Nguyen v Corbett [2017] NSWSC 1689

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Nguyen v Corbett [2017] NSWSC 1689 Hearing dates: 2, 3, 4 August 2017; final written submissions received 18 August 2017 Date of orders: 07 December 2017 Decision date: 07 December 2017 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Parker J Decision: Transfers liable to be set aside Catchwords: Land Law – fraudulent conveyances – costs orders made against husband in previous proceedings – conveyance by husband to wife pursuant to property settlement following separation – intent to defraud creditors – prejudice to creditors – purchaser in good faith without notice – onus – compromise as valuable consideration – inference from facts – constructive notice – notice of agent – Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW), ss 37A, 164 Equity – conveyance by husband to wife pursuant to property settlement following separation – alleged equitable proprietary interest of wife – contributions to joint account used for mortgage repayments – payments for renovations – "failed joint venture" equity – proprietary estoppel Judgments and Orders – conveyance by husband to wife pursuant to consent orders – setting aside consent orders – non-disclosure of liabilities – Family Law Act (Cth), s 79A Legislation Cited: Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW), ss 37A, 164 Family Law Act 1975 (Cth), ss 79, 79A, 90G Law of Property Act 1925 (UK), ss 172, 199 Cases Cited: Ashton v Pratt (2015) 88 NSWLR 281; [2015] NSWCA 12 Baumgartner v Baumgartner (1987) 164 CLR 137; [1987] HCA 59 Calverley v Green (1984) 155 CLR 242; [1984] HCA 81 Chan v Acres (2013) 51 Fam LR 90; [2013] NSWSC 1597 Coghlan v Alexander (1905) 5 SR (NSW) 441 Corbett v Nguyen [2008] NSWSC 1265 Green v Schneller (2002) 11 BPR 20,935; [2002] NSWSC 671 Huynh v Helleh Holdings Pty Ltd (2001) 10 BPR 19,333; [2001] NSWSC 1162 Lloyds Bank v Marcan [1973] 1 WLR 339; 2 All ER 359 Marcolongo v Chen (2011) 242 CLR 546; [2011] HCA 3 Midland Bank Trust Co Ltd v Green [1981] AC 513 Milling v Hardie [2014] NSWCA 163 Muschinski v Dodds (1985) 160 CLR 583; [1985] HCA 78 O'Regan and Phillips (Supreme Court (NSW), 31 July 1992, unrep) Semmens v Commonwealth (1989) 99 FLR 294; (1990) FLC 92-116 Spies v Commonwealth Bank of Australia (1991) 24 NSWLR 691 Wentworth v Rogers [2004] NSWCA 430 Young v Lalic (2006) 197 FLR 27; [2006] NSWSC 18 Texts Cited: Dewitt Moore, A Treatise on Fraudulent Conveyances and Creditors' Remedies at Law and in Equity (1908, Matthew Bender & Co) Henry May, A Treatise of the Statutes of Elizabeth Against Fraudulent Conveyances; The Bills of Sale Acts, 1878 and 1882; and the Law of Voluntary Dispositions of Property (2nd ed, 1887, Stevens and Haynes) JD Heydon, MJ Leeming, and PG Turner, Meagher, Gummow and Lehane's Equity Doctrines and Remedies (5th ed, 2015, LexisNexis Butterworths) Melville Bigelow, The Law of Fraudulent Conveyances (1911, Little, Brown & Co) Orlando Bump, A Treatise upon Conveyances made by Debtors to Defraud Creditors (4th ed, 1896, WH Lowdermilk & Co) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Ai Nhon Nguyen (Plaintiff) Avelina Corbett (First Defendant) James Edmund Corbett (Second Defendant) Representation: Counsel: RW Tregenza (Plaintiff) S Foda (First Defendant) PD Herzfeld (Second Defendant)