Australian Executor Trustees (SA) Limited v Kerr

(2021) 151 ACSR 204; [2021] NSWCA 5

NSW Court of Appeal

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Interrogate

Catchwords

1. Equity
2. › Trusts and trustees
3. › Professional trustee company
4. › Breach of trust
5. › Release of encumbrances securing beneficiaries' interests
6. › Equitable compensation
7. › Counterfactual analysis
8. › Whether trustee's breach created evidentiary onus to establish alternative counterfactual
1. Equity
2. › Equitable remedies
3. › Equitable compensation
4. › Causation and assessment
5. › Whether award should be limited to value of encumbered land
6. › Whether deductions should be made from tree sale proceeds for commissions and harvest proceeds
1. Equity
2. › Equitable remedies
3. › Equitable compensation
4. › Defaulting trustee
5. › Whether proportionate liability legislation applies to breach of trust
6. › Whether apportionment provisions substantive or procedural
7. › Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), Pt 4
8. › Law Reform (Contributory Negligence and Apportionment of Liability) Act 2001 (SA), ss 3, 8
1. Contracts
2. › Solicitors
3. › Retainer to advise trustee
4. › Negligent advice
5. › Whether negligent advice causative of loss
6. › Whether trustee would have acted differently if properly advised
7. › Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), s 5D(3)

Quick Take

Proportionate liability defences under NSW law will not apply to breach of trust claims where the lex loci delicti is a jurisdiction (such as South Australia) whose apportionment legislation does not cover breach of trust. Defaulting trustees bear the evidentiary burden to establish alternative counterfactuals.