Buono v Mazzella [2016] NSWSC 659

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Buono v Mazzella [2016] NSWSC 659 Hearing dates: 26, 27, 28 & 29 April 2016 Date of orders: 26 May 2016 Decision date: 26 May 2016 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Harrison AsJ Decision: Judgment:

(1) It is adjudged that the plaintiff/first cross defendant have possession of the property described in paragraph 1 of the statement of claim.

The Court orders that:

(2) The cross claim is dismissed.

(3) The cross claimant is to pay the first cross defendant's costs of the cross claim.

(4) The defendant is to pay the plaintiff's costs of these proceedings to date.

(5) Paragraphs 3 and 4 of the statement of claim are listed for directions before the Registrar at 9.00 am on Tuesday, 26 July 2016. Catchwords: REAL PROPERTY – possession of land – defendant resided in upstairs apartment – property owned by former mother in law – defendant only entitled to remain on property until adult children grew up and left – plaintiff entitled to possession

REAL PROPERTY – possession of land – defendant claims equitable or contractual relief in cross claim – resulting trust – constructive trust – equitable lien – equitable charge – proprietary estoppel – estoppel by conduct and promissory estoppel – contractual relationship entitling defendant to live on property forevermore – defendant did not establish factual bases for cross claim – cross claim dismissed Cases Cited: Balfour v Balfour [1919] 2 KB 571 Calverley v Green (1984) 56 ALR 483 Cohen v Cohen (1929) 42 CLR 91 Jones v Padavatton [1969] 2 All ER 616 Muschinski v Dodds [1985] HCA 78; 160 CLR 583 Shepherd v Doolan [2005] NSWSC 42 Smilevska v Smilevska (No 2) [2016] NSWSC 397 The Commonwealth v Verwayan (1990) 170 CLR 394 Waltons Stores (Interstate) Ltd v Maher (1988) 76 ALR 513 Young v CAN 081 162 512 [2005] NSWSC 139 Texts Cited: JD Heydon and J Lehane, Jacobs' Law of Trusts in Australia, (7th ed 2006, LexisNexis Butterworths) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Maddalena Buono (Plaintiff/First Cross Defendant) Porfirio Mazzella (Defendant/Cross Claimant) Julie-Anne Williams aka Nancy Buono (Second Cross Defendant) Representation: Counsel: G Turner (Plaintiff/Cross Defendant)