Nahata v Robertson (No 2) [2023] NSWSC 1297

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Nahata v Robertson (No 2) [2023] NSWSC 1297 Hearing dates: 29 September 2023 Decision date: 06 November 2023 Jurisdiction: Equity - Real Property List Before: Peden J Decision: (1) Plaintiffs to pay the defendants' costs on an indemnity basis, as agreed or assessed. (2) Mr Jeffrey Lee, solicitor, to pay the plaintiffs the whole of the costs, for which the plaintiffs are liable, pursuant to s 99(2)(b)(ii) Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW). Catchwords: COSTS — Party/Party — Bases of quantification — Indemnity basis — Where unreasonable conduct by plaintiffs — Where application for easement doomed to fail — Where statutory requirements for reasonable engagement with defendants not met COSTS — Party/Party — Orders against non-parties — Personal costs orders against lawyers — Where solicitor conduct amounts to "serious dereliction of duty, serious misconduct or gross negligence" or unreasonable conduct without cause — Where solicitor conduct caused costs of entire proceedings — Where appropriate to exercise costs discretion against solicitor Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) ss 56, 99 Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW) s 88K Cases Cited: Beau Timothy John Hartnett trading as Hartnett Lawyers v Anthony Robert Bell as Executor of the Estate of the late Mabel Dawn Deakin-Bell [2023] NSWCA 244 Chaina v Alvaro Homes Pty Ltd [2008] NSWCA 353 Colgate-Palmolive Co v Cussons Pty Ltd (1993) 118 ALR 248 Dempster v McAndrew [2003] NSWSC 994 Gordon v Lever (2018) 97 NSWLR 90 J-Corp Pty Ltd v Australian Builders Labourers Federation Union of Workers (WA Branch) (No 2) [1993] FCA 70 King v Muriniti [2018] NSWCA 98 Lemoto v Able Technical Pty Ltd (2005) 63 NSWLR 300; [2005] NSWCA 153 McGrath v Mestousis [2017] NSWSC 995 Nadarajapillai v Naderasa (No 2) [2015] NSWCA 209 Nahata v Robertson [2023] NSWSC 642 Newell: Muriniti v De Costi (2018) 97 NSWLR 398 NHB Enterprises Pty Ltd v Corry (No 5) [2020] NSWSC 1838 Rahman v Al-Maharmeh (No 2) [2021] NSWCA 151 Re Felicity; FM v Secretary, Department of Family and Community Services (No 4) [2015] NSWCA 19 Ridehalgh v Horsefield [1994] Ch 205 RRZ Pty Ltd v Fogo Brazilia Holdings Pty Ltd [2021] NSWSC 873 Stepanoski v Chen [2011] NSWSC 1573 Studholme v Rawson (2020) 102 NSWLR 490 Tuitupou v Davis [2019] NSWSC 160 Texts Cited: G E Dal Point, Law of Costs (5th Ed, 2021, LexisNexis) Category: Costs Parties: Himanshu Nahata (First Plaintiff) Priyanka Jain (Second Plaintiff) Russell Robertson (First Defendant) Stana Robertson (Second Defendant) Jeffrey Lee (Solicitor Respondent) Representation: Counsel: A Pickles SC (Plaintiffs) J Rogers (Defendants) G Keesing (Mr Lee)