Gianchino v Gianchino

[2021] VSC 383

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF VICTORIA Not Restricted

AT MELBOURNE
COMMON LAW DIVISION
PROPERTY LIST

S ECI 2020 02527

VICTORIA ELIZABETH GIANCHINO & ANOR (in their capacity as executors of the estate of SUSAN MARTHA GIANCHINO deceased)	Plaintiffs
v
ANGELO GIANCHINO	Defendant

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JUDGE:	Derham AsJ
WHERE HELD:	Melbourne
DATE OF HEARING:	25 May 2021 (Written Submissions to 16 June 2021)
DATE OF JUDGMENT:	29 June 2021
CASE MAY BE CITED AS:	Gianchino & Anor v Gianchino
MEDIUM NEUTRAL CITATION:	[2021] VSC 383

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LIMITATION OF ACTIONS — Adverse possession between co-owners —Limitation of Actions Act 1958 ss 3(1), 8, 9, 14(1), 14(4), 18; JA Pye (Oxford) Ltd v Graham [2003] 1 AC 419 — Whittlesea City Council v Abbatangelo (2009) VSCA 188; Fourniotis v Vallianatos [2018] VSC 369 referred to.

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APPEARANCES:	Counsel	Solicitors
For the Plaintiffs	Mr W Rimmer	Wisewould Mahony
For the Defendant	Mr L Virgona	Sullivan Braham Pty Ltd

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction........................................................................................................................................ 1

Claim and defence/counterclaim.................................................................................................... 1

Evidence............................................................................................................................................... 4

Summary of conclusions.................................................................................................................. 5

Matters in dispute.............................................................................................................................. 5

The facts............................................................................................................................................... 8

Introduction................................................................................................................................... 8

Early years...................................................................................................................................... 9

Retrenchment............................................................................................................................... 10

Relationship between Sue and Angelo.................................................................................... 16

Departure for Queensland......................................................................................................... 20

Events after departure................................................................................................................ 22

The first lock change................................................................................................................... 24

Ben’s visit to Toowoomba.......................................................................................................... 26

Email exchange in October 2004............................................................................................... 26

Angelo’s change of jobs.............................................................................................................. 29

No Christmas at home................................................................................................................ 29

Angelo reduces the mortgage payments................................................................................. 30

Shipping Angelo’s belongings.................................................................................................. 31

Angelo’s visit in September 2005.............................................................................................. 34

Changing the locks after the visit in 2005................................................................................ 39

Emails after September 2005...................................................................................................... 40

Financial arrangements.............................................................................................................. 41

Other material facts..................................................................................................................... 43

Applicable law.................................................................................................................................. 46

Plaintiffs’ interpretation of s 14(4)............................................................................................ 51

Defendant’s interpretation of s 14(4)........................................................................................ 55

Analysis of the interpretation of s 14(4)................................................................................... 58

Aggregation................................................................................................................................. 61

Consideration.................................................................................................................................... 61

First question............................................................................................................................... 61

Second question........................................................................................................................... 66

Third questions............................................................................................................................ 68

Fourth question........................................................................................................................... 69

Fifth question............................................................................................................................... 71

Sixth questions............................................................................................................................. 72

Seventh question......................................................................................................................... 73

Consent......................................................................................................................................... 75

Conclusion......................................................................................................................................... 76

HIS HONOUR:

Introduction

1. The plaintiffs, Victoria Elizabeth Gianchino (‘Vicki’) and Ben Paul Gianchino (‘Ben’) are the children of Susan Martha Gianchino (‘Sue’), who died on 11 February 2019, and the defendant (‘Angelo’).  The plaintiffs are the executors of Sue’s estate.

1. In September 1983, Sue and Angelo were registered as joint proprietors of the fee simple estate in the property known as 19 Cairo Road, Mont Albert North (‘Property’).[1]  On 29 July 2019, after Sue died, Angelo became registered as sole proprietor of the Property by right of survivorship.

   [1]The land described in Certificate of Title Volume 7736 Folio 188. It is sometimes called Box Hill North, particularly by Angelo.

1. The plaintiffs claim that they, in their own right, have acquired title to the Property by way of adverse possession, relying on s 14(4), or alternatively s 14(1) of the Limitation of Actions Act 1958 (Vic) (LAA).  In the event that the plaintiffs’ claim for a possessory title is denied, the plaintiffs bring an alternative claim for a charge over the Property in respect of amounts paid by…