Van Dyke v Sidhu [2012] NSWSC 118

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Van Dyke v Sidhu [2012] NSWSC 118 Hearing dates: 12 and 13 December 2011 Decision date: 23 February 2012 Jurisdiction: Equity Division Before: Ward J Decision: Plaintiff's claim dismissed Catchwords: EQUITY - proprietary estoppel - promise to transfer property once subdivision of land carried out - no separate promise to subdivide the land - where property was held jointly with wife who was not a party to the promises (or the proceedings) - whether reliance in fact and whether any such reliance in the circumstances was objectively reasonable - whether any detriment established - promisee lived on property - promisee carried out some work on the property - promisee forewent opportunity to seek family law settlement with promisor's encouragement - whether any unconscionability on part of promisor resiling from promise - where promise contingent on conditions yet to be fulfilled - HELD - reliance not objectively reasonable as promise predicated on conditions some of which are outside of promisor's control - only detrimental reliance established was foregone opportunity to seek family law settlement - no unconscionability as time for performance of promise yet to arrive Legislation Cited: Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) Cases Cited: Attorney-General (Hong Kong) v Humphreys Estate [1987] AC 114 Austotel Pty Ltd v Franklins Self Serve Pty Ltd (1989) 16 NSWLR 582 Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd v Westpac Banking Corporation (1988) 164 CLR 662; 78 ALR 157; [1988] HCA 17 Australian Broadcasting Corporation v Lenah Game Meats Pty Ltd (2001) 208 CLR 199 Australian Crime Commission v Gray [2003] NSWCA 318 Australian Securities Commission v Marlborough Gold Mines Ltd (1993) 177 CLR 485 Barnes v Alderton [2008] NSWSC 10 Baumgartner v Baumgartner [1987] HCA 59; (1987) 164 CLR 137 Bryson v Byrant (1992) 29 NSWLR 188 Catanzariti v Whitehouse (1981) 55 FLR 426 Chalmers v Pardoe [1963] 3 All ER 552 Ciavarella v Polimeni [2008] NSWSC 234 Cobbe v Yeoman's Row Management Limited [2008] 1 WLR 1752 Commissioner of State Revenue (Vic) v Royal Insurance Australia Ltd (1994) 182 CLR 51; 126 ALR 1; [1994] HCA 61 Commonwealth v Verwayen (1990) 170 CLR 394 Corin v Patton (1989-1990) 169 CLR 540 Crabb v Arun District Council [1976] Ch 179; [1975] 3 All ER 865 David Securities Pty Ltd v Commonwealth Bank of Australia [1992] HCA 48; (1992) 175 CLR 353 Delaforce v Simpson-Cook [2010] NSWCA 84 DHJM Pty Ltd v Blackthorn Resources Ltd [2011] NSWCA 348 Donis v Donis [2007] VSCA 89 Farah Constructions v Say-Dee [2007] HCA 22; (2002) 230 CLR 89 Flinn v Flinn [1999] 3 VR 712 Galaxidis v Galaxidis [2001] NSWSC 1123 Galaxidis v Galaxidis [2004] NSWCA 111 Gillett v Holt [2001] Ch 210; [2000] 3 WLR 815 Giumelli v Giumelli (1999) 196 CLR 101 Grant v Edwards [1986] Ch 638; 2 All ER 426 Green v Green (1989) 17 NSWLR 343 Hawker Pacific Pty Ltd v Charter Pty Ltd (1991) 22 NSWLR 298 Haxton v Equuscorp (formerly Equus Financial Services Ltd) (ACN 006 012 344) (2010) 265 ALR 336; [2010] VSCA 1 Henderson v Miles [2005] NSWSC 710 Jennings v Rice [2002] EWCA Civ 159 Little v Saunders [2004] NSWSC 655 Lumbers v W Cook Builders Pty Ltd (in liq) [2008] HCA 27; (2008) 232 CLR 635; (2008) 247 ALR 412 Miller v Sutherland (1990) 14 Fam LR 416 Mobil Oil Australia Ltd v Wellcome International Pty Ltd (1998) 81 FCR 475 Morris v Morris [1982] 1 NSWLR 61 Murphy v Overton Investments Pty Ltd [2001] FCA 500 Muschinski v Dodds (1985) 160 CLR 583 Nichols v Nichols (1986) 4 BPR 9240 Parianos v Melluish (Trustee) [2003] FCA 190; (2003) 30 Fam LR 524 Pavey & Matthews Pty Ltd v Paul [1987] HCA 5; (1987) 162 CLR 221 Plimmer v Wellington City Corp (1884) 9 App Cas 699 Public Trustee v Kukula (1990) 14 FamLR 79 Ramsden v Dyson (1866) LR 1 HL 129 Riches v Hogben [1985] 2 Qd R 292 Roxborough v Rothmans of Pall Mall Australia Ltd (2001) 208 CLR 516 ; 185 ALR 335; [2001] HCA 68 Saleh v Romanous [2011] NSWCA 264 Saleh v Romanous [2011] HC Trans 101 Saliba v Tarmo [2009] NSWSC 581 Shepherd v Doolan [2005] NSWSC 42 Silovi Pty Ltd v Barbaro (1988) 13 NSWLR 466 Simpson-Cook v Delaforce [2009] NSWSC 357 Sledmore v Dalby (1996) 72 P & CR 196 Standard Chartered Bank Aust Ltd v Bank of China (1991) 23 NSWLR 164 Stowe v Stowe (1995) 15 WAR 363 Sullivan v Sullivan [2005] NSWSC 10 Sullivan v Sullivan [2006] NSWCA 312 Talevski and Anor v Talevski and Anor [2007] NSWSC 945 Taylor v Dickens [1998] 1 FLR (Eng) 806 Thorner v Major [2009] 1 WLR 776 Tory v Tory [2007] NSWSC 1078 Van Dyke v Sidhu [2011] NSWCA 187 Vukic v Luca Grbin; Estate of Zvonko Grbin [2006] NSWSC 41 Walton v Walton (1994, England and Wales Court of Appeal, Civ Div, unreported) Waltons Stores (Interstate) Pty Ltd v Maher (1988) 164 CLR 387 Watson v Foxman (1995) 49 NSWLR 315 Williams v Hensman (1861) 1 J&H 546; 70 ER 862 Texts Cited: Meagher, Gummow & Lehane, Equity: Doctrines & Remedies, (4th ed., 2002) Pawlowski, The Doctrine of Proprietary Estoppel (1996) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Lauren Marie Van Dyke )(Plaintiff) (Self represented) Prithvi Pal Singh Sidhu (Defendant) Representation: Counsel C R C Newlinds SC with J C Giles (Defendant) Solicitors Henry Davis York (Defendant) File Number(s): 09/289460