Chatterton v City of Parramatta Council [2022] NSWSC 1603

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Chatterton v City of Parramatta Council [2022] NSWSC 1603 Hearing dates: 11 and 12 April 2022 Date of orders: 23 November 2022 Decision date: 23 November 2022 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Henry J Decision: Dismiss the plaintiff's summons. Catchwords: LAND LAW – statutory modification of easements – where two rights of way granted in 1922 to provide access to public road – where character of land changed from rural land to suburbia – where dominant tenements are now a reserve owned by Council and subdivided lots – where pedestrian use continues – where obstacles on right of way and long period of non-use by motor vehicles and other modes of transportation – whether easement allows users to go to, from and across land – whether continued existence would impede reasonable user without securing practical benefit – whether easement abandoned – whether modification would cause substantial injury – modification application refused Legislation Cited: Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW) Local Government Act 1993 (NSW) Cases Cited: Ashoil Holdings Pty Ltd v Fassoulas [2005] NSWCA 80 Castagna v Great Wall Resources Pty Ltd [2005] NSWSC 942 Castle v Achdian [2022] NSWSC 1340 Denshire v Newcastle City Council [2017] NSWSC 577 Double Bay Bowling Club v Council of the Municipality of Woollahra trading as Woollahra Municipal Council [2020] NSWSC 1861 Durack v de Winton (1998) 9 BPR 16,403 Durian (Holdings) Pty Ltd v Cavacourt Pty Ltd [2000] NSWCA 28 Effeney v Millar Investments Pty Ltd & Ors [2011] NSWSC 708 Finlayson v Campbell (1997) 8 BPR 15,703 Frasers Lorne Pty Ltd v Burke [2008] NSWSC 743 Gallagher v Rainbow (1994) 179 CLR 624 Harris v Flower & Sons (1904) 74 LJ Ch 127 Heaton v Loblay (1960) SR (NSW) 332 Hemmes Hermitage Pty Ltd v Abdurahman (1991) 22 NSWLR 343 Long v Michie [2003] NSWSC 233 McWilliam v Hunter [2022] NSWSC 342 Oldfield v Gold Coast City Council [2009] QCA 124 Pieper v Edwards [1982] 1 NSWLR 336 Proprietors Strata Plan No.9,968 & Ors v Proprietors Strata Plan No.11,173 [1979] 2 NSWLR 605 Re Callanan and the Conveyancing Act [1970] 2 NSWR 127 Re Henderson's Conveyance [1940] Ch 835 Re Mason and the Conveyancing Act [1962] NSWR 762 Re RK Roseblade & VM Roseblade and the Conveyancing Act [1964-5] NSWR 2044 Re Robinson [1972] VR 278 Re Rosedale Farm (NSW) Pty Ltd [2010] NSWSC 1321 Sertari Pty Ltd v Nirimba Developments Pty Ltd [2007] NSWCA 324 Sheppard v Smith [2021] NSWSC 1207 Sheppard v Smith [2022] NSWCA 167 Sydney South West Area Health Service v Stamoulis [2009] NSWCA 153 Thorpe v Brumfitt (1873) L.R 650 Tomara Holdings Pty Ltd v Pongrass [2002] NSWSC 195 Treweeke v 36 Wolseley Road Pty Ltd [1973] 128 CLR 274 Trewin v Fulton [2007] NSWSC 851 Tujilo v Watts [2005] NSWSC 209 Webster v Bradac (1993) 5 BPR 12,032 Westfield Management Limited v Perpetual Trustee Co Limited (2007) 233 CLR 528; [2007] HCA 45 Texts Cited: Jonathan Gaunt and the Honourable Mr. Justice Morgan, Gale on Easements (21st ed, 2020, Sweet & Maxwell) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Robert John Chatterton (First Plaintiff) Veronica Myra Old (Second Plaintiff) City of Parramatta Council (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: C Harris SC (Plaintiffs) P M Lane (Defendant)