Ultra Construction Pty Ltd v Lift Shop Pty Ltd [2024] NSWSC 1150

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Ultra Construction Pty Ltd v Lift Shop Pty Ltd [2024] NSWSC 1150 Hearing dates: 9,10 July and 15 August 2024 Date of orders: 13 September 2024 Decision date: 13 September 2024 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Price AJA Decision: (1) Order that the amended summons filed on 8 February 2024 be dismissed. (2) Order that the appellants/cross-defendants pay the defendant's/cross-claimant's costs of the appeal. Catchwords: APPEAL AND REVIEW – appeal from the Local Court – contract – contract for the construction of a lift in residential premises – whether Magistrate erred by failing to make a finding as to the commencement date of the contract – whether Magistrate erred by finding time for performance ran from initialling of the contract – whether Magistrate erred in finding no repudiation by Lift Shop – whether Magistrate failed to take into account critical evidence – whether Magistrate erred in finding there was no contractual obligation to install – whether Magistrate failed to provide adequate reasons CROSS CLAIM – whether Magistrate erred in finding that the cross-claimant was entitled to recover the fourth instalment – chargebacks – whether Magistrate erred by finding that the third cross-defendant was a "third-party payer" – whether Magistrate erred by failing to find that the causal link was broken – whether Magistrate erred by finding cross-claimant did not have the opportunity to dispute the chargebacks – whether Magistrate erred in finding cross-claimant was entitled to first and second instalments – whether cross-defendants were denied procedural fairness – whether new grounds of appeal raised Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), ss 23, 56, 60 Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth), Sch 2 – Australian Consumer Law, ss 2, 18, 236 Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 (NSW), s 37 Local Court Act 2007 (NSW), ss 39, 40 Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW), s 171 Cases Cited: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v TPG Internet Pty Ltd (2013) 250 CLR 640; [2013] HCA 54 Brambles Holdings Ltd v Bathurst City Council (2001) 53 NSWLR 153; [2001] NSWCA 61 Cherry v Steele-Park (2017) 96 NSWLR 548; [2017] NSWCA 295 Darzi Group Pty Ltd v Nolde Pty Ltd (2019) 100 NSWLR 394; [2019] NSWCA 210 DXC Eclipse Pty Ltd v Wildsmith [2023] NSWCA 98 Electricity Generation Corporation v Woodside Energy Ltd (2014) 251 CLR 640; [2014] HCA 7 Fox v Percy (2003) 214 CLR 118; [2003] HCA 22 Gould v Vaggelas (1984) 157 CLR 215; [1984] HCA 68 Hanave Pty Ltd v LFOT Pty Ltd [1999] FCA 357; (1999) 43 IPR 545; Hashtag Burgers Pty Ltd v In-N-Out Burgers, Inc (2020) 385 ALR 514; [2020] FCAFC 235 Henville v Walker (2001) 206 CLR 459; [2001] HCA 52 Lin v Zheng [2023] NSWCA 174 Mann v Paterson Construction Pty Ltd (2019) 267 CLR 560; [2019] HCA 32 O'Brien v Dawson (1941) 41 SR 295 O'Brien v Dawson (1942) 66 CLR 18; [1942] HCA 8 Pavlovic v Universal Music Australia Pty Ltd (2015) 90 NSWLR 605; [2015] NSWCA 313 Piety Developments Pty Ltd v Cumberland City Council [2024] NSWCA 173 Root Quality Pty Ltd v Root Control Technologies Pty Ltd (2000) 177 ALR 231; [2000] FCA 980 Realtek Holdings Pty Ltd v Wetamast Pty Ltd [2019] NSWSC 1869 Torbey Investments Corporated Pty Ltd v Ferrara [2017] NSWCA 9 Trimis v Mina [1999] NSWCA 140 Wardley Australia Ltd v Western Australia (1992) 175 CLR 514; [1992] HCA 55 Water Board v Moustakas (1988) 180 CLR 491; [1988] HCA 12 Watson v Foxman (1995) 49 NSWLR 315 Yorke v Lucas (1985) 158 CLR 661; [1985] HCA 65 Texts Cited: JW Carter, Contract Law in Australia (JW Carter Publishing, 8th ed, 2023) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Ultra Construction Pty Ltd (First Plaintiff / First Cross-Defendant) Josephine Abousleiman (Second Plaintiff / Second Cross-Defendant) Assaad Abousleiman (Third Plaintiff / Third Cross-Defendant) Lift Shop Pty Ltd (Defendant / Cross-Claimant) Representation: Counsel: J R Young with M Klooster (Plaintiffs / Cross-Defendants) D B Studdy SC with C D McMeniman (Defendant / Cross-Claimant)