Lonergan v JQZ Eleven Pty Ltd [2022] NSWSC 1461

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Lonergan v JQZ Eleven Pty Ltd [2022] NSWSC 1461 Hearing dates: 30 May – 2 June, 8 June 2022 Decision date: 27 October 2022 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Robb J Decision: See below at [314]-[315]. Catchwords: CONSUMER LAW — misleading or deceptive conduct — husband and wife plaintiffs seek to purchase property 'off the plan' in residential tower development — design concept of tower involves installation of black privacy screens on balconies of every third floor — defendant developer omits numbering levels 4 and 14 — whether defendant's agent represented to plaintiffs by reference to display model that unit sought to be purchased would be on numbered level with black privacy screens where representation failed to account for omission of lower level numbers — silence or non-disclosure — whether defendant's agent failed to warn of siting of intrusive structural columns and air-conditioning unit in property as finally built — representations as to future matters — whether representations, if made, were representations as to future matters or as to present facts — limitation of liability — disclaimer — whether bevy of disclaimers in contractual provisions and promotional material capable of and successful in dispelling misleading or deceptive quality of representations — preliminary character of 'off the plan' development renders plaintiffs dependent on representations of defendant's agent — causation or reliance — black privacy screens of special importance to second plaintiff suffering from skin condition — remedies — defendant liable to repay deposit plus interest — defendant precluded from prosecuting claim against plaintiffs for breach of contract or claim enforcing contractual provision in respect of purchaser's default Legislation Cited: Australian Consumer Law, ss 4, 18, 232, 236, 237, 243 Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth), ss 84, 137B, Sch 2 Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW), s 55 Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) Cases Cited: Argy v Blunts (1990) 26 FCR 112 Armstrong Strategic Management and Marketing Pty Ltd v Expense Reduction Analysts Group Pty Ltd (No 9) [2016] NSWSC 1005 Awad v Twin Creeks Properties Pty Limited [2012] NSWCA 200 Boensch v Pascoe (2019) 268 CLR 593; [2019] HCA 49 Butcher v Lachlan Elder Realty Pty Ltd (2004) 218 CLR 592; [2004] HCA 60 Campbell v Backoffice Investments Pty Ltd (2009) 238 CLR 304; [2009] HCA 25 Campomar Sociedad Limitada v Nike International Ltd (2000) 202 CLR 45; [2000] HCA 12 Dylan Mann & Co Pty Ltd as trustee for the Mann Family Trust v Tiejag Pty Limited as trustee for the Skeihy Khoury Family Trust [2018] NSWSC 1334 Flight v Booth (1834) 1 Bing (NC) 370; 131 ER 1160 Google Inc v ACCC (2013) 249 CLR 435; [2013] HCA 1 Henjo Investments Pty Ltd v Collins Marrickville Pty Ltd (No 1) (1988) 39 FCR 546 HG & R Securities Pty Ltd v Sayer [2009] NSWSC 427; (2009) 14 BPR 27,045 IOOF Australia Trustees (NSW) Ltd v Tantipech (1998) 156 ALR 470 Ireland v WG Riverview Pty Ltd (2019) 101 NSWLR 658; [2019] NSWCA 307 Massoud v Nationwide News Pty Ltd; Massoud v Fox Sports Australia Pty Ltd [2022] NSWCA 150 Ng v Chong [2005] NSWSC 270; (2005) 12 BPR 22,903 Taco Co of Australia Inc v Taco Bell Pty Ltd (1982) 42 ALR 177 Trilogy Funds Management Ltd v Sullivan (No 2) [2015] FCA 1452; (2015) 331 ALR 185 Victorsen v Easy Living Holdings Pty Ltd [2019] NSWSC 1721; (2019) 19 BPR 39,893 Xu v Lindsay Bennelong Developments Pty Limited [2020] NSWSC 1692 Category: Principal judgment Parties: David Kenneth Lonergan (First Plaintiff) Victoria Ingrid Lonergan (Second Plaintiff) JQZ Eleven Pty Ltd (ACN 168 380 265) as trustee for the JQZ Eleven Unit Trust (ABN 97 142 041 731) (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: P Lane (Plaintiffs) S Docker (Defendant)