Meshumar v Otmy [2018] NSWSC 125

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Meshumar v Otmy [2018] NSWSC 125 Hearing dates: 15-18 May 2017, 13 June 2017 Date of orders: 16 February 2018 Decision date: 16 February 2018 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Robb J Decision: (1) The plaintiff's claim is dismissed. (2) The plaintiff is to pay the defendant's costs of the proceedings. Catchwords: EQUITY — Equitable remedies — Specific performance — Land — Where plaintiff claimed one third interest in real property as beneficiary of oral express trust — Where plaintiff did not plead existence of contract — Whether plaintiff could rely on payment of purchase price, power of attorney signed by registered proprietor and receipt of rent as acts of part performance — Whether doctrine of part performance applies to express declarations of trust.

EQUITY — Trusts and trustees — Constructive trusts — Where defendant became registered proprietor of real property in which plaintiff claimed one third interest — Where plaintiff claimed defendant promised to recognise plaintiff's one third interest — Whether plaintiff could enforce interest against defendant that it could not enforce against original registered proprietor. Legislation Cited: Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW) Real Property Act 1900 (NSW) Cases Cited: Arambasic v Veza (No 4) [2014] NSWSC 1109 Bahr v Nicolay (No 2) (1988) 164 CLR 604; [1988] HCA 16 Baloglow v Konstanidis [2001] NSWCA 451 Campbell v Campbell [2015] NSWSC 784 Ciaglia v Ciaglia [2010] NSWSC 341; (2010] 269 ALR 175 Damberg v Damberg (2001) 52 NSWLR 492; [2001] NSWCA 87 Geradis v Gerges [2008] NSWSC 134 Hagan v Waterhouse (No 2) (1991) 34 NSWLR 308 Heggies Bulkhaul Ltd v Global Minerals Australia Pty Ltd (2003) 59 NSWLR 312; [2003] NSWSC 851 Heggies Bulkhaul Ltd v Global Minerals Australia Pty Ltd (2003) 59 NSWLR 312; [2003] NSWSC 851 Khoury v Khouri (2006) 66 NSWLR 241; [2006] NSWCA 184 Lai See Law v Yan Mo [2009] NSWSC 639 Merrag Pty Ltd v Khoury [2009] NSWSC 915 Re Oliver Brown Pty Ltd (No 2) [2012] NSWSC 1222 Regent v Millett (1976) 133 CLR 679 Rochefoucauld v Boustead [1897] 1 Ch 196 Ryan v Starr [2005] NSWSC 170 Secretary, Department of Social Security v James (1990) 95 ALR 615 Smilevska v Smilevska (No 2) [2016] NSWSC 397 Sze Tu v Lowe (2014) 89 NSWLR 317; [2014] NSWCA 462 Vlahos Pty Ltd v Vlahos [2017] VSCA 166 Vu v Nguyen [2011] NSWSC 1369 Waltons Stores (Interstate) Ltd v Maher (1988) 164 CLR 387 at 432; [1988] HCA 7 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Ofir Meshumar (plaintiff) Avshalom Sher Otmy (first defendant) Registrar General (second defendant) Representation: Counsel: D F Elliot (plaintiff) J O'Sullivan (first defendant)