ABOUT WWRIGHT LAWYER ABN 94 899 580 524

Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation

I have been practising law for over 35 years exclusively in land law (real property law) and with particular focus on the adverse possession of land but extending to all land title problems. I am a former legal officer at the NSW Land Registry Services where I worked for 15 years.

I bring that experience to any land title problem arising under the Real Property Act 1900.

Adverse Possession 

My expertise in the law of adverse possession of land in the State of New South Wales is extensive and informed by long experience. 

I was a Senior Legal Officer at the then NSW Land TItles Office (now NSW Land Registry Services) for 15 years and have an intimate knowledge of the policies and practices of LRS and the Registrar-General in the administration of the Real Property Act 1900 and its cognate legislation. 

I have examined and determined hundreds of cases of adverse possession and have been successful in every case advanced on behalf of clients to the New South Wales Land Registry or the Courts.

The following cases are cases in which I acted for the adverse possessor and in which we were successful in the Equity Division of the Supreme Court, in the Court of Appeal and in the High Court of Australia: [WARNING The following links will take you to a different site]

Hardy v Sidoti [2020] NSWSC 1057

Sidoti v Hardy[2021] NSWCA 105

Sidoti & Anor v Hardy [2021] HCATrans 207 (3 December 2021)

Other successful adverse possession proceedings in the Supreme Court include:

Z v NSW Trustee v Guardian (2021) Unreported case of adverse possession against a co-owner.

All other land title problems 

I advise on all other general title problems arising under the Real Property Act 1900 including:

• title investigation and analysis
• common law title
• limited title
• qualified title
• strata title
• easements
• caveats
• boundaries and encroachments including dividing fences
• Crown land
• restrictive covenants
• positive covenants 
• court proceedings about any of those things. 

I have additional expertise in plans of survey and identification surveys.

My experience in land law and policy includes 10 years working in the Governments of Indonesia, Bangladesh and East Timor as well as the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the University of San Francisco School of Law and The Asia Foundation. 

I hold a Bachelor of Laws degree and a Bachelor of Arts (Sociology & Anthropology) Degree from Macquarie University and a Certificate of Completion from the NSW College of Law.

I was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales on 19 December 1986.

I have held the following positions in the tertiary education sector:

• Part-time lecturer University of New South Wales (Reform of land administration systems in developing countries)
• Teacher NSW TAFE (Title investigation and analysis)