Vickery v The Owners – Strata Plan No 80412 [2020] NSWCA 284

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Vickery v The Owners – Strata Plan No 80412 [2020] NSWCA 284 Hearing dates: 18 June 2020 Decision date: 11 November 2020 Before: Basten JA at [1]; Leeming JA at [65]; White JA at [158]. Decision: 1. Grant the applicant leave to appeal from the decisions of the Appeal Panel given on 15 January and 17 March 2020. 2. Allow the appeal and set aside the following orders: (a) orders 1 and 2 made on 15 January 2020, and (b) orders 1, 2 and 3 made on 17 March 2020. 3. Remit the matter to the Appeal Panel to determine any outstanding issues raised by the notice of appeal filed in the Tribunal on 15 November 2019, including the costs of and incidental to the proceedings heard by the Appeal Panel on 19 December 2019. 4. Order that the respondent pay the applicant's costs in this Court. Catchwords: STRATA TITLES – obligation of owners corporation to maintain common property in good repair – owners corporation breached obligation, causing damage to lot owner – NCAT authorised to make orders to "settle" a complaint or dispute about strata scheme – whether NCAT authorised to award damages to lot owner – consideration of nature of lot owner's cause of action – consideration of conferral of jurisdiction and power upon NCAT – consideration of legislative history – consideration of interaction of jurisdiction of courts and NCAT – appeal allowed, NCAT authorised to award damages. TORT – breach of statutory duty – statute authorised lot owner to recover damages for breach of statutory duty – consideration of nature of lot owner's cause of action. Legislation Cited: Agricultural Tenancies Act 1990 (NSW), s 21 Animals Act 1971 (UK) Animals Act 1977 (NSW), s 7 Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW), 108 Australian Consumer Law, ss 236, 237 Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2013 (NSW), ss 4, 7, 28, 29, 36, 38, 45, 50, 60, 80, 83; Sch 4, cll 3, 5 Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), ss 5B, 5D, 43, 45 Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), ss 56, 98 Commercial Arbitration Act 2010 (NSW), s 30 Companion Animals Act 1998 (NSW), ss 25-28 Constitution, ss 51(xxxv), 92 Conveyancing (Strata Titles) Act 1961 (NSW), s 15 Courts of Petty Sessions (Civil Claims) Act 1970 Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (UK) District Court Act 1973 (NSW), s 44 Fair Trading Act 1987 (NSW), s 79S Home Building Act 1989 (NSW), s 48K Industrial Relations Act 1996 (NSW), ss 86, 100E, 348(7) Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW), s 35 Landlord and Tenant (Amendment) Act 1948 (NSW) Justices Act 1902 (NSW) Local Court Act 2007 (NSW), s 30 Motor Dealers and Repairers Act 2013 (NSW), s 112 Residential Tenancies Act 2010 (NSW), s 187 Residential Tenancies Regulation 2019, s 40 Retail Leases Act (NSW), ss 72 and 73 Strata Schemes Development Act 2015 (NSW), s 24 Strata Schemes Management Act 1996 (NSW), ss 62, 131, 138, 140-161, 207, 217-219, 229, 230 Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW) ss 4, 5, 9, 31-32, 60, 72, 77, 86, 89, 90, 104, 106, 132, 145, 147-148, 232-238 Strata Titles Act 1973 (NSW), ss 5(6), 68, 97, 98A, 100, 104, 105, 105(1A), 105(1B), 106-114, 116, 128, 130 Strata Titles (Amendment) Act 1984 (NSW) Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), ss 48, 76 Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth), ss 52, 82, 87 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), rr 36.16, 42.1 Cases Cited: Advance Earthmovers Pty Ltd v Fubew Pty Ltd [2009] NSWCA 337 Antill Ranger & Co Pty Ltd v Commissioner for Motor Transport (1955) 93 CLR 83; [1955] HCA 25 British American Tobacco Australia Ltd v Western Australia (2003) 217 CLR 30; [2003] HCA 47 Byrne v Australian Airlines Ltd (1995) 185 CLR 410; [1995] HCA 24 Cachia v Issacs [1985] 3 NSWLR 366 Cohen-Hallaleh v Cyril Rosenbaum Synagogue Pty Ltd [2003] NSWSC 395 Commissioner of Taxation v Consolidated Media