Ollie and Norwood

[2015] FCCA 71

FEDERAL CIRCUIT COURT OF AUSTRALIA

OLLIE & NORWOOD [2015] FCCA 71

Catchwords:
FAMILY LAW – Practice and procedure (?) – de facto property application under s.90SM of the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) – s.90SB(a) applied to application – Respondent issued proceedings under Property Law Act 1958 (Vic) in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal – consideration of meaning of ‘substantial contribution’ under ss.90SM(4)(a), (b) and (c) – consideration of meaning of ‘serious injustice’ in s.90SB(c)(ii) – substantial contribution found under s.90SM(4)(a) – Court not satisfied that failure to make the order would result in serious injustice to the Applicant – application dismissed.

Legislation:

Domestic Relationships Act 1994 (ACT), s.15(1)

Family Law Act 1975 (Cth), ss.90SB, 90SM(4)

Property Law Act 1974 (Qld), ss.276, 286
Property Law Act 1958 (Vic), s.228
Property (Relationships) Act 1976 (NZ), s.14A

Davies v Johnston (Revised) (Real Property) [2014] VCAT 512
Gibbons v Vowles (2003) 22 FRNZ 946
Henry v Williams [2004] 2 NZLR 132
Lee & Hutton [2013] FamCA 745
LF v RA (2005) 34 Fam LR 536
LS v ZJ [2005] NZFLR 932
Mallet & Mallet (1984) 156 CLR 605
McMaster & Wilkie-Snow [2011] ACTSC 183
Miller & Trent (2011) 250 FLR 387
Rolfe & Rolfe (1979) FLC 90-269
V & K [2005] FCWA 80
Van Jole v Cole (2000) 26 Fam LR 228
Wall & Mitchell [2012] FamCA 114
Wentworth v Wentworth (1995) 37 NSWLR 703
X and Y [2010] NZHC 287

Applicant: MS OLLIE

Respondent: MR NORWOOD

File Number: MLC 8579 of 2014

Judgment of: Judge Whelan

Hearing date: 18 December 2014

Date of Last Submission: 18 December 2014

Delivered at: Melbourne

Delivered on: 23 January 2015

REPRESENTATION

Counsel for the Applicant: Ms H Renwick

Solicitors for the Applicant: Brygel Lawyers

Counsel for the Respondent: Mr D Dudderidge

Solicitors for the Respondent: Nevile & Co Lawyers

ORDERS

1. The Application filed on 24 September 2014 is dismissed.

IT IS NOTED that publication of this judgment under the pseudonym Ollie & Norwood is approved pursuant to s.121(9)(g) of the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth).

FEDERAL CIRCUIT COURT
OF AUSTRALIA
AT MELBOURNE

MLC 8579 of 2014

MS OLLIE

Applicant

And

MR NORWOOD

Respondent

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

Introduction

1. This is an application by MS OLLIE (“the Applicant”) under Part VIIIAB, Division 2 of the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) (“the Act”) in which she seeks the following final orders:

   1.  The applicant retain the proceeds of sale of the property situate at Property K.

   2.  That the respondent do all things necessary, including signing any documents necessary to enable the applicant to transfer use of mobile telephone number (omitted) to an account in her sole name.

   3.  That the respondent pay the applicant’s costs of and incidental to this application.[1]

   [1] Initiating Application filed by Ms Ollie on 24 September 2014, at p.2.

2. It is not disputed that the Applicant and the Respondent Mr NORWOOD (“the Respondent”) commenced cohabitation in (omitted) 2013 at Property K (“the property”) and that the Respondent vacated the property in…