Shao v Crown Global Capital Pty Limited [2023] NSWSC 820

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Shao v Crown Global Capital Pty Limited [2023] NSWSC 820 Hearing dates: 26 and 27 June 2023 Decision date: 14 July 2023 Jurisdiction: Equity - Commercial List Before: Ball J Decision: (1) Summons dismissed; (2) The plaintiff pay the defendants' costs of the proceedings; (3) Liberty to either party to apply to vary order (2) within 21 days of the date of this judgment. Catchwords: CONTRACTS — Joint rights and obligations — Whether payment to one joint lender discharged a debt owed by the borrower — Whether repayment of a debt otherwise than in accordance with the terms of the loan agreement amounted to a breach of contract CONTRACTS — Implied terms — Whether there is a duty to exercise reasonable care in making repayments under a loan agreement AGENCY — Authority of agent — Actual authority —Ostensible authority — Whether actual authority impliedly terminated — Whether representation founding ostensible authority continued to be operative at the time of the agent's acts AGENCY — Creation of agency — Ratification — Where plaintiff sued her husband in previous proceedings for the money she now claims against the defendants — Whether the plaintiff ratified her husband's conduct by commencing proceedings against him — Held ratification implied where principal, knowing the facts, makes an unequivocal election to enforce rights that would only be available to the principal upon ratification Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) Cases Cited: Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Getswift Ltd [2021] FCA 1384 Barclays Bank Plc v Quincecare Ltd [1992] 4 All ER 363 Barrett v Universal Island Records Ltd [2006] EWHC 1009 (Ch) Equiticorp Finance Ltd (in liq) v Bank of New Zealand (1993) 32 NSWLR 50 Farah Custodians Pty Limited v Commissioner of Taxation (No 2) [2019] FCA 1076 Freeman & Lockyer (a firm) v Buckhurst Park Properties (Mangal) Ltd [1964] 2 QB 480 Harrisons & Crossfield Ltd v London and North-Western Railway Co [1917] 2 KB 755 HDI Global Specialty SE v Wonkana No 3 Pty Ltd (2020) 104 NSWLR 634; [2020] NSWCA 296 James Adam Pty Ltd v Fobeza Pty Ltd (2020) 103 NSWLR 850; [2020] NSWCA 311 Leybourne v Permanent Custodians Ltd [2010] NSWCA 78 McIntyre v Gye (1994) 51 FCR 472 Macquarie Generation v Peabody Resources Ltd [2000] NSWCA 361 Miller v Cameron (1936) 54 CLR 572 Philipp v Barclays Bank UK PLC [2023] UKSC 25 Powell v Brodhurst [1901] 2 Ch 160 Republic of Peru v Peruvian Guano Company (1887) 36 Ch D 489 Ryan v Bank of New South Wales [1978] VR 555 Scarf v Jardine (1882) 7 AC 345 Tuncel v Renown Plate Co Pty Ltd [1976] VR 501 Verchures Creameries, Limited v Hull and Netherlands Steamship Company, Limited [1921] 2 KB 608 Texts Cited: Peter G Watts and FMB Reynolds, Bowstead & Reynolds on Agency (22nd ed, 2020, Sweet & Maxwell) H McGregor, Mayne and McGregor on Damages (12th ed, 1963, Sweet & Maxwell) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Yakun Shao (Plaintiff) Crown Global Capital Pty Ltd (First Defendant) Crown Group Holdings Pty Ltd (Second Defendant) Representation: Counsel: J Horowitz (Plaintiff) SA Lawrance SC with C Ernst (Defendants)