Oxford (NSW) Pty Ltd v KR Properties Global Pty Ltd trading as AK Properties Group ABN 62 971 068 965 [2023] NSWSC 343

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Oxford (NSW) Pty Ltd v KR Properties Global Pty Ltd trading as AK Properties Group ABN 62 971 068 965 [2023] NSWSC 343 Hearing dates: 6 – 9, 13 and 14 February 2023; further written submissions 20, 24 and 27 February, 10 March 2023 Date of orders: 06 April 2023 Decision date: 06 April 2023 Jurisdiction: Equity - Technology and Construction List Before: Stevenson J Decision: Builder not entitled to payment of invoices sued upon; Owners entitled to damages against Builder for incomplete and defective works; Owners entitled to Hungerfords interest; Owners' claim against director of Builder under Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 not established Catchwords: BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION – contract – damages – defects – whether builder entitled to payment of invoices sued upon – whether building work incomplete – whether building work defective – whether cost of rectifying defects proved – whether owners entitled to claim for Hungerfords interest – whether director in breach of the duty prescribed by the Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 (NSW) Legislation Cited: Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 (NSW) Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) Home Building Act 1989 (NSW) Cases Cited: Avonwood Homes Pty Ltd v Jaffer [2003] VCAT 443 Boulus Constructions Pty Ltd v Warrumbungle Shire Council (No 2) [2022] NSWSC 1368 Clark v Boehm [2015] VCAT 1879 Concut Pty Ltd v Worrell [2000] HCA 64 Donau Pty Ltd v ASC AWD Shipbuilder Pty Ltd (2019) 101 NSWLR 679; [2019] NSWCA 185 Dura (Australia) Constructions Pty Ltd v Hue Boutique Living Pty Ltd (No 3) [2012] VSC 99 Fulton v Dornwell (1885) 4 NZLR 207 Garzo v Liverpool / Campbelltown Christian School [2012] NSWCA 151 Gilbert-Ash (Northern) Ltd v Modern Engineering (Bristol) Ltd [1974] AC 689 Hadley v Baxendale (1854) 9 Ex 341; 156 ER 145 Heavy Plant Leasing Pty Ltd (In Liquidation) v McConnell Dowell Constructors (Aust) Pty Ltd (No 2) [2022] NSWSC 1775 Houghton v Immer (No 155) Pty Ltd (1997) 44 NSWLR 46; [1997] NSWSC 608 Hungerfords v Walker (1989) 171 CLR 125; [1989] HCA 8 LJP Investments Pty Ltd & Anor v Howard Chia Investments Pty Ltd (1990) 24 NSWLR 499 Maples Winterview Pty Ltd v Liu & Anor [2015] ACTSC 58 McCartney & Ors v Orica Investments Pty Ltd & Ors [2011] NSWCA 337 Minister for Industrial Affairs v Civil Tech Pty Ltd [2003] SASC 393 Patel v Redmyre Group Limited [2021] NSWCATAP 132 Pooraka Holdings Pty Ltd v Participation Nominees Pty Ltd & Ors (1991) 58 SASR 184 Ratcliffe v Evans [1892] 2 QB 524 Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW v Dederer (2007) 234 CLR 330; [2007] HCA 42 Sergienko v AXL Financial Pty Ltd [2019] NSWSC 1610 Serong v Dependable Developments Pty Ltd [2009] VCAT 760 Stocznia Gdanska SA v Latvian Shipping Co [1998] 1 WLR 574 The Owners – Strata Plan No 84674 v Pafburn Pty Ltd [2022] NSWSC 659 The Owners – Strata Plan No 87060 v Loulach Developments Pty Ltd (No 2) [2021] NSWSC 1068 Texts Cited: N Dennys and R Clay, Hudson's Building and Engineering Contracts (14th ed, 2020, Sweet & Maxwell) P Herzfeld and T Prince, Interpretation (2nd ed, 2020, Thomson Reuters) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Oxford (NSW) Pty Ltd (Plaintiff/First Cross Defendant) KR Properties Global Pty Ltd trading as AK Properties Group ABN 62 971 068 965 (First Defendant/First Cross Claimant) AS Coaching Pty Ltd atf Calm Properties Unit Trust ABN 19 756 796 114 trading as AK Properties Group ABN 62 971 068 965 (Second Defendant/Second Cross Claimant) Elankeeren Eswaran (Third Defendant/Third Cross Claimant) Ashay Sharma (Fourth Defendant/Fourth Cross Claimant) Pierre Kazzi (Second Cross Defendant) Representation: Counsel: T W Lynch SC with A Cameron (Plaintiff/Cross Defendants) J Horowitz (Defendants/Cross Claimants)