6 The Summons was filed on 4 April 2005. It was served personally on Mr Arthur on 15 November 2005, together with a letter informing him that the matter was returnable on 22 November 2005. On 21 November 2005, Mr Arthur spoke on the telephone to Mr Zucker, the solicitor with the conduct of the matter for the Protective Commissioner, and indicated that he wanted to resolve the matter without lawyers. He also provided a current address, at Lavington. On 12 December 2005, Mr Zucker sent Mr Arthur a letter at that address, which informed him that the matter had been adjourned to 20 February 2006, and proposed a resolution. There was no response. On 15 March 2006, Mr Arthur was served personally with a letter dated 22 February 21006, which advised him that the matter had been adjourned to 20 March 2006, on which date the plaintiff would be asking the court to proceed to hear the matter either on that or on a subsequent date, in his absence. On 1 June 2006, Mr Zucker sent Mr Arthur a registered letter, which informed him that the case was listed for hearing on 21 June 2006, and that if he did not appear, the plaintiff would apply to have the matter proceed in his absence. On 19 June 2006, a copy of the principal affidavit in support, the various affidavits of service, and a letter advising that the plaintiff would seek an order that the defendant transfer his interest in the land to the plaintiff on an undefended basis on 21 June, was left at premises then apparently occupied by Mr Arthur in Albury.
7 On 21 June 2006, when the matter was listed for hearing before White J, there was no appearance for Mr Arthur. The plaintiff wished to amend the relief claimed, and his Honour granted leave to amend the summons and stood the matter over to the one-day list on 28 July 2006. The Amended Summons was filed on 27 June 2006, returnable on 28 July 2006, and was served personally on Mr Arthur, together with a copy of the plaintiff's Outline of Submissions, the principal supporting affidavit of Mr Zucker, and a covering letter, on 3 July 2006. On 28 July 2006, the matter was fixed for hearing on 3 August 2006, and on the same day, a letter informing Mr Arthur that it was listed for hearing in the Court at Sydney at 0930 on 3 August 2006 was personally served on Mr Arthur.
8 At the hearing, as on every prior occasion, there was no appearance on behalf of Mr Arthur. I am satisfied that he has proper notice of the hearing, and that it is appropriate to proceed in his absence with the trial generally, under UCPR r 29.7.
Resulting Trust
9 Mr McInerney, who appears for Mr Dinsdale, submits that there is a resulting trust arising from contributions to the purchase price pursuant to which the Albury property is held for Mr Dinsdale as to a share in the ratio of 75,000:98,166.60, consistent with his contribution of $75,000 to the purchase price. Subject to his Baumgartner submission, addressed below, in respect of the residual beneficial interest of 23,166.60:98,166.60 ("the residual portion"), he submits that half the residual portion is also held upon constructive trust for Mr Dinsdale.
10 The prima facie position that the beneficial ownership of real property is commensurate with the legal title [Currie v Hamilton (1984) 1 NSWLR 687, 690 (McLelland J)], is displaced by the presumption of a resulting trust arising from payment of the purchase price, unless that presumption is in turn rebutted by a presumption of advancement, or by evidence [Martin v Martin (1959) 110 CLR 297; Calverley v Green (1984) 155 CLR 242]. Where parties contribute unequally to the purchase price of property, they are presumed to hold it beneficially pro-rata to their contributions to the purchase price [Martin v Martin (1959) 110 CLR 297; Calverley v Green (1984) 155 CLR 242, 246, 258-259]. As Deane J said in Calverley v Green (at 266-267):
Where two or more persons advance the purchase price of property in different shares, it is presumed that the person or persons to whom the legal title is transferred holds or hold the property upon resulting trust in favour of those who provided the purchase price in the shares in which they provided it.
11 For these purposes, the "purchase price" includes costs, fees and disbursements incidental to the acquisition of the property [Ryan v Dries [2002] NSWCA 3, [52]-[53]]. If the purchase price is funded in whole or in part by moneys raised on mortgage, the mortgage moneys are treated as a contribution by the person who is liable to repay them; where purchasers jointly borrow funds on mortgage loan, they are to be regarded as contributing the part of the purchase price so raised equally [Calverley v Green (1984) 155 CLR 242, 251 (Gibbs CJ), 257-258 (Mason and Brennan JJ), 267-268 (Deane J)]. Although the presumption of a resulting trust may be rebutted by evidence [Napier v Public Trustee (Western Australia) (1980) 32 ALR 153, 158 (Aickin J, with whom Gibbs CJ, Mason, Murphy and Wilson JJ agreed)], it is a presumption which is not displaced by slight circumstances [Shepherd v Cartwright [1955] AC 431, 445; Charles Marshall Pty Ltd v Grimsley (1956) 95 CLR 353, 365; Brown v Brown (1993) 31 NSWLR 582, 596].
12 Accordingly, the purchase price is to be treated as $98,166.60. Mr Dinsdale is to be regarded as having contributed $75,000 from the proceeds of his interest in the SRA Land, and half of the mortgage moneys of $23,166.60. Mr Arthur is to be regarded as having contributed the other half of the mortgage moneys. There is no evidence that would rebut the presumption of a resulting trust, nor any circumstances that would support a presumption of advancement. Accordingly, the Albury property is held upon resulting trust for the parties in proportions 86,583.30 for Mr Dinsdale and 11,583.30 for Mr Arthur, which I shall round to 88:12.