Holdings Ltd (2012) 250 CLR 503; [2012] HCA 55 Darling Island Stevedoring & Lighterage Co v Long (1957) 97 CLR 36; [1957] HCA 26 Gardiner v State of Victoria [1999] 2 VR 461; [1999] VSCA 100 Henville v Walker (2001) 206 CLR 459; [2001] HCA 52 Holland v Saskatchewan [2008] 2 SCR 551; 2008 SCC 42 I & L Securities Pty Ltd v HTW Valuers (Brisbane) Pty Ltd (2002) 210 CLR 109; [2002] HCA 41 Jonval Builders Pty Ltd v Commissioner for Fair Trading [2020] NSWCA 233 Kollas v Scurrah [2008] NSWCA 17 Lambidis v Commissioner of Police (1995) 37 NSWLR 320 Lochgelly Iron & Coal Co v M'Mullan [1934] AC 1 London Passenger Transport Board v Upson [1949] AC 155 Lubrano v Proprietors Strata Plan No 4038 (1993) 6 BPR 97,457 March v E & MH Stramare Pty Ltd (1991) 171 CLR 506; [1991] HCA 12 McElwaine v The Owners – Strata Plan 75975 [2017] NSWCA 239; 18 BPR 37,207 Miller v Miller (2011) 242 CLR 446; [2011] HCA 9 Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations v Gribbles Radiology Pty Ltd (2005) 222 CLR 194; [2005] HCA 9 Moallem v Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal [2013] NSWSC 1700 Morris v Riverwild Management Pty Ltd [2011] 38 VR 103; [2011] VSCA 283 Nicita v Owners of Strata Plan 64837 [2010] NSWSC 68 O'Connor v SP Bray Ltd (1937) 56 CLR 464; [1937] HCA 18 Owners Corporation – SP 64807 v BCS Strata Management Pty Ltd [2020] NSWSC 1040 Owners of the Ship, "Shin Kobe Maru" v Empire Shipping Co Inc (1994) 181 CLR 404; [1994] HCA 54 Owners Strata Plan 50411 v Cameron North Sydney Investments Pty Ltd [2003] NSWCA 5 Proprietors of Strata Plan No 30234 v Margiz Pty Ltd (1993) 7 BPR 14,458 R v Saskatchewan Wheat Pool [1983] 1 SCR 205; 143 DLR (3d) 9 Seiwa Pty Ltd v Owners Strata Plan 35042 [2006] NSWSC 1157 Shih v The Owners - Strata Plan No 87879 [2019] NSWCATAP 263 Sovar v Henry Lane Pty Ltd (1967) 116 CLR 397; [1967] HCA 31 Steak Plains Olive Farm Pty Ltd v Australian Executor Trustees Ltd [2015] NSWSC 289; 18 BPR 35,471 Stryke Corporation Pty Ltd v Miskovic [2007] NSWCA 72 Stuart v Kirkland-Veenstra (2009) 237 CLR 215; [2009] HCA 15 Sutherland Shire Council v Heyman (1985) 157 CLR 424; [1985] HCA 41 Suttor v Gundowda Pty Ltd (1950) 81 CLR 418; [1950] HCA 35 Symes v The Proprietors Strata Plan 31731 [2003] NSWCA 7 The Owners – Strata Plan No 74835 v Pullicin; The Owners – Strata Plan No 80412 v Vickery [2020] NSWCATAP 5 The Owners – Strata Plan No 80412 v Vickery [2019] NSWCATAP 71 The Owners Strata Plan 50276 v Thoo [2013] NSWCA 270; 17 BPR 33,789 The Owners Strata Plan No 30621 v Shum [2018] NSWCATAP 15 The Owners Strata Plan No 57164 v Yau (2017) 96 NSWLR 587; [2017] NSWCA 341 Verryt v Schoupp [2015] NSWCA 128 Wyong Shire Council v Shirt (1980) 146 CLR 40; [1980] HCA 12 Zavodnyik v Alex Constructions Pty Ltd (2005) 67 NSWLR 457; [2005] NSWCA 438 Texts Cited: D Collins and L Robinson, Strata Title Units in New South Wales (Butterworths, 2nd ed 1982) J Fleming, The Law of Torts (9th ed 1998) C Forell, "Statutes and Torts: Comparing the United Statutes to Australia, Canada and England" 36 Willamette Law Review 865 (2000) N Foster, "The Merits of the Civil Action for Breach of Statutory Duty" (2011) 33 Sydney Law Review 67 A M Gleeson, "Judicial Legitimacy" (2000) 20 Aust Bar Rev 4 R Goode, Commercial Law (LexisNexis, 5th ed 2016) A Rath, P Grimes and J Moore, Strata Titles (The Law Book Company Ltd, 1966) A Samuels, "Is a Breach of Statutory Duty Actionable?" (1995) 16 Statute Law Review 25 C Sherry, Strata Title Property Rights (Routledge 2017) K Stanton et al, Statutory Torts (Sweet & Maxwell, 2014) J F Stephen, A History of the Criminal Law of England (Cambridge University Press, 1883, reprinted 2014) Vol 1 G Williams, "The Effect of Penal Legislation in the Law of Tort" (1960) 23 Modern Law Review 233 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Graham John Vickery (Applicant) The Owners – Strata Plan No 80412 (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: R Cheney SC, D Jenkins (Applicant) D Feller SC, M Dawson (Respondent)