The Owners – Strata Plan 87003 v Raysons Constructions Pty Ltd [2025] NSWSC 66

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: The Owners – Strata Plan 87003 v Raysons Constructions Pty Ltd [2025] NSWSC 66 Hearing dates: 7 February 2025; supplementary submissions and materials 11, 21 and 24 February 2025 Decision date: 25 February 2025 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Leeming JA Decision: 1. Grant leave to appeal. 2. Appeal allowed. 3. Set aside the orders made by an Appeal Panel of NCAT on 20 June 2024. 4. Note that the effect of the above orders is that the internal appeal brought by Raysons Constructions Pty Ltd remains undetermined by NCAT. 5. Raysons Constructions Pty Ltd to pay the Owners Corporation's costs of its proceedings in this Court. 6. Exhibit C will be the annotated table of similarities and differences between the matters known to the Owners Corporation in the first 5½ years contrasted with the claims advanced in the points of claim, including annexures, emailed to my chambers on 11 February 2025. 7. The exhibits may be returned. Catchwords: APPEAL — question of law — Civil and Administrative Tribunal — proceedings for breach of statutory warranties implied by Home Building Act 1989 (NSW) in residential building work — six year warranty period — Owners Corporation commenced proceedings four months after expiry of six year period — whether proceeding commenced in time — Senior Member found Owners Corporation commenced within further six month period authorised by s 18E(1)(e) because breaches only became apparent in last six months of warranty period — internal appeal — Appeal Panel overturned findings of fact and found proceedings not commenced in time — whether inconsistency on the face of Senior Member's reasons was a slip — whether Appeal Panel's construction of reasons involved error of law BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION — residential building work — Home Building Act 1989 (NSW), s 18E — construction of provision authorising commencement of proceedings in six months after expiry of six year warranty period — whether plaintiff bears onus of establishing facts so as to fall within s 18E(1)(e) — nature of awareness needed to be established in order to fall within section — significance of commencement of proceedings being jurisdictional Legislation Cited: Building Products (Safety) Act 2017 (NSW), Building Services Corporation Act 1989 (NSW) Building Services Corporation Legislation Amendment Act 1996 (NSW) Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2013 (NSW), ss 80, 83 Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), s 440D Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 (NSW) Home Building Act 1989 (NSW), ss 18B, 18BA, 18C, 18D, 18E, 48K, 48MA, 48O, ss 103BA, 103BB Home Building Amendment Act 2008 (NSW). Home Building Amendment Act 2011 (NSW) Home Building Amendment Act 2014 (NSW) Home Building Amendment (Statutory Warranties) Act 2006 (NSW) Limitation Act 1969 (NSW), ss 60F, 60I Strata Schemes Management Act 1996 (NSW), s 80D Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW), s 103 Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 31 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 36.16 Cases Cited: Accounting Systems 2000 (Developments) Pty Ltd v CCH Australia Ltd (1993) 42 FCR 470 Acuthan v Coates (1986) 6 NSWLR 472 Alta Vale Residential Pty Ltd v The Owners – Strata Plan No 95693 [2024] NSWCATAP 212 Australian Broadcasting Corporation v Chau Chak Wing (2019) 271 FCR 632; [2019] FCAFC 125 Australian Iron & Steel Ltd v Hoogland (1962) 108 CLR 471; [1962] HCA 13 Bailey v Owners Corporation of Strata Plan 62666 [2011] NSWCA 293 Boensch v Pascoe (2019) 268 CLR 593; [2019] HCA 49 Boyle v Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) [2024] SASCA 73; 332 IR 205 BP v State of New South Wales [2019] NSWCA 223 Briggs v Gleeds [2015] Ch 212; [2014] EWHC 1178 (Ch) Chartbrook Ltd v Persimmon Homes Ltd [2009] AC 