Bale v Kimberley Developments Pty Ltd & Ors [2023] NSWSC 1219

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Bale v Kimberley Developments Pty Ltd & Ors [2023] NSWSC 1219 Hearing dates: 7 September 2023 Date of orders: 13 October 2023 Decision date: 13 October 2023 Jurisdiction: Equity - Duty List Before: Slattery J Decision: Defendants ordered to pay the plaintiff's costs of the motion on the ordinary basis. Plaintiff's costs of the motion fixed in the sum of $7,700. Catchwords: COSTS – costs follow the event – complex proceedings in which a property transaction ordered as part of final relief – property transaction cannot be implemented without the defendants causing the removal of a caveat – defendants oppose removal of the caveat – plaintiff successful on motion to remove the caveat in order to implement the property transaction – prior agreement between the parties resolving costs issues between them with respect to trial and appeal proceedings – whether the Court should make any costs order in the circumstances – whether the defendants should pay the plaintiff's costs of the motion – whether any order for costs should be on the indemnity basis – whether the Court should make a specified gross sum order instead of assessed costs. Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005, s 98(4)(c) Cases Cited: Australian Securities Commission v Aust-Home Investments Limited (1993) 44 FCR 194 Bale v Kimberley Developments Pty Ltd [2022] NSWSC 820 Bale v Kimberley Developments Pty Ltd (No. 2) [2022] NSWSC 1009 Bale v Kimberley Developments Pty Ltd (No. 3) [2023] NSWSC 973 Grant v John Grant and Sons (1954) 91 CLR 112 Hamod v State of New South Wales [2011] NSWCA 375 Harrison v Schipp (2002) 54 NSWLR 738 Karam v ANZ Banking Group Ltd [2001] NSWSC 709 Kimberley Developments Pty Ltd v Bale [2023] NSWCA 25 Kimberley Developments Pty Ltd v Bale (No 2) [2023] NSWCA 95 Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v SZTQS [2015] FCA 1069 Re Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs; Ex parte Li Qin [1997] HCA 6; (1997) 186 CLR 622 Salkeld v Vernon (1758) 1 Eden 64, 28 ER 608 Category: Procedural rulings Parties: Plaintiff: Francois Bale First Defendant: Kimberley Developments Pty Ltd Second Defendant: Albert Darwiche Third Defendant: Martin Churchill Fourth Defendant: Chyna Schein Fifth Defendant: Theofanis Trigas Sixth Defendant: Super Start Batteries Pty Ltd Representation: Counsel: Plaintiff: D. O'Connor