Ballenden v Bryant (No 1) [2012] NSWSC 1471

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Ballenden v Bryant (No 1) [2012] NSWSC 1471 Hearing dates: 27 November 2012 Decision date: 14 December 2012 Jurisdiction: Equity Division - Expedition List Before: Pembroke J Decision: See paragraph [22] Catchwords: TRUSTS AND ESTATES - death of trustee - powers of trustee's executor - office of trustee does not devolve on executor - exception in the case of inactive trusts - executor has power to transfer trust property to beneficiary absolutely entitled Legislation Cited: Administration of Estates Act 1925 (UK) Civil Procedure Act 2005 Conveyancing and Law of Property Act 1884 (Tas) Succession Act 2006 Trustee Act 1925 (UK) Trustee Act 1958 (Vic) Trustees Act 1962 (WA) Trusts Act 1973 (Qld) Cases Cited: Baird v BCE Holdings Pty Ltd (1996) 40 NSWLR 374 Ballenden v Bryant (No 2) [2013] NSWSC 454 Biddlecombe v Biddlecombe, (Supreme Court of New South Wales, Powell J, 1 July 1993, unreported) Fountain Selected Meats (Sales) Pty Ltd v International Produce Merchants Pty Ltd (1988) 81 ALR 397 Ogilvie v Littleboy (1897) 13 TLR 399 Oshlack v Richmond River Council [1998] HCA 11; (1998) 193 CLR 72 Pitt v Holt [2011] EWCA Civ 197 Robson v Flight (1865) 4 De GJ & S 608 Texts Cited: Ford and Lee, Principles of the Law of Trusts, 2nd ed (1990) Heydon and Leeming, Jacobs' Law of Trusts in Australia, 7th ed (2006) Scott et al, Scott and Ascher on Trusts, 5th ed (2011) Category: Principal judgment Parties: John Paul Ballenden - first plaintiff Christopher Mark Ballenden - second plaintiff J S Ballenden Pty Limited - third plaintiff John Besford Bryant - first defendant Gordan Jeffrey Bryant - second defendant Representation: C E Bevan and W Washington - for the first, second and third plaintiffs J O Anderson - for the first and second defendants WM Lawyers Pty Limited - for the first, second and third plaintiffs F C Bryant Thomas & Co - for the first and second defendants File Number(s): 2012/264918