Bondi Beach Astra Retirement Village Pty Ltd v Assem [2020] NSWSC 1814

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Bondi Beach Astra Retirement Village Pty Ltd v Assem [2020] NSWSC 1814 Hearing dates: 26-29 May 2020 Decision date: 16 December 2020 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Meagher JA Decision: See [213] Catchwords: RETIREMENT VILLAGES – Retirement Villages Act 1999 (NSW), s 5 – meaning of "retirement village" – "village contracts" – whether contracts giving rise to "residence right" – whether contracts "under which" services provided – whether complex "predominantly or exclusively" occupied or intended to be occupied by residents having village contracts with operator RETIREMENT VILLAGES – Retirement Villages Act 1999 (NSW) – meaning of "operator" of retirement village – whether plaintiff manages or controls village – whether sufficient that plaintiff owns land in the village or is within Retirement Villages Regulation 2017 (NSW), reg 6 – meaning of "land" RETIREMENT VILLAGES – Retirement Villages Act 1999 (NSW), s 171 – where prospective seller not a resident – whether "vendor" must be a "resident" of village – whether s 171 applies to operator not involved in management or control of village CONTRACTS – uncertainty – where clause requires that any contract for sale of property be subject to purchaser's agreement with third party – whether clause void for uncertainty as agreement to agree – whether purchaser under contract for sale would have discretion not to perform CONTRACTS – restraints on alienation – where clause requires that any contract for sale of property be subject to purchaser's agreement with third party – whether clause void as impermissible restraint on alienation of land – whether restraint has valid collateral purpose Legislation Cited: Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW), s 88E Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW), s 21(1) Real Property Act 1900 (NSW), ss 3(1), 74H(5)(a), 93(1) Retirement Villages Act 1989 (NSW), s 3(1) Retirement Villages Act 1999 (NSW), ss 4, 5, 24, 24A, 40, 41, 43, 72, 112, 166, 171, Part 10 Div 5 Retirement Villages Regulation 2009 (NSW), reg 15A Retirement Villages Regulation 2017 (NSW), regs 6, 17, 26(i), Schedule 2 Strata Schemes Development Act 2015 (NSW), s 9 Strata Schemes Management Act 1996 (NSW), ss 9(2), 12(1), 42(2), 43(4), 117 Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW), ss 136(2), 144 Strata Titles Act 1973 (NSW), s 58(2), (7) Cases Cited: Adventure World Travel Pty Ltd v Newsom (2014) 86 NSWLR 515; [2014] NSWCA 174 Aged Care Services Pty Ltd v Kanning Services Pty Ltd (2013) 86 NSWLR 174; [2013] NSWCA 393 Attorney-General (SA) v Corporation of the City of Adelaide (2013) 249 CLR 1; [2013] HCA 3 Australian Education Union v Dept of Education and Children's Services (2012) 248 CLR 1; [2012] HCA 3 Bird v Perpetual Executors and Trustees Association of Australia Ltd (1946) 73 CLR 140; [1946] HCA 52 Bondi Beach Astra Retirement Village Pty Ltd v Gora [2010] NSWSC 81 Bondi Beach Astra Retirement Village Pty Ltd v Gora (2011) 82 NSWLR 665; [2011] NSWCA 396 Brown v Heffer (1967) 116 CLR 344; [1967] HCA 40 Brown v West (1990) 169 CLR 195; [1990] HCA 7 Bursill Enterprises Pty Ltd v Berger Bros Trading Co Pty Ltd (1970) 124 CLR 73; [1971] HCA 9 Caboche v Ramsay [1993] FCA 611; (1993) 119 ALR 215 Crawford Fitting Co v Sydney Valve & Fittings Pty Ltd (1988) 1 NSWLR 439 Eastman v DPP (ACT) (2003) 214 CLR 318; [2003] HCA 28 Farkas v R [2014] NSWCCA 141 Hall v Busst (1960) 104 CLR 206; [1960] HCA 84 Inghams Enterprises Pty Ltd v Hannigan [2020] NSWCA 82 John Nitschke Nominees Pty Ltd v Hahndorf Golf Club Inc (2004) 88 SASR 334; [2004] SASC 128 Johns v Australian Securities Commission (1993) 178 CLR 408; [1993] HCA 56 Meehan v Jones (1982) 149 CLR 571; [1982] HCA 52 Moraitis Fresh Packaging (NSW) Pty Ltd v Fresh Express (Australia) Pty Ltd [2008] NSWCA 327; (2008) 14 BPR 26,339 Nairn v Metro-Central Joint Development Assessment Panel (2018) 53 WAR 20; [2018] WASCA 18 Noon v Bondi Beach Astra Retirement Village Pty Ltd [2010] NSWCA 202 Noon v The Owners – Strata Plan No. 22422 [2014] NSWSC 1260 Onus v Alcoa of Australia Ltd (1981) 149 CLR 27; [1981] HCA 50 Perri v Coolangatta Investments Pty Ltd (1982) 149 CLR 537; [1982] HCA 29 Re Lehrer and the Real Property Act 1900-1956 (1960) 61 SR (NSW) 365 Reuthlinger v MacDonald [1976] 1 NSWLR 88 Reuthlinger v MacDonald (NSWCA, Street CJ, Glass and Samuels JJA, 20 October 1976, unreported) Sovar v Henry Lane Pty Ltd (1967) 116 CLR 397; [1967] HCA 31 Ta Lee Investment Pty Ltd v Antonios [2019] NSWCA 24 The Salvation Army (New South Wales) Property Trust v Chief Commissioner of State Revenue (2018) 96 NSWLR 119; [2018] NSWSC 128 Thorby v Goldberg (1964) 112 CLR 597; [1964] HCA 1 Texts Cited: P Butt, Land Law (Lawbook Co, 2006, 5th ed) J D Heydon, Heydon on Contract (2019, Lawbook Co) C Sweet, 'Restraints on Alienation I' (1917) 33 LQR 236 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Bondi Beach Astra Retirement Village Pty Ltd (Plaintiff) Yasser Assem (First Defendant) Mohammed Assem (Second Defendant) The Owners – Strata Plan 22422 (Third Defendant) Representation: Counsel: S Balafoutis SC and E Doyle-Markwick (Plaintiff) P W Gray SC and D M Flaherty (First and Second Defendants)