Harlech Enterprises Pty Ltd v Beno Excavations Pty Ltd t/as Benex Pipeline [2024] NSWDC 151

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Harlech Enterprises Pty Ltd v Beno Excavations Pty Ltd t/as Benex Pipeline [2024] NSWDC 151 Hearing dates: 25 March 2024 26 March 2024 27 March 2024 Date of orders: 27 March 2024 Decision date: 27 March 2024 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Montgomery DCJ Decision: (1) The judgment entered 27 April 2021 be set aside. (2) The Garnishee Order entered 6 May 2021 be set aside. (3) The Plaintiff pay the Defendant $196,428.79 together with interest calculated in the agreed sum of $32,860.32, to run from 7 May 2021 to the date of this Order, pursuant to s 100 CPA. (4) The Plaintiff Notice of Motion filed 19 May 2024 be dismissed. The Plaintiff pay the Defendant's costs on the usual basis. Catchwords: Procedural rulings – whether to set aside judgment and garnishee order after Building and Construction (Security of Payment) Act adjudication quashed for jurisdictional error – whether to order restitution of money garnished – whether to order a stay pending final determination of rights under the construction contract when extant proceedings. Legislation Cited: Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW) ss 25, 32 Building and Construction Industry (Security of Payment) Act 2009 (ACT) ss 24, 27, 38, 43 Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) ss 100, 124A Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) rr 36.15, 36.16 Cases Cited: Beno Excavations Pty Ltd v Harlech Enterprises Pty Ltd (No 2) [2021] ACTSC 296 Beno Excavations Pty Ltd v Harlech Enterprises Pty Ltd (No 3) [2021] ACTSC 330 Beno Excavations Pty Ltd v Harlech Enterprises Pty Ltd (No 4) [2022] ACTSC 275 Beno Excavations Pty Ltd v Harlech Enterprises Pty Ltd (No 7) [2023] ACTSC 292 BM Alliance Coal Operations Pty Ltd v BGC Contracting Pty Ltd [2013] QCA 394 Brodyn Pty Ltd t/as Time Cost and Quality v Davenport & Anor [2004] NSWCA 394 Coshott Family Pty Ltd v Lyons [2022] NSWCA 216 David Securities Pty Ltd v Commonwealth Bank of Australia (1992) 175 CLR 353; [1992] HCA 48 Go Electrical Pty Limited v Class Electrical Services Pty Limited [2013] NSWSC 517 McDonald v MAK Constructions and Building Services Pty Ltd [2024] NSWCA 63 Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs v Bhardwaj [2002] HCA 11 Production Spray Painting & Panel Beating Pty Ltd v Newnham [No 2] (1992) 27 NSWLR 659 State of NSW v Kable [2013] HCA 26 TFM Epping Land Pty Ltd v Decon Australia Pty Ltd [2020] NSWCA 118 Category: Procedural rulings Parties: Harlech Enterprises Pty Ltd (Plaintiff) Beno Excavations Pty Ltd t/as Benex Pipeline (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: B Buckland (Plaintiff) D Hume (Defendant)