Sydney Hoist and Scaffolding Pty Ltd v Diamond Sons Pty Ltd t/as Two Visions [2022] NSWDC 377

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Sydney Hoist and Scaffolding Pty Ltd v Diamond Sons Pty Ltd t/as Two Visions [2022] NSWDC 377 Hearing dates: 25 August 2022 Date of orders: 29 August 2022 Decision date: 29 August 2022 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Abadee DCJ Decision: See paragraph 86 Catchwords: CIVIL PROCEDURE – application to enforce settlement agreement – scope of discretion - whether an inferior court, with limited equitable jurisdiction, can exercise discretion to take into account equitable principles to refuse enforcement of a compromise - Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), s 73 CONTRACTS – time stipulation for payments expressed to be essential – whether on its proper construction, payments to be made within reasonable time – whether implied term permits late payment for unforeseen circumstances EVIDENCE – application for summary enforcement of compromise – opposition to application raises questions of construction – defendant relies upon hearsay evidence of representations made by an overseas witness – whether missing witness 'not available' - whether 'proceeding' is 'interlocutory' - whether hearsay evidence admissible – Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), ss 61(1), 63(2), 75 Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) ss 56 – 60, 73, 98, 100 District Court Act 1973 (NSW) s 134 Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) ss 61, 63, 75, 192 Law Reform (Law and Equity) Act 1972 (NSW) ss 6, 7 Cases Cited: Agricultural and Rural Finance Pty Ltd v Gardiner (2008) 238 CLR 570 Allstate Life Insurance Co v Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (No.3) (1996) 64 FCR 55 Armada Balnaves Pte Ltd v Woodside Energy Julimar Pty Ltd [2022] WASCA 69 BP Refinery (Westernport) Pty Ltd v Shire of Hastings (1977) 180 CLR 266 Brickles v Snell [1916] 2 AC 599 Candy v GIO General Ltd [2013] NSWSC 810 Codelfa Construction Pty Ltd v State Rail Authority (NSW) (1982) 149 CLR 337 Hoad v Swan (1920) 28 CLR 258 Hobhouse v Macarthur – Onslow [2022] NSWCA 158 Jingalong Pty Ltd v Todd [2015] NSWCA 7 Katter v Melhem (2015) 90 NSWLR 164 Mount Bruce Mining Pty Ltd v Wright Prospecting Pty Ltd (2015) 256 CLR 104 Reid v Commonwealth Bank of Australia [2022] NSWCA 134 Stickney v Kibble [1915] AC 386 at 419 Sunbird Plaza Proprietary Limited v Maloney and Another (1989)166 CLR 245 Tsang Chi Ming v Uvanna Pty Ltd (t/as North West Immigration Services) (1996) 140 ALR 273 United Scientific v Burnley Borough Council [1978] AC 904 Yule v Smith [2013] NSWSC 209 Zivkovic & Ors v Parke [2022] VSCA 43 Texts Cited: Ritchie's Uniform Civil Procedure NSW (LexisNexis electronic version) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Sydney Hoist and Scaffolding Pty Ltd (ABN 38 117 792 149) (applicant) Diamond Sons Pty Ltd t/as Two Visions (ABN 53 609 503 139) (respondent) Representation: Mr S Stanton (Counsel) for the respondent Mr S Ivanstoff (solicitor) for the applicant File Number(s): 2020/00236081 Publication restriction: Nil