Anderson v Anderson [2017] NSWCA 131

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Anderson v Anderson [2017] NSWCA 131 Hearing dates: 25 May 2017 Decision date: 09 June 2017 Before: Basten JA at [1]; Leeming JA at [2]; Sackville AJA at [70] Decision: 1. Appeal dismissed. 2. Appellant to pay the respondents' costs of the appeal on the basis that the respondents are to be treated as having been represented by the same counsel and the same solicitors, with the intent that the respondents be allowed a single set of costs. Catchwords: APPEALS - nature of appellate review - primary judge found failure to make inquiries falling short of actual fraud or moral turpitude - circumstances in which appellate court might make finding of fraud

REAL PROPERTY - Torrens title - joint tenancy - instrument of severance registered - instrument executed pursuant to power of attorney - errors in statutory declaration made by attorney - attorney not authorised to execute instrument - exceptions to indefeasibility - whether primary judge erred in failing to find fraud within meaning of Real Property Act 1900 (NSW) s 42 - whether in personam exception to indefeasibility established Legislation Cited: Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), s 140 Land Title Act 1994 (Qld), s 185 Matrimonial Causes Act 1959 (Cth) Powers of Attorney Act 2003 (NSW) Real Property Act 1900 (NSW), ss 12D, 36, 42, 43, 97 Succession Act 2006 (NSW) Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 75A Cases Cited: Assets Company Ltd v Mere Roihi [1905] AC 176 Bahr v Nicolay (No 2) (1988) 164 CLR 604 Battenberg v Union Club [2005] NSWSC 242; 215 ALR 696 Black v Freedman (1910) 12 CLR 105 Breskvar v Wall (1971) 126 CLR 376 Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336 Cassegrain v Gerard Cassegrain & Co Pty Ltd (2015) 254 CLR 425; [2015] HCA 2 Chen v State of New South Wales (No 2) [2016] NSWCA 292 Davis v Williams [2003] NSWCA 371; 11 BPR 21,313 Despot v Registrar General of New South Wales [2016] NSWCA 5 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v Northcote [2014] NSWCCA 26 Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd v Cowper [2016] NSWCA 320 Farah Constructions Pty Ltd v Say-Dee Pty Ltd (2007) 230 CLR 89; [2007] HCA 22 Fistar v Riverwood Legion and Community Club Ltd (2016) 91 NSWLR 732; [2016] NSWCA 81 Frazer v Walker [1967] 1 AC 569 Garafano v Reliance Finance Corporation Pty Ltd (1992) 5 BPR 97,420 Grgic v Australian and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (1994) 33 NSWLR 202 Hare v Harmer [2009] NSWCA 68 Harris v Smith [2008] NSWSC 545 HP Mercantile Pty Ltd v Hartnett [2017] NSWCA 79 Macquarie Bank Ltd v Sixty-Fourth Throne Pty Ltd [1998] 3 VR 133 Miller Heiman Pty Ltd v Sales Principles Pty Ltd [2017] NSWCA 106 Nocton v Lord Ashburton [1914] AC 932 Palais Parking Station Pty Ltd v Shea (1980) 24 SASR 425 Re Lind [1915] 2 Ch 345 Taylor v Owners - Strata Plan No 11564 (No 2) [2013] NSWCA 153 Vassos v State Bank of South Australia [1993] 2 VR 316 Westdeutsche Landesbank Girozentrale v Islington London Borough Council [1996] AC 669 White v Tomasel [2004] 2 Qd R 438; [2004] QCA 89 Texts Cited: L Moses and B Edgeworth, "Taking it Personally: Ebb and Flow in the Torrens System's In Personam Exception to Indefeasibility" (2013) 35 Sydney Law Review 107 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Stephen Anderson as executor of the estate of Minnie Veronica Anderson (Appellant) Marilyn Anderson (First Respondent) Natalie Elizabeth Anderson (Second Respondent) Representation: Counsel: R D Wilson SC, A Karlozian (Appellant) T Lynch SC, R Weaver (First Respondent) C D Wood, J E F Brown (Second Respondent)