Singh v AKM Investments Group Pty Ltd [2024] NSWCA 268

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Singh v AKM Investments Group Pty Ltd [2024] NSWCA 268 Hearing dates: 30 October 2024 Date of orders: 13 November 2024 Decision date: 13 November 2024 Before: Bell CJ at [1] Gleeson JA at [2] Stern JA at [62] Decision: (1) Appeal dismissed. (2) Appellant to pay the respondents' costs of the appeal. Catchwords: CONTRACTS — Oral contract — Where oral agreement admitted but characterisation of agreement disputed — Whether monies transferred as loan or equity investment — Where both parties' accounts of conversation found unreliable — Whether actual persuasion as to words said giving rise to oral contract required — Where inferences drawn from contemporaneous documents, objective facts and surrounding circumstances — Where findings expressing conclusions on the evidence — Whether plaintiff satisfied burden of proof Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), s 100 Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), s 140 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 42.1 Cases Cited: Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336; [1938] HCA 34 GLJ v The Trustees of the Roman Catholic Church for the Diocese of Lismore [2023] HCA 32; (2023) 97 ALJR 857 Helton v Allen (1940) 63 CLR 691; [1940] HCA 20 John Holland Pty Limited v Kellogg Brown & Root Pty Ltd [2015] NSWSC 451 Morley v Australian Securities & Investments Commission [2010] NSWCA 331; (2010) 247 FLR 140 Nguyen v Cosmopolitan Homes [2008] NSWCA 246 Watson v Foxman (1995) 49 NSWLR 315 Texts Cited: S Odgers, Uniform Evidence Law, (19th ed, Lawbook Co, 2024) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Tapinder Singh aka Sippy Grewal (Appellant) AKM Investments Group Pty Ltd (First respondent) Gurinder Pal Singh Gaba (Second respondent) Representation: Counsel: A D Crossland / M Morgan (Appellant) A J Bulley (Respondent)