Petrovski v Nasev; The Estate of Janakievska [2011] NSWSC 1275

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Petrovski v Nasev; The Estate of Janakievska [2011] NSWSC 1275 Hearing dates: 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 October 2011 Decision date: 17 November 2011 Jurisdiction: Equity Division - Probate List Before: Hallen AsJ Decision: Order that: (a) Subject to compliance with the rules of Court, Probate in solemn form of the deceased's Will made on 15 April 1999 be granted to the Plaintiffs; (b) The matter be referred to the Registrar to complete the grant; (c) The Cross-Claim be dismissed; (d) If the parties are unable to agree on the burden of costs, the matter is adjourned to hear argument; (e) The Exhibits, with the exception of each original Will, should be dealt with in accordance with the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules and the Court Books may be returned. Catchwords: The deceased made two wills during her lifetime, the first in 1999 and the last in 2004 - No dispute that the 1999 Will was duly executed and otherwise valid - Sole issue whether 2004 Will valid and should be admitted to probate - If valid, it revoked the 1999 Will - Central questions concerning the validity of the 2004 Will, are whether the deceased validly executed the 2004 Will; whether she had testamentary capacity; and whether the Will was produced as a consequence of undue influence - Late amendment to assert also the deceased's lack of knowledge and approval of the 2004 Will Legislation Cited: Evidence Act 1995 Probate and Administration Act 1898 Succession Act 2006 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 Cases Cited: Alvaro, In the Estate of; (deceased); Public Trustee v Alvaro (1995) 182 LSJS 383; [1995] SASC 5183 Bailey v Bailey (1924) 34 CLR 558 Banks v Goodfellow (1870) LR 5 QB 549 Bool v Bool [1941] St R Qd 26 Boughton v Knight (1873) LR3P&D 64 Boyse v Rossborough (1857) 6 HL Cas 2; 10 ER 1192 Bull v Fulton (1942) 66 CLR 295 Carey v Norton [1998] 1 NZLR 661; (1997) 16 FRNZ 686 Craig v Lamoureux [1920] AC 349 Du Maurier v Wechsler [2001] NSWSC 4 Edwards v Edwards [2007] WTLR 1387 England, In the Will of (1900) 22 ALT 86 Griffith, Re; Easter v Griffith (1995) 217 ALR 284 Hall v Hall (1868) LR 1 P & D 481; 32 JP 503 Hodges, Re; Shorter v Hodges (1988) 14 NSWLR 698 Hoff v Atherton [2005] WTLR 99 Jolley v Jarvis [1964] P 262 King v Hudson [2009] NSWSC 1013 Kuhl v Liebcheschel [1933] SASR 394 Levy, Re [1953] VLR 652 Miller v Jones [1999] NSWCA 467 Munn, In re [1943] SASR 304 Nicholson v Knaggs [2009] VSC 64 Nock v Austin (1918) 25 CLR 519 Oakes v Uzzell [1932] Osborne v Smith [1960] HCA 89; (1960) 105 CLR 153 Palin v Ponting [1930] P 185 Pates v Craig & Anor; The Estate of Cole (NSWSC, Santow J, 28 August 1995, unreported) Pemberton v Pemberton (1807) 13 Ves 301 Perrins v Holland [2009] EWHC 1945 Revie v Druitt [2005] NSWSC 902 R, In re (dec'd) 2 All ER 117 [1950] Scarpuzza v Scarpuzza [2011] WASC 65 Sharp v Adam [2006] WTLR 1059 Schultz v Bailey [2007] NSWCA 110 Smith v Tebbitt (1867) L.R. 1 P&D 398 Tobin v Ezekiel; Estate of Lily Ezekiel [2011] NSWSC 81 Trustee for the Salvation Army (NSW) Property Trust t/as the Salvation Army v Becker (2007) 14 BPR 26,867; [2007] NSWCA 136 Tsagouris v Bellairs [2010] SASC 147 Vernon v Watson; Estate Clarice Isabel Quigley dec'd [2002] NSWSC 600 Williams, formerly Cook v Goude and Bennett (1828) 1 Hag Ecc 577 Wingrove v Wingrove (1885) LR 11 PD 81 Winter v Crichton (1991) 23 NSWLR 116 Young v Holloway [1895] P 87 Zorbas v Sidiropoulous (No 2) [2009] NSWCA 197 Texts Cited: American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ("DSM IV") Hutley's Australian Wills Precedents, 7th ed, (2009) LexisNexis Butterworths Jarman on Wills, London, Sweet and Maxwell, 8th ed, (1951), Vol. 3 Wills and Intestacy in Australia and New Zealand, Hardingham, Neave and Ford (1989) (2nd Ed) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Pavle Petrovski (first Plaintiff/first Cross-Defendant) Elli Stojanoska (second Plaintiff/second Cross-Defendant) Gordana Becvarov (third Plaintiff/third Cross-Defendant) Alek Nasev (Defendant/Cross-Claimant) Representation: Counsel: Mr L Ellison SC; Mr M Tanevski (Plaintiffs/Cross-Defendants) Mr M Meek SC; Dr H Bennett (Defendant/Cross-Claimant) Solicitors: McGrath Dicembre & Co (Plaintiffs/Cross-Defendants) D Stanefska & Associates (Defendant/Cross-Claimant) File Number(s): 2009/310754