CLR 679 Secretary, Department of Social Security v James (1990) 95 ALR 615 Steadman v Steadman [1976] AC 536 Theodore v Mistford Pty Ltd [2005] HCA 45, 79 ALJR 1503, (2005) 221 CLR 612 Waltons Stores (Interstate) Ltd v Maher (1988) 164 CLR 387