Perochinsky v Kirschner & Anor [2013] NSWSC 400

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Perochinsky v Kirschner & Anor [2013] NSWSC 400 Hearing dates: 20-24 and 28-29 August 2012 Decision date: 24 April 2013 Jurisdiction: Equity Division Before: White J Decision: 1. Direct entry of judgment for the plaintiff against the first defendant in the sum of $553,152.73 plus interest at the rates prescribed for the purposes of s 100 of the Civil Procedure Act 2005 from 21 August 2009. 2. Order that the plaintiff's claims be otherwise dismissed. Catchwords: GIFTS - gifts inter vivos - gifts made under power of attorney - construction of s 163B of the Conveyancing Act 1919 - whether donee of power of attorney able to make gift to self - fiduciary obligations of attorney - meaning of attorney acting "on behalf of" donor of power - relationship between scope of attorney's authority and whether acts constitute a breach of attorney's obligations

GIFTS - gifts inter vivos - capacity of donor to make gift - effect of lack of capacity to make gift where donee unaware of lack of capacity

EQUITY - trusts and trustees - presumption of resulting trust where co-owners of property contribute to purchase price in proportions different from that in which legal title held - rebuttal of presumption

BANKING AND FINANCE - instruments - cheques - conversion of cheque Legislation Cited: Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW) Powers of Attorney Act 1971 (UK) Civil Procedure Act 2005 Cases Cited: Spina v Conran Associates Pty Ltd [2008] NSWSC 326 Spina v Permanent Custodians Ltd [2008] NSWSC 561 Hambro v Burnand [1904] 2 KB 10 Reckitt v Barnett, Pembroke & Slater Limited [1928] 2 KB 244 Re R [2000] NSWSC 886 Hughes v Hughes [2011] NSWSC 729 Ward v Ward (No. 2) [2011] NSWSC 1292 Hospital Products Ltd v United States Surgical Corporation (1984) 156 CLR 41 Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Citigroup Global Markets Australia Pty Ltd (No. 4) [2007] FCA 963; (2007) 160 FCR 35 Tobin v Broadbent (1947) 75 CLR 378 Chan v Zacharia (1984) 154 CLR 178 at 199; Breen v Williams (1996) 186 CLR 71 Hambro v Burnand [1904] 2 KB 10 Bryant, Powis & Bryant Limited v Quebec Bank [1893] AC 170 Lloyd v Grace, Smith & Co [1912] AC 716 Reckitt v Barnett, Pembroke & Slater Limited [1929] AC 176 Sweeney v Howard [2007] NSWSC 852 Crago v McIntyre [1976] 1 NSWLR 729 Beverley v Watson (Owen J, Supreme Court of Western Australia, 14 September 1994, unreported, BC9401884) Collins v May [2000] WASC 29 Stone v Registrar of Titles [2012] WASC 21 Gibbons v Wright (1954) 91 CLR 423 Elliot v Ince (1857) 7 De G.M. & G. 475; 44 ER 186 Ford v Perpetual Trustees Victoria Ltd [2009] NSWCA 186; (2009) 75 NSWLR 42 Collins v May [2000] WASC 29 Plunkett v Bull (1915) 19 CLR 544 Watson v Foxman (1995) 49 NSWLR 315 Norman v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1963) 109 CLR 9 Texts Cited: Halsbury's Laws of Australia in Title 15 on Agency, Chapter 2 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Antonina Perochinsky (Plaintiff) Sandra Kirschner (1st Defendant) Bernhard Kirschner (2nd Defendant) Representation: Counsel: N O Obrart (Plaintiff) N C Hutley SC with P Silver (Defendants) Solicitors: Brown Wright Stein (Plaintiff) Milne Berry Berger Freedman (Defendants) File Number(s): 2010/362138