Castle v Achdjian [2022] NSWSC 1340

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Castle v Achdjian [2022] NSWSC 1340 Hearing dates: 19-20 September 2022 Date of orders: 4 October 2022 Decision date: 04 October 2022 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Darke J Decision: Application for extinguishment of right of carriageway refused. Orders to be made for removal of obstructions of right of carriageway. Catchwords: REAL PROPERTY – easements – extinguishment of easements – Cross-Claim seeking extinguishment of right of carriageway pursuant to Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW) s 89(1) on the grounds of obsolescence, impediment of reasonable user of servient tenement, or abandonment – where right of carriageway has never been used as a means of vehicular access to the dominant tenement – where several obstructions have been erected on right of carriageway – where evidence suggests that right of carriageway has been used historically only as a footway – whether right of carriageway obsolete in circumstances where Council approval for construction of a driveway is very unlikely to be given – whether it is possible to reasonably enjoy servient tenement while right of carriageway subsists – whether acts or omissions of previous dominant owners evinced an intention to abandon right of carriageway in whole or in part – held that right of carriageway not obsolete, inconsistent with reasonable use of servient tenement, or abandoned in whole or in part – held further that dominant owners would suffer a substantial injury if right of carriageway were extinguished – defendants to be ordered to remove obstructions placed on right of carriageway without dominant owners' assent Legislation Cited: Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW), s 88B, s 89(1), s 181A(1), sch 8 Cases Cited: Ashoil Holdings Pty Ltd v Fassoulas (2005) 12 BPR 23,525; [2005] NSWCA 80 Coffill v Lagudi Holdings Pty Ltd (2016) 18 BPR 36,483; [2016] NSWSC 1764 Durian (Holdings) Pty Ltd v Cavacourt Pty Ltd (2000) 10 BPR 18,099; [2000] NSWCA 28 Finlayson v Campbell (1997) 8 BPR 15,703 Guth v Robinson (1977) 1 BPR 9209 Grill v Hockey (1991) 5 BPR 11,421 Heaton v Loblay (1959) 60 SR (NSW) 332 Keefe v Amor [1965] 1 QB 334 Keewatin Power Co Ltd v Lake of the Woods Milling Co Ltd [1930] AC 640 Mogensen v Portuland Developments Pty Ltd (1983) NSW ConvR 55-116 Pieper v Edwards [1982] 1 NSWLR 336 Powell v Langdon (1944) 45 SR (NSW) 136 Proprietors Strata Plan No 9968 v Proprietors Strata Plan No 11173 [1979] 2 NSWLR 605 Prospect County Council v Cross (1990) 21 NSWLR 601 Re Mason and the Conveyancing Act [1962] NSWR 762 Re RK Roseblade and VM Roseblade and the Conveyancing Act; Re KS Foenander and the Conveyancing Act [1964-5] NSWR 2044 Sertari Pty Ltd v Nirimba Developments Pty Ltd (2008) NSW ConvR 56-200; [2007] NSWCA 324 Sheppard v Smith [2021] NSWSC 1207 Sheppard v Smith [2022] NSWCA 167 Treweeke v 36 Wolseley Road Pty Ltd (1973) 128 CLR 274 Trewin v Felton (2007) 13 BPR 24,579; [2007] NSWSC 851 Tujilo Pty Ltd v Watts (2005) 12 BPR 23,257; [2005] NSWSC 209 Walker v Bridgewood (2006) 12 BPR 23,537; [2006] NSWSC 149 Texts Cited: Justinian, Institutes Category: Principal judgment Parties: Andrew Donald Castle (First Plaintiff/First Cross-Defendant) Jessica Anne Castle (Second Plaintiff/Second Cross-Defendant) Vatche Achdjian (First Defendant/First Cross-Claimant) Lena Achdjian (Second Defendant/Second Cross-Claimant) Representation: Counsel: Ms LA Walsh (Plaintiffs/Cross-Defendants) Mr B Connell (Defendants/Cross-Claimants)