Murphy v Lewkovitz; Lewkovitz v Murphy [2021] NSWDC 361

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Murphy v Lewkovitz; Lewkovitz v Murphy [2021] NSWDC 361 Hearing dates: 08, 09, 10 and 11 February 2021 Plaintiff's written submissions: 1 March 2021 Defendant's written submissions: 17 March 2021 Plaintiff's written submissions in reply: 26 March 2021 Plaintiff's supplementary submissions: 8 June 2021 Defendants' supplementary submissions: 8 June 2021 Date of orders: 11 July 2021 Decision date: 11 July 2021 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Hatzistergos AM DCJ Decision: See [329] Catchwords: CONTRACT –– Contractual breaches by reason of sections 52 and 63 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 (NSW) established – Requirement of fitness for habitation at the commencement of the tenancy agreement and landlord's duty to repair – Consideration of whether a breach section 26 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 (NSW) can give rise to a claim for breach of statutory duty – Unnecessary to resolve claims under section 26 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 (NSW) and section 30 of the Australian Consumer Law TORT –– Breach of common law duty of care – Breach by landlord to tenant established where the risk of harm of sustaining loss by water damage and mould due to structural defects in the dwelling EVIDENCE –– Unexplained failure to call witness does not lead to adverse inference where proof otherwise made out – drawing of inferences where witnesses' evidence not accepted – consideration of Kuligowski v Metrobus DAMAGES –– Quantification of damages where chattels not remediable – Quantification of damages where remediable repairs have not been carried out CROSS-CLAIM –– Contractual claim for rental arrears made out – Claim of absence of consideration based on breach of agreement not established – Other potential remedies not advanced. Legislation Cited: Australian Consumer Law, ss 20, 30, 236 Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2013 (NSW), Clause 8 Schedule 4 Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), ss 5B, 5C, 90 Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), ss 136, 164 Residential Tenancies Act 2010 (NSW), ss 26, 43, 52, 63 Residential Tenancies Amendment (Review) Act 2018 (NSW), clauses 3, 25 Residential Tenancies Regulation 2019 (NSW), clause 7 Residential Tenancy Act 1995 (SA), s 68 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), rr 31.23, 31.27 Cases Cited: Ahluwalia & Ors v Robinson [2003] NSWCA 175 Aldred v Stelcad Pty Ltd [2015] NSWCA 201 Bannister v Cheung [2014] NSWCATCD 105 Bartley and Zawiolkowski v Harris Park Holdings Pty Ltd [2010] NSWCTT 592 Bole v Huntsbuild Ltd [2010] All ER (D); [2009] EWCA Civ 1146 Commonwealth v Amann Aviation Pty Ltd (1991) 174 CLR 64 D'Ambrosio v Tyler [2009] ACAT 33 Dasreef Pty Ltd v Hawchar [2011] HCA 21; (2011) 243 CLR 588 De Solei v Palmhide Pty Limited [2010] NSWCTTT 464 Dennis v Brownlee [1964] NSWR 544; (1963) 9 LGRA 415; [1963] SR (NSW) 719 Doe d Murray, Lord Bishop of Rochester v Bridges (1831) 1 B & Ad 847; (1831)109 ER 1001 at 859 (B & Ad) Ermel v DuluxGroup (Aust) Pty Ltd (No 2) [2015] FCA 17 Fazio v Fazio [2012] WASCA 72 Fin v Finato [2004] NSWCTT 179 FT Eastment & Sons Pty Ltd v McLeish (1970) 91 WN (NSW) 268 Goodhue v Volunteer Marine Rescue Association Incorporated [2015] QCA 234 Gray v Queensland Housing Commission [2004] QSC 276 Hampel v South Australian Housing Trust [2007] SADC 64 Hoblos v Alexakis [2021] NSWCA 126 Jones v Bartlett (2000) 205 CLR 166; (2000) 176 ALR 137; (2000) 75 ALJR Kuligowski v Metrobus (2004) 220 CLR 363; (2004) 208 ALR 1; (2004) 78 ALJR 1031; [2004] HCA 34 Lewin v Zhou [2018] NSWCATCD 54 Libra Collaroy Pty Ltd v Bhide [2017] NSWCA 196 Loose Fit Pty Ltd v Marshbaum [2011] NSWCA 372 Makita v Sprowles (2001) 52 NSWLR 705 March v E & MH Stramare Pty Ltd (1991) 171 CLR 506 Nelson-Hauer v Calman (1954) 73 WN (NSW) 449 New South Wales Department of Housing v Hume bhnf Donna Hume & Anor (2007) Australian Tort Reports 81-879; [2007] NSWCA 69 Northern Sandblasting Pty Ltd v Harris [1997] HCA 39; (1997) 188 CLR 313; (1997) 146 ALR 572; (1997) 71 ALJR 1428 O'Brien v Roberts [2012] NSWCTTT 372 Proudfoot v Hart (1890) 25 QBD 42 Rendlesham Estates plc v Barr Ltd [2014] EWHC 3968 Rhesa Shipping CO SA v Edmunds [1985] 1 WLR 948 at 955; [1985] 2 All ER 712 Roberts v Bell [2001] NSWRT 6 Roberts v NSW Aboriginal Housing Office [2017] NSWCATAP 9 Sakoua & Anor v Williams (2005) 64 NSWLR 588; [2005] NSWCA 405 Summers v Salford Corporation [1943] AC 283 Summers v Salford Corporation [1943] AC 283 Tito v Wadell (No 2) [1977] CH 106 Varricchio v Wentzel (2016) 125 SASR 191 Texts Cited: Allan Anforth, Peter Christensen, Christopher Adkins, Residential Tenancies Law and Practice New South Wales (Federation Press, 7th ed, 2017) McGregor on Damages by James Edelman, revised by Simon Colton and Jason Varuhas (2021) 21st Edition Category: Principal judgment Parties: Christopher Murphy (Plaintiff/Cross Defendant) George Lewkovitz and Ilana Lewkovitz (Defendants/Cross Claimant's) Representation: Counsel: Mr D Hand (Plaintiff/Cross Defendant) Mr A Maroya (Defendant/ Cross Claimant)