Re Connock (No 3)

[2023] VSC 420

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF VICTORIA Not Restricted

AT MELBOURNE

COMMON LAW DIVISION

TRUSTS, EQUITY AND PROBATE LIST

S ECI 2019 03554

RICHARD ANTHONY CONNOCK (in his capacity as executor of the estate of Dr Richard Hugh Shephard Connock)	Plaintiff
v
BARBARA FAYE CONNOCK	Defendant

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JUDGE:	Moore J
WHERE HELD:	Melbourne
DATES OF HEARING:	14 – 16, 21 June 2022; 6 – 7, 9 September 2022
DATE OF JUDGMENT:	24 July 2023
CASE MAY BE CITED AS:	Re Connock (No 3)
MEDIUM NEUTRAL CITATION:	[2023] VSC 420

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WILLS AND ESTATES – Proprietary estoppel – Estoppel by encouragement – Where plaintiff alleges deceased and defendant shared mutual expectation regarding disposition of assets upon their passing – Held no such expectation continued to exist between the parties – Proceeding dismissed – Flocas v Carlson [2015] VSC 221.

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APPEARANCES:	Counsel	Solicitors
For the Plaintiff	Mr C Gunson SC with Mr L Hogan	John Keating & Associates
For the Defendant	Mr M Tehan	Hall & Wilcox

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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

The Asset Expectation................................................................................................................. 3

Issues for determination............................................................................................................. 5

Dr Richard Connock.................................................................................................................... 6

Witnesses....................................................................................................................................... 9

Basil Ristevski.............................................................................................................................. 10

Principal findings of fact.......................................................................................................... 12

The 2006 wills.............................................................................................................................. 12

2008 - 2011.................................................................................................................................... 13

2012 wills...................................................................................................................................... 14

Dr Connock......................................................................................................................... 14

Mrs Connock...................................................................................................................... 16

2012 Binding Death Benefit Nomination................................................................................. 17

2014 wills...................................................................................................................................... 17

Dr Connock......................................................................................................................... 17

Mrs Connock...................................................................................................................... 20

The Buckland conversation – January 2015............................................................................ 21

Death benefit nomination – July 2015...................................................................................... 27

Dr Connock’s death.................................................................................................................... 28

The December 2017 note............................................................................................................ 28

Preparation and execution of a new will for Mrs Connock: December 2017 – January 2018     31

Probate.......................................................................................................................................... 36

Mrs Connock’s April 2018 will.................................................................................................. 36

Mrs Connock’s 2019 will............................................................................................................ 36

Question 1: Was there, as a matter of fact, an Asset Expectation as alleged by Mr Connock?.................................................................................................................................................. 36

Mr Connock’s submissions........................................................................................................ 37

Consideration.............................................................................................................................. 43

Disposition.................................................................................................................................. 59

HIS HONOUR:

Introduction

1. Dr Richard Hugh Shephard Connock and Faye Connock married on 17 August 2002 when they were respectively 71 and 65 years of age.  For each it was their third marriage.  Although they met many years earlier in about 1960, their romantic relationship commenced in about 2000.

1. When they married, Dr Connock had three adult children from his first marriage of 31 years: Richard Anthony Connock (who I will refer to as Mr Connock), Patricia Connock and Linda Sutton (collectively, ‘the Connock children’).  Faye Connock, who I will refer to as Mrs Connock, had five children from her first marriage.[1]  

   [1]Mary-Anne Gurr, Belinda Gurr, Susan Sweeting, Michael Gurr (who died in 2017) and Christopher  Gurr.

1. Dr Connock had accumulated substantial assets before his marriage to Mrs Connock.  He was the sole registered proprietor of a property in Edgerton Street, Hawthorn (the Hawthorn property), the sole registered proprietor of a property in Napier Street, South Melbourne (the South Melbourne property) and the sole member of the Shephard Superannuation Fund (the superannuation fund) which he established in about 1995.  He also had various bank and investment accounts.  Comparatively, Mrs Connock had accumulated only…