Parry v Haisma [2012] NSWSC 290

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Parry v Haisma [2012] NSWSC 290 Hearing dates: 10 June 2011 Decision date: 30 March 2012 Jurisdiction: Equity Division Before: White J Decision: Refer to paragraph [59] of judgment. Catchwords: WILLS AND ESTATES - construction of will - words used - gifts in a will - "my nephews and nieces" - relationship with deceased - description of relationship -words used in a social context to display affection rather than convey meaning - deceased understood ordinary conception of nephew or niece - intended description includes nephews and nieces of the whole blood and of the half-blood - intention not to include nephews and nieces of testator's de facto partner

WILLS AND ESTATES - construction of will - words used - intended use of words other than ordinary meaning - intention of testatrix at the time of execution of will with regard to the admissible extrinsic evidence - "testator's armchair principle" - Succession Act 2006 s 32 not applicable to present will

WORDS & PHRASES - "nephews and nieces" Legislation Cited: Succession Act 2006 Trustee Act 1925 Cases Cited: Grieves v Rawley (1852) 10 Hare 63; (1852) 68 ER 840 Re Hammersley, Kitchen v Myers (1886) 2 TLR 459 In re Cozens, Miles v Wilson [1903] 1 Ch 138 Higgins v Dawson [1902] AC 1 Perrin v Morgan [1943] AC 399 Boyes v Cook (1880) 14 Ch D 53 Allgood v Blake (1872-73) LR 8 Exch 160 Hiscocks v Hiscocks (1839) 5 M & W 363; (1839) 151 ER 154 Gord v Needs (1836) 2 M & W 129; (1836) 150 ER 698 Public Trustee of New South Wales v Herbert [2009] NSWSC 366 Re Smith [1939] VLR 213 Smith v Lidiard (1857) 3 K & J 252; (1857) 69 ER 1102 Grant v Grant (1870) LR 5 CP 380 Grant v Grant (1870) LR 5 CP 727 Adney v Greatrex (1869) 38 LJ Ch 414 Sherrat v Mountford (1873) LR 8 Ch App 928 Seal-Hayne v Jodrell [1891] AC 304 The Goods of Ashton [1892] P. 83 Re Green; Bath v Cannon [1914] 1 Ch 134 Re Winn; Burgess v Winn (1916-17) All ER Rep 758 Re Davis; Douglass v McPhee (1933) 33 SR (NSW) 330 Attorney-General v The Commonwealth (1962) 107 CLR 529 Re Watson [1949] VLR 185 Trustees Executors and Agency Co Limited v Johnston [1970] VR 587 In the Estate of Wilson; Pickering & Anor v Jones & Ors (Murphy J, Supreme Court of Victoria, unreported, 15 October 1987) Morgan v Moore [2000] VSC 94 Provincial Insurance Australia Pty Ltd v Consolidated Wood Products Australia Pty Ltd (1991) 25 NSWLR 541 House of Peace v Bankstown City Council [2000] NSWCA 44; (2000) 48 NSWLR 498 Evans v Marmont (1997) 42 NSWLR 70 Texts Cited: Haines, Construction of Wills in Australia, LexisNexis Butterworths 2007 Phipson "Extrinsic Evidence in Aid of Interpretation" (1904) 20 LQR 245 Kerridge and Rivers, "The Construction of Wills" (2000) 116 LQR 287 Hawkins on the Construction of Wills (Sweet & Maxwell, 5th ed, 2000, Ch 2 James Wigram, An Examination of the Rules of Law Respecting the Admission of Extrinsic Evidence in Aid of the Interpretation of Wills, (Sweet & Maxwell, 5th ed by Charles Sanger 1914) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Stephen Joseph Parry (Plaintiff) Mark Haisma (1st Defendant) Stephan Haisma (2nd Defendant) Karl Haisma (3rd Defendant) Zera Haisma (4th Defendant) Gretta Van Duuren (5th Defendant) Robert Haisma (6th Defendant) Erk Gedig (7th Defendant) Raphael Haisma (8th Defendant) Marysa Haisma (9th Defendant) Elaine Haisma (10th Defendant) Laura Rook (11th Defendant) Sandra Rook (12th Defendant) Sam Brewer (13th Defendant) Tess Brewer (14th Defendant) Representation: M Meek SC (Plaintiff) J Needham SC with S J Chapple (1st-12th Defendants) M S Willmott SC (13th & 14th Defendants) Carroll & O'Dea Lawyers (Plaintiff) Donaldson Trumble Lawyers 1st-12th Defendants) Teece Hodgson & Ward (13th & 14th Defendants) File Number(s): 2010/340577