Woodhouse v Fitzgerald [2021] NSWCA 54

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Woodhouse v Fitzgerald [2021] NSWCA 54 Hearing dates: 1, 2 December 2020 Decision date: 09 April 2021 Before: Basten JA at [1]; Meagher JA at [132]; Payne JA at [133] Decision: (1) Allow the cross-appeal and set aside orders 1, 2, 3 and 4 made in the Common Law Division on 1 May 2020. (2) In place of those orders: (a) dismiss the further amended statement of claim; (b) order that the plaintiff pay the defendants' costs of the trial. (3) Dismiss the appeal. (4) Order that Mr Woodhouse pay 50% of the respondents'/cross-appellants' costs in this Court. Catchwords: TORTS – negligence – duty of care – scope of duty of landowner to neighbouring landowner for fire – vicarious liability – non-delegable duty – controlled burn by Rural Fire Service on private land – reignition and spread of undetected fire – damage to neighbouring property – RFS with statutory immunity to liability – RFS exercised reasonable care – whether landowner liable TORTS – nuisance – private nuisance – controlled burning – whether controlled burning can constitute private nuisance – whether strict liability TORTS – property damage – apportionable claim – concurrent wrongdoers – whether a party with statutory immunity can be a concurrent wrongdoer Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), ss 5Q, 34, 35, 36, 39; Pt 4 Law Reform (Vicarious Liability) Act 1983 (NSW), s 10 Rural Fires Act 1997 (NSW). ss 8, 10, 128; Pt 2 Cases Cited: Black v Christchurch Finance Co [1894] AC 48 Brand v Hammersmith and City Railway Co (1867) LR 2QB 223 Burnie Port Authority v General Jones Pty Ltd (1994) 179 CLR; [1994] HCA 13 Cambridge Water Co v Eastern Counties Leather Plc [1994] 2 AC 264 Hargrave v Goldman (1963) 110 CLR 40; [1963] HCA 56 Heaven v Pender (1883) 11 QBD 503. Hunt & Hunt Lawyers v Mitchell Morgan Nominees Pty Ltd (2013) 247 CLR 613; [2013] HCA 10 Independent Commission Against Corruption v Cunneen (2015) 256 CLR 1; [2015] HCA 14 Leichhardt Municipal Council v Montgomery (2007) 230 CLR 22; [2007] HCA 6 Mitchell Morgan Nominees Pty Ltd v Vella (2011) NSWCA 390; 16 BPR 30,189 Northwestern Utilities v London Guarantee & Accident Co [1936] AC 108 Overseas Tankship (U.K.) Ltd v Miller Steamship Co Pty (The Wagon Mound (No 2)) [1967] 1 AC 617 Perpetual Trustee Company Ltd v Milanex Pty Ltd (in liq) [2011] NSWCA 367 Rylands v Fletcher (1866) LR 1 Ex 265 St George Bank Ltd v Quinerts Pty Ltd (2009) 25 VR 666; [2009] VSCA 245 Trajkovski v Simpson [2019] NSWCA 52 Weber v Greater Hume Shire Council (2019) 100 NSWLR 1; [2019] NSWCA 74 Texts Cited: Commonwealth of Australia, Inquiry into the Law of Joint and Several Liability: Report of Stage 2 (1995) Newark, "The Boundaries of Nuisance" (1949) 65 LQR 480 Sappideen and Vines (eds) Fleming's the Law of Torts (10th ed, Lawbook Co, 2011) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Brian Herbert Woodhouse (Appellant/Cross-Respondent) Barry Thomas Fitzgerald (First Respondent/First Cross-Appellant) Virginia Eileen McCoy (Second Respondent/Second Cross-Appellant) Representation: Counsel: Mr GJ Parker SC / Mr P Tierney (Appellant/Cross-Respondent) Mr R Cheney SC / Mr H Pintos-Lopez (Respondents/Cross-Appellants)