Campbell v Campbell [2015] NSWSC 784

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Campbell v Campbell [2015] NSWSC 784 Hearing dates: 30 April, 4, 5, 6, 7 May, further submissions 12, 22 May, further written submissions 3, 9 June 2015 Date of orders: 19 June 2015 Decision date: 19 June 2015 Jurisdiction: Equity Division Before: Sackar J Decision: See [345]-[350] Catchwords: CONTRACTS – testamentary agreement – existence of binding agreement – no written agreement – alleged agreement constituted by oral representations and conduct – inconsistent accounts of conversations – family context – intention to create legal relations – adequacy of consideration

CONTRACTS – mutual wills – whether parties entered agreement not to alter or revoke wills without notice to the other – need for clear and cogent evidence – consideration of circumstances – inferences to be drawn – intentions of the parties

EQUITY – laches, acquiescence or estoppel – inaction on part of plaintiff in asserting legal rights – state of knowledge – whether plaintiff should be precluded from recovery

PROPERTY – interests in property – no written instrument – doctrine of part performance – whether acts unequivocally referable to existence of contract

PROPERTY – indefeasibility – allegation interest in property held on trust – no allegation of fraud on part of registered proprietor – whether indefeasibility of title operated to defeat plaintiff's claim Legislation Cited: Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW) Real Property Act 1900 (NSW) Contracts Review Act 1980 (NSW) Cases Cited: Ashton v Pratt [2015] NSWCA 12 Baird v Smee [2000] NSWCA 253 Birmingham v Renfrew (1937) 57 CLR 666 BP Refinery (Westernport) Pty Ltd v Shire of Hastings (1977) 180 CLR 266 Camden v McKenzie [2008] 1 Qd R 39 Carovski v Carovski (unreported, Cohen J, 28 April 1997) Clune v Collins Angus & Robertson Publishers Pty Ltd (1992) 25 IPR 246 Craig v Silverbrook [2013] NSWSC 1687 Crawley v Short [2009] NSWCA 410 Delaforce v Simpson-Cook (2010) 78 NSWLR 483 Ermogenous v Greek Orthodox Community of SA Inc (2002) 209 CLR 95 Evans and Braddock [2015] NSWSC 249 Farah Constructions Pty Ltd v Say-Dee Pty Ltd (2007) 230 CLR 89 Grundel v Registrar General (1990) 5 BPR 11,217 Hubbard v Mason (unreported, Santow J, 9 December 1997) Hussey v Bauer [2011] QCA 91 Khoury v Khouri (2006) 66 NSWLR 241 LHK Nominees Pty Ltd v Kenworthy (2002) 26 WAR 517 New South Wales v Hunt (2014) 86 NSWLR 226 Orr v Ford (1989) 167 CLR 316 Osborne v Estate of Frederick Osborne [2001] VSCA 228 Permanent Trustee v Bernera Holdings Pty Ltd [2004] NSWSC 56 Plaska v Coffey [2014] NSWSC 1930 Neale v Bank of Western Australia [2014] NSWSC 315 Re Cleaver (deceased) [1981] 1 WLR 939 Re Goodchild (deceased) [1997] 1 WLR 1216 Re Oldham [1925] Ch 75 Regent v Millett (1976) 133 CLR 679 Renfrew v Birmingham [1937] VLR 180 Sharp v Anderson (1994) 6 BPR 13,801 Sze Tu v Lowe [2014] NSWCA 462 Thompson v Palmer (1933) 49 CLR 507 Vroon BV v Foster's Brewing Group Ltd [1994] VR 32 Waltons Stores (Interstate) Limited v Maher (1988) 164 CLR 387 Watson v Foxman (1995) 49 NSWLR 315 White v Wills [2014] NSWSC 1160 Texts Cited: GL Ceroma, The Law of Succession (2010, 4th edition, Lawbook Co) JG Ross Martyn, C Ford, A Learmonth, M Oldham (eds), Theobald on Wills (2010, 17th ed, Thomson Reuters) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Julie Elizabeth Campbell - plaintiff Marjorie Elizabeth Campbell – first defendant Robyn Ann Edith Dennett – second defendant Susan Marguerite Campbell – third defendant David Scott Campbell – fourth defendant Representation: Counsel: C Birch SC, A Connolly – plaintiff D Pritchard SC, R Yerzerski - defendants