Balcomb v Brownlee [2015] NSWSC 361

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Balcomb v Brownlee [2015] NSWSC 361 Hearing dates: 17 February 2015 Date of orders: 02 April 2015 Decision date: 02 April 2015 Before: Slattery J Decision: Declaration made that an enforceable agreement was made between the plaintiff and the defendants on 7 May 2014 for the parties to take all reasonable steps to give effect to their consensus. Catchwords: CONTRACT – contractual interpretation – where family provision claim brought out of time – parties agreed to distribution from estate in "full and final settlement" of claim – estate sought to vary amount to be distributed – whether agreement binding or conditional upon reduction to writing – whether agreement contained a condition precedent requiring the Court's approval – interpretation of phrase "full and final settlement" Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 Family Provision Act 1982 Succession Act 2006 Cases Cited: Ahmed v Chowdhury [2011] NSWSC 893 Brambles Holdings Ltd v Bathurst City Council (2001) 53 NSWLR 153 Clayton (Lacy) v Kynaston (1701) 12 Mod at 551 Cleary v Masterton [1999] NSWSC 207 Colosi v Colosi [2014] NSWSC 1892 Electricity Generation Corporation v Woodside Energy Ltd [2014] HCA 7 Grave v Blazevic Holdings Pty Limited [2012] NSWCA 329 Jameson v Central Electricity Generating Board [1999] 1 All ER 193 Mainteck Services Pty Ltd v Stein Heurtey SA [2014] NSWCA 184 Masters v Cameron (1954) 91 CLR 353 Murphy v Yolanda Nominees Pty Ltd (unreported, Supreme Court of Victoria, Nathan J, case no 11681 of 1991, 13 March 1992) Texts Cited: GL Williams, Joint Obligations (1949, Butterworth & Co (Publishers) Ltd) Category: Procedural and other rulings Parties: Plaintiff: Geoffrey Raymond Balcomb First Defendant: Michael Patrick Brownlee Second Defendant: Patrice May Brown Representation: Counsel: Plaintiff: J. Needham SC; A. Power First & Second Defendant: L. Ellison SC; R. E. Quickenden