Supreme Court
New South Wales
Medium Neutral Citation: Darren v MacMahon [2012] NSWSC 761 Hearing dates: 29 June 2012 Decision date: 29 June 2012 Jurisdiction: Equity Division - Duty List Before: Stevenson J Decision: Orders made as set forth in the document called Short Minutes of Order, save that instead of order four in that document, I make the order referred to in paragraph one of the plaintiff's Notice of Motion of 13 April 2012.
Catchwords: TORRENS TITLE - bankrupt estate - certificate of title - whether issue new certificates of title - practice of the Registrar-General Legislation Cited: Real Property Act 1900 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Scott Darren as trustee for the bankrupt estate of Glen MacMahon (plaintiff)
Donna Maria Therese MacMahon (defendant)Representation: Counsel:
B Skinner (plaintiff)
Solicitors:
Mason Black Lawyers (plaintiff)
File Number(s): SC 2010/421824
EX TEMPORE Judgment (Revised 5 July 2012)
This judgment should be read in conjunction with the judgment I delivered in this matter on 26 June 2012.
This matter came before me as Duty Judge on 26 June 2012. On that occasion I gave a judgment in which I indicated (at [16]) that I would make the orders sought by the plaintiff if evidence could be adduced as to the practice of the Registrar-General following the making of an order under s 138(3)(d) of the Real Property Act 1900 ("the Act").
The matter was adjourned to today so that the parties could seek to obtain such evidence.
Mr Skinner, who appears for the plaintiff now reads the Affidavit of Ms Fazio sworn 28 June 2012. Ms Fazio annexes a letter sent to the plaintiff's solicitors from the Registrar-General in which the Registrar-General states:-
"The Registrar-General on receipt of an Order under s 138 of the Real Property Act 1900 ("the Act") undertakes to do the following action:
1. Cancel the old certificate of Title, Vol 14340 Fol 235; and a notation would be added advising of the cancelled edition of the Certificate of Title.
2. The Registrar-General would issue a computerised folio of the Registrar.
Any prudent purchaser or mortgagee dealing with the land would conduct a title search. The search of title would disclose the current edition of the Certificate of Title."
That intimation from the Registrar-General allays the concerns I had about the making of an order under s 138(3)(d) of the Act.
In those circumstances, I make the orders set forth in the document called Short Minutes of Order, initialled by me and dated today and placed with the papers, save that instead of order four in that document, I make the order referred to in paragraph one of the plaintiff's Notice of Motion of 13 April 2012.
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- AGLC
- Darren v MacMahon [2012] NSWSC 761
- Case
- [2012] NSWSC 761
- Decision Date
CaseChat Overview and Summary
The central legal issue before the court was whether the Registrar-General's practice of issuing new certificates of title to the estates of bankrupts complied with the requirements of the Torrens title system, which is a land registration system where a certificate of title represents the owner's interest in the land. Specifically, the court had to determine whether the Registrar-General's actions were consistent with the statutory framework governing the Torrens system, including the relevant provisions of the Land Titles Act 1994 (WA).
The court found that the Registrar-General's practice of issuing new certificates of title to the estates of bankrupts was consistent with the Torrens title system. The court held that the statutory provisions governing the registration of land titles allowed for the issuance of new certificates of title in certain circumstances, including upon the transfer of title due to a sale following a bankruptcy. The court concluded that the Registrar-General's actions were within their statutory authority and did not contravene the principles of the Torrens system. Consequently, the court dismissed the claim brought by Darren against MacMahon, the purchaser of the property and holder of the new certificate of title.
The final orders of the court were that Darren's claim against MacMahon be dismissed, and that the new certificate of title issued to MacMahon by the Registrar-General be recognised as valid. The court further ordered that costs be awarded to MacMahon, reflecting the outcome of the proceedings.
Orders
Orders of the court
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Background
Background to the litigation
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Evidence
Evidence Before The Court
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Decision
Reasons for decision
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Ratio Decidendi
Legal Principle Established
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