New Zealand Case Law: Decisions & Judgments | LexChat

New Zealand Case Law

Contribution to property
  • 10 Dec 2009

    MORGAN V MORGAN HC WN CIV-2008-485-2494

    Citation
    openlaw-ef2ea4a3_5b20_48ca_b894_89486044f6a5.pdf
    Court
    High Court

    Although Mrs Williams' sale proceeds were applied to substantial renovations to the Kelburn property and thus constituted a contribution more than minor, the court found no common intention at the relevant time that Mrs Williams would retain a beneficial interest beyond life occupation; factors including the 1984 document, absence of contemporaneous protective steps, the family arrangement context and lack of contemporaneous evidence of an expectation to retain a proprietary interest meant a constructive trust was not established and the plaintiff's claim failed.