Trentelman v The Owners – Strata Plan No 76700 [2021] NSWCA 242

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Trentelman v The Owners – Strata Plan No 76700 [2021] NSWCA 242 Hearing dates: 7, 8 July 2021 Decision date: 13 October 2021 Before: Bathurst CJ at [1]; Bell P at [170]; Leeming JA at [171] Decision: 1 Trentelman v The Owners – Strata Plan No 76700; Proceedings No 2021/102010 (1) Appeal dismissed. (2) Order the appellant pay the respondent's costs of the appeal. 2 Trentelman v The Owners – Strata Plan No 76700; Proceedings No 2021/101998 (1) Appeal dismissed. (2) Order the appellant pay the respondent's costs of the appeal. Catchwords: ESTOPPEL – proprietary estoppel – encouragement – nature of promise – strata title – promise of easement – whether representation sufficiently clear – where representation made at general meeting – where representation did not define the interest in property the representee was expected to receive – where further documentation was required to be executed to give effect to the representation ESTOPPEL – proprietary estoppel – encouragement – detrimental reliance – strata title – promise of easement – whether reliance was that of the owners corporation – Strata Schemes Management Act 1996 (NSW) s 21(2) – Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW) ss 8, 254 ESTOPPEL – proprietary estoppel – encouragement – detrimental reliance – strata title – promise of easement – whether the evidence indicated that the representation was such that the conduct of the lot holders was sufficiently influenced by the representation Legislation Cited: Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 (Qld) Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) Real Property Act 1900 (NSW) Strata Schemes Development Act 2015 (NSW) Strata Schemes (Freehold Development) Act 1973 (NSW) Strata Schemes Management Act 1996 (NSW) Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW) Strata Titles Act 1973 (NSW) Strata Titles Act 1988 (SA) Strata Titles Act 1998 (Tas) Subdivision Act 1988 (Vic) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules Cases Cited: Amalgamated Investment & Property Co Ltd (in liq) v Texas Commercial International Bank Ltd [1982] QB 84 Ashton v Pratt (2015) 88 NSWLR 281; [2015] NSWCA 12 Ayerst v C&K (Construction) Ltd [1976] AC 167 Baini v The Queen (2012) 246 CLR 469; [2012] HCA 59 Bathurst City Council v PWC Properties Pty Ltd (1998) 195 CLR 566; [1998] HCA 59 Boyd v Thorn (2017) 96 NSWLR 390; [2017] NSWCA 210 Brookfield Multiplex Ltd v Owners Corporation Strata Plan 61288 (2014) 254 CLR 185; [2014] HCA 36 Campbell v Backoffice Investments Pty Ltd (2009) 238 CLR 304; [2009] HCA 25 Carre v Owners Corporation – Strata Plan 53020 (2003) 58 NSWLR 302; [2003] NSWSC 397 Cobbe v Yeoman's Row Management Ltd [2008] UKHL 55; [2008] 1 WLR 1752 Commercial Union Assurance Company of Australia Ltd v Ferrcom Pty Ltd (1991) 22 NSWLR 389 Community Association DP270447 v ATB Morton Pty Ltd [2019] NSWCA 83 Cook's Construction Pty Ltd v Brown [2004] NSWCA 105; (2004) 49 ACSR 62 Crabb v Arun District Council [1976] Ch 179 Crown Melbourne Ltd v Cosmopolitan Hotel (Vic) Pty Ltd (2016) 260 CLR 1; [2016] HCA 26 Delaforce v Simpson-Cook (2010) 78 NSWLR 483; [2010] NSWCA 84 DHJPM Pty Ltd v Blackthorn Resources Ltd (2011) 83 NSWLR 728; [2011] NSWCA 348 Dillwyn v Llewelyn (1862) 4 De GF & J 517 Doueihi v Construction Technologies Australia Pty Ltd (2016) 92 NSWLR 247; [2016] NSWCA 105 EB 9 & 10 Pty Ltd v The Owners Strata Plan 934 (2018) 98 NSWLR 889; [2018] NSWCA 288 Evans v Evans [2011] NSWCA 92 Flinn v Flinn [1999] 3 VR 712; [1999] VSCA 109 Gallagher v Rainbow (1994) 179 CLR 624; [1994] HCA 24 Giumelli v Giumelli (1999) 196 CLR 101; [1999] HCA 10 Gould v Vaggelas (1985) 157 CLR 215; [1985] HCA 75 Greater Dandenong City Council v Australian Municipal, Clerical and Services Union (2001) 112 FCR 232; [2001] FCA 349 Hanave Pty Ltd v LFOT Pty Ltd [1999] FCA 357; (1999) 43 IPR 545 Ho v Powell (2001) 51 NSWLR 572; [2001] NSWCA 168 Houghton v Immer (No 155) Pty Ltd (1997) 44 NSWLR 46 Huntsman Chemical Co Australia Ltd v International Pools Australia Pty Ltd (1995) 36 NSWLR 242 In re MF Global Australia Ltd (in liq) [2012] NSWSC 994; 267 FLR 27 Jenyns v Public Curator (Q) (1953) 90 CLR 113; [1953] HCA 2 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298; [1959] HCA 8 Kakavas v Crown Melbourne Ltd (2013) 250 CLR 392; [2013] HCA 25 Lin v The Owners – Strata Plan No 50276 [2004] NSWSC 88; 11 BPR 21,463 Maraya Holdings Pty Ltd v Chief Commissioner of State Revenue [2013] NSWCA 408 McElwaine v The Owners Strata Plan 75975 [2017] NSWCA 239; 18 BPR 37,207 Meridian Global Funds Management Asia Ltd v Securities Commission [1995] 2 AC 500 Meskovski v Director of Public Prosecutions [2018] VSCA 293 Mistrina Pty Ltd v Australian Consulting Engineers Pty Ltd [2020] NSWCA 223 Owners – Strata Plan No 43551 v Walter Construction Group Ltd (2004) 62 NSWLR 169; [2004] NSWCA 429 Ramsden v Dyson (1866) LR 1 HL 129 Sidhu v Van Dyke (2014) 251 CLR 505; [2014] HCA 19 Smith v Chadwick [1884] 9 App Cas 187 Smith v Chadwick (1881) 20 Ch D 27 Sullivan v Sullivan [2006] NSWCA 312 The Queen v Khazaal (2012) 246 CLR 601; [2012] HCA 26 Thorner v Major [2009] UKHL 18; [2009] 1 WLR 776 Trentelman v The Owners – Strata Plan 76700 (No 2); The Owners – Strata Plan 76700 v Trentelman (No 2) [2021] NSWSC 377 Trentelman v The Owners – Strata Plan 76700 (No 3); The Owners – Strata Plan 76700 v Trentelman (No 3) [2021] NSWSC 578 Trentelman v The Owners – Strata Plan 76700; The Owners – Strata Plan 76700 – Trentelman [2021] NSWSC 155 Vickery v The Owners – Strata Plan No 80412 (2020) 103 NSWLR 352; [2020] NSWCA 284 Texts Cited: L Goddard, A Treatise on the Law of Easements (8th ed, Stevens and Sons Ltd, 1921) P Herzfeld and T Prince, Interpretation (2nd ed, Lawbook Co, 2020) S Worthington, "Corporate Attribution and Agency: Back to Basics" (2017) 133 Law Quarterly Review 118 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Natalia Trentelman (Appellant) The Owners – Strata Plan No 76700 (First Respondent) Registrar General of New South Wales (Second Respondent) Representation: Counsel: M Ashhurst SC with G Farland (Appellant) E Peden SC with J Mee (First Respondent)