First Cash Flow Solutions Pty Ltd v Saad [2023] NSWSC 686

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: First Cash Flow Solutions Pty Ltd v Saad [2023] NSWSC 686 Hearing dates: 2 May 2023 Date of orders: 22 June 2023 Decision date: 22 June 2023 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Robb J Decision: The orders of the Court are: (1) Judgment in favour of the plaintiff against the defendant for the amount of $132,304.08. (2) The defendant pay the plaintiff's costs of and incidental to the proceedings on an indemnity basis. Catchwords: CIVIL PROCEDURE — commencement of proceedings — where proceedings wrongly commenced by summons — where plaintiff unable to apply for default judgment — court's role in proceedings in absence of defendant CONTRACTS — remedies — liquidated damages — penalty — deed of loan — onus of proving contractual provision penalty — where provisions allowing indefinite application of certain fees unconscionable and out of all proportion to the loss that the failure to pay the interest under the deed could realistically cause the plaintiff to suffer Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), s 101(1) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), rr 6.3(a), 6.3(f), 14.3(1), 16.2(1), 16.6(1) Cases Cited: Arab Bank Australia Ltd v Sayde Developments Pty Ltd (2016) 93 NSWLR 231; [2016] NSWCA 328 Bay Bon Investments Pty Ltd v Selvarajah [2008] NSWSC 1251 Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Co Ltd v New Garage and Motor Co Ltd [1915] AC 79 Electricity Generation Corporation v Woodside Energy Ltd (2014) 251 CLR 640; [2014] HCA 7 Paciocco v Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (2016) 258 CLR 525; [2016] HCA 28 United Group Resources Pty Ltd v Calabro (No 5) (2011) 198 FCR 514; [2011] FCA 1408 Category: Principal judgment Parties: First Cash Flow Solutions Pty Ltd (Plaintiff) Steve Saad (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: N Simone (Plaintiff)