Golding v Vella [2001] NSWSC 567

Reported Decision : (2003) NSW ConvR 56-044

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Golding v Vella [2001] NSWSC 567 CURRENT JURISDICTION: Equity FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 3043/99 HEARING DATE(S) : 31/05/01, 01/06/01 JUDGMENT DATE : 9 July 2001

Mark John Golding - Plaintiff PARTIES : Frederick Anthony Vella - First Defendant Therese Marianne Vella - Second Defendant JUDGMENT OF : Barrett J

COUNSEL : Mr G.P. McNally - Plaintiff Mr G.A. Seib - Defendants SOLICITORS : Matthews Dooley & Gibson - Plaintiff Williams Boxsell Georgas - Defendants CATCHWORDS : CONVEYANCING - Matters arising between contract and conveyance - Purported termination by purchasers for breach by vendor - Purported termination relied upon by vendor as wrongful repudiation - Whether vendor can reecover unpaid balance of deposit after termination - Whether purchasers entitled to relief under s.55(2A) Conveyancing Act 1919 - CONVEYANCING - Formation of contract - Real estate salesperson purports to effect exchange of contracts - No authority of purchasers to do so - Purchasers present but not participating in supposed exchange - Salesperson delivers part signed by vendor to purchasers' solicitors - When exchange effected LEGISLATION CITED : Conveyancing Act 1919 Property, Stock and Business Agents Act 1941 Castle Hill Tyres Pty Ltd v Luxspice Pty Ltd (1996) 7 BPR 14,959 Clarke v Ramuz [1891] 2 QB 456 Alexus Pty Ltd v Pont Holdings Pty Ltd (2000) 10 BPR 18,371 Nelson v Bellamy [2000] NSWSC 182 Flight v Booth (1834) 1 Bing (NC) 370 Bot v Ristevski [1981] VR 120 Kirk v Ashdown [1999] 2 QdR 1 Socratous v Koo (1993) 6 BPR 13,226 Kylsilver Pty Ltd v One Australia Pty Ltd [2001] NSWSC 226 Lucas & Tait (Investments) Pty Ltd v Victoria Securities Ltd [1973] 2 NSWLR 268 CASES CITED : Benyon v Wongala Holdings Pty Ltd (1999) 9 BPR 16,781 Eighth SRJ Pty Ltd v Merity (1997) 7 BPR 15,189 Mearns v Parris Holdings Pty Ltd (1994) 6 BPR 13,677 Clurstock v Timanu Pty Ltd (1988) NSW ConvR 55-419 Eccles v Bryant and Pollock [1948] 1 Ch 93 Sindel v Georgiou (1984) 154 CLR 661 Domb v Isoz [1980] 1 All ER 942 Harris v Fuseoak Pty Ltd (1995) 7 BPR 14,511 Mallett v Jones [1959] VR 122 Terry Pfeiffer Real Estate Pty Ltd v Connors [2000] NSWSC 452 "The Standard