Repfix Industries Pty Ltd v FBD Group Pty Ltd [2020] NSWDC 514

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Repfix Industries Pty Ltd v FBD Group Pty Ltd [2020] NSWDC 514 Hearing dates: 31 August – 2 September 2020 Date of orders: 08 September 2020 Decision date: 08 September 2020 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Abadee DCJ Decision: See paragraphs 202-203 Catchwords: CONTRACTS – building and construction – plaintiff supplied carpentry and joinery services to customer at three separate commercial premises – dispute about payment terms – whether customer liable to pay more than estimated costs previously agreed to – whether agreement to final payment terms can be inferred – whether construction works were defective – whether rectification works necessary or reasonable to be undertaken – relevance of any lack of intention to carry out rectification works EVIDENCE – business records admitted – no testimonial evidence to support inferences said to be drawn from records – approach to considering weight to be given to records Cases Cited: Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Rich (2009) 236 FLR 1; [2009] NSWSC 1229 Bellgrove v Elridge (1954) 90 CLR 613 Bundanoon Sandstone Pty Ltd v Cenric Group Pty Ltd; TWT Property Group Pty Limited v Cenric Group Pty Limited [2019] NSWCA 87 Caves Beachside Cuisine Pty Ltd v Boydah Pty Ltd [2015] NSWSC 1273 Cordon Investments Pty Ltd v Lesdor Properties Pty Ltd [2012] NSWCA 184 County Securities Pty Ltd v Challenger Group Holdings Pty Ltd [2008] NSWCA 193 De Cesare v Deluxe Motors Pty Ltd (1996) 67 SASR 28 Director of War Service Homes v Harris (1968) Qd R 275 Hughes v Metropolitan Railway Co (1877) 2 App Cas 439 Integrated Computer Services Pty Ltd v Digital Equipment Corp (Aust) Pty Ltd (1988) 5 BPR 11,110 John Holland Pty Ltd v Kellogg Brown & Root Pty Ltd [2015] NSWSC 451 Lym International Pty Ltd v Marcolongo [2011] NSWCA 303 Mann v Paterson Constructions Pty Ltd (2019) 93 ALJR 1164; [2019] HCA 32 Radford v De Froberville [1978] 1 All ER 33 Scott Carver Pty Ltd v SAS Trustee Corporation [2005] NSWCA 462 Tabcorp Holdings Ltd v Bowen Investments Pty Ltd (2009) 236 CLR 272 Westpoint Management Ltd v Chocolate Factory Apartments Ltd; Chocolate Factory Apartments v Westpoint Finance & Ors [2007] NSWCA 253 Wheeler & Anor v Ecroplot [2010] NSWCA 61 Texts Cited: J W Carter, E Peden & G J Tolhurst, Contract Law in Australia (5th ed, Butterworths, 2007) J D Heydon, Heydon on Contract (Thomson Reuters, 2019) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Repfix Industries Pty Ltd (Plaintiff/Cross-Defendant) FBD Group Pty Ltd (Defendant/Cross-Claimant) Representation: Counsel: Mr B Ilkosvki for the plaintiff Mr M Sheldon for the defendant