Land & National Development Corporation P/L v Tatebrook P/L [1999] NSWSC 669

New South Wales Supreme Court CITATION : Land & National Development Corporation P/L v Tatebrook P/L [1999] NSWSC 669 CURRENT JURISDICTION : Equity FILE NUMBER(S) : 1293/99 HEARING DATE(S) : 24/05/99 JUDGMENT DATE : 6 July 1999

PARTIES : Land & National Development Corporation Pty Limited (ACN 003 184 914) (P) Tatebrook Pty Limited (ACN 051 906 926) (D) JUDGMENT OF : Santow J

COUNSEL : R W White, SC (P) M Leeming (D) SOLICITORS : Rod J Barnett & Assoc (by their City Agents: Turner Whelan) (P) Mallesons Stephen Jaques (D) CATCHWORDS : CORPORATIONS — Statutory Demand — Fulfilment of conditions precedent affecting whether debt released — Genuine dispute — Waiver of fulfilment of condition or conventional estoppel precludes reliance on non-fulfilment — Requirements for waiver — Need for unambiguity and precision as to shared assumption for conventional estoppel — waiver clauses requiring writing distinguished from variation clauses — Extent to which a question of law can be resolved when contesting a statutory demand. ACTS CITED : Corporations Law s459G(1) Craine v Colonial Mutual Fire Insurance Co Ltd (1920) 28 CLR 305 Deaves v CML Fire and General Insurance Co Ltd (1979) 143 CLR 24 Commonwealth v Verwayen (1990) 170 CLR 394 Eyota Pty Limited v Hanave Pty Ltd (1994) 12 ACSR 785 CASES CITED : Gillford Pty Ltd v Burdon Pty Ltd (FCA, 1 December 1995, unreported) Grundt v Great Boulder Gold Mines Pty Ltd (1937) 59 CLR 641 Jarpab Pty Limited v Winter (1994) 14 ACSR 255 Presmist Pty Ltd v Turner Corporation Pty Ltd (1992) 30 NSWLR 478 Suttor v Gundowda Pty Limited (1950) 81 CLR 418 TCN Channel 9 v Hayden Enterprises Pty Ltd (1989) 16 NSWLR 130 DECISION : Appeal dismissed.