York & Edwards v The Owners – Strata Plan No 675 (No 2) [2024] NSWSC 1648

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: York & Edwards v The Owners – Strata Plan No 675 (No 2) [2024] NSWSC 1648 Hearing dates: 16 December 2024 Date of orders: 19 December 2024 Decision date: 19 December 2024 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Griffiths AJA Decision: Dismiss the summons seeking leave to appeal, with costs. Catchwords: LAND LAW – strata title – where plaintiffs own two lots in large strata plan – where NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal made order for reallocation of unit entitlements pursuant to s 236 of Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW) – where effect of reallocation is significantly to increase strata levies payable on plaintiffs' lots – where internal appeal to Appeal Panel dismissed – where plaintiffs now seek leave to appeal under s 83 of Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2013 (NSW) – whether summons identifies questions of law – whether Appeal Panel misconstrued s 236 of Strata Schemes Management Act – whether exercise of discretion to make reallocation order miscarried – whether decision legally unreasonable – whether plaintiffs' arguments misstated or not addressed – whether Appeal Panel erred in not finding that Tribunal failed to afford procedural fairness by not informing plaintiffs, as litigants-in-person, of need to lead certain valuation evidence Legislation Cited: Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2013 (NSW), ss 38, 80, 83; Sch 4, cl 12 Conveyancing (Strata Titles) Act 1961 (NSW), s 18 Strata Schemes Development Act 2015 (NSW), s 192; Sch 2, cl 2 Strata Schemes (Freehold Development) Act 1973 (NSW) Strata Schemes Management Act 1996 (NSW), s 183 Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW), ss 10, 77, 81, 83, 87, 236 Cases Cited: Anderson Stuart v Treleaven (2000) 49 NSWLR 88; [2000] NSWSC 283 Commissioner for the Australian Capital Territory Revenue v Alphaone Pty Ltd (1994) 49 FCR 576 Day v SAS Trustee Corp [2021] NSWCA 71 Di Liristi v NSW Public Trustee [2021] NSWSC 1347 Dokas v Gallagher (No 2) [2024] NSWCA 236 Dranichnikov v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs [2003] HCA 26; (2003) 77 ALJR 1088 Hamod v State of New South Wales [2011] NSWCA 375 Health Care Complaints Commission v Robinson [2022] NSWCA 164 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499; [1936] HCA 40 Minister for Aboriginal Affairs v Peko-Wallsend Ltd (1986) 162 CLR 24; [1986] HCA 40 Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v MZYTS [2013] FCAFC 114 Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v SZVFW (2018) 264 CLR 541; [2018] HCA 30 Minister for Local Government v South Sydney City Council (2002) 55 NSWLR 381; [2002] NSWCA 288 Re Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs; Ex parte Applicant S20/2002 [2003] HCA 30; (2003) 198 ALR 59 Sahade v The Owners – Strata Plan 62022 [2014] NSWCA 208 SZBEL v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (2006) 228 CLR 152; [2006] HCA 63 Targeted Property Investments Pty Ltd v Look Up Technologies Pty Ltd (No 2) [2023] NSWSC 416 The Owners Strata Plan 675 v York & Edwards [2022] NSWCATAP 171 York & Edwards v The Owners – Strata Plan No 675 [2024] NSWSC 1478 Texts Cited: Nil Category: Principal judgment Parties: Bernadette York (First Plaintiff) Kevin Edwards (Second Plaintiff) The Owners – Strata Plan No 675 (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: P Jayawardena York (sol) (Plaintiffs) J A Darvall (Defendant)