1101; [2009] UKHL 38 Chugg v Pacific Dunlop Ltd (1990) 170 CLR 249; [1990] HCA 41 Coal & Allied Operations Pty Ltd v Crossley (2023) 112 NSWLR 130; [2023] NSWCA 182 Collector of Customs v Agfa-Gevaert Ltd (1996) 186 CLR 389; [1996] HCA 36 Commonwealth v Mewett (1997) 191 CLR 471; [1997] HCA 29 Commonwealth v Verwayen (1990) 170 CLR 394; [1990] HCA 39 Conquer v Boot [1928] 2 KB 336 Croc's Franchising Pty Ltd v Alamdo Holdings Pty Ltd [2023] NSWCA 256 Currie v Dempsey (1967) 69 SR (NSW) 116 Cyril Smith & Associates Pty Ltd v The Owners – Strata Plan No 64970 [2011] NSWCA 181 David Grant & Co Pty Ltd v Westpac Banking Corporation (1995) 184 CLR 265; [1995] HCA 43 Director of Public Prosecutions (Nauru) v Fowler (1984) 154 CLR 627; [1984] HCA 48 Director-General of the Department of Environment and Climate Change v Taylor [2007] NSWLEC 530 Donohoe v Albulario [2025] NSWSC 9 Dowling v Bowie (1952) 86 CLR 136; [1952] HCA 63 Environment Protection Authority v Grafil Pty Ltd; Environment Protection Authority v Mackenzie (2019) 101 NSWLR 245; [2019] NSWCCA 174 Fitzgerald v Masters (1956) 95 CLR 420; [1956] HCA 53 Haertsch v Whiteway (2020) 102 NSWLR 386; [2020] NSWCA 133 Hazeltine Corporation v International Computers Ltd [1980] FSR 521 Honeywood as executrix of the estate of the late Neville Honeywood v Munnings (2006) 67 NSWLR 466; [2006] NSWCA 215 Imbree v Chief Commissioner of State Revenue [2024] NSWCATAP 158 James Adam Pty Ltd v Fobeza Pty Ltd (2020) 103 NSWLR 850; [2020] NSWCA 311 Jandson Pty Ltd v James [2021] NSWCATAP 274 John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd v Rivkin [2003] HCA 50; 201 ALR 77 Kalls Enterprises Pty Ltd (in liq) v Baloglow [2007] NSWCA 191; 63 ACSR 557 Kostas v HIA Insurance Services Pty Ltd (2010) 241 CLR 390; [2010] HCA 32 Kramer v Stone (2023) 112 NSWLR 564; [2023] NSWCA 270 McHugh Holdings Pty Ltd v Newtown Colonial Hotel Pty Ltd (2008) 73 NSWLR 53; [2008] NSWSC 542 National Starch and Chemical Pty Ltd v Nelson [1998] NSWCA 155 Onerati v Phillips Constructions Pty Ltd (1989) 16 NSWLR 730 Parkview Constructions v Owners – Strata Plan No 90018 [2023] NSWCA 66 Pullen v Gutteridge Haskins & Davey Pty Ltd [1993] 1 VR 27 Raysons Constructions Pty Ltd v The Owners Strata Plan No 87003 [2024] NSWCATAP 113 Reid v Commonwealth Bank of Australia (2022) 109 NSWLR 149; [2022] NSWCA 134 Ryan v Commissioner of Police, NSW Police Force (2022) 290 FCR 369; [2022] FCAFC 36 S & G Homes Pty Ltd t/as Pavilion Homes v Owen [2015] NSWCATAP 190 Seymour Whyte Constructions Pty Ltd v Ostwald Bros Pty Ltd (in liq) (2019) 99 NSWLR 317; [2019] NSWCA 11 Sydney Seaplanes Pty Ltd v Page (2021) 106 NSWLR 1; [2021] NSWCA 204 Tatham v Huxtable (1950) 81 CLR 639; [1950] HCA 56 Tre Cavalli Pty Ltd v The Berry Rural Co Operative Society Ltd [2013] NSWCA 235 Trentelman v The Owners – Strata Plan No 76700 (2021) 106 NSWLR 227; [2021] NSWCA 242 Unique Commercial Group Pty Ltd v Cusumano [2024] NSWCATAP 204 Vautin v BY Winddown, Inc (formerly Bertram Yachts) (No 4) [2018] FCA 426; 362 ALR 702 Vines v Djordjevitch (1955) 91 CLR 512; [1955] HCA 19 Wilson v Chan & Naylor Parramatta Pty Ltd (2020) 103 NSWLR 140; [2020] NSWCA 213 Zhong v Guan [2024] NSWCA 300 Texts Cited: M Aronson, "Unreasonableness and Error of Law" (2001) 24(2) UNSWLJ 315 Building Code of Australia M Gleeson, "Statutory Interpretation" (Justice Hill Memorial Lecture, 11 March 2009) P Herzfeld and T Prince, Interpretation (Thomson Reuters, 3rd ed, 2024) R J Lazarus, "The (Non)Finality of Supreme Court Opinions" (2014) 128 Harvard Law Review 540 A O'Callaghan, PCO Standard (version 1, 9 May 2023) F Pollock, Principles of Contract (Stevens & Sons, 7th ed, 1902) J Stone, Evidence: Its History and Policies (revised by W Wells, Butterworths, 1991) Category: Principal judgment Parties: The Owners – Strata Plan 87003 (Plaintiff) Raysons Constructions Pty Ltd (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: F Corsaro SC, P Horobin (Plaintiff) G Carolan (Defendant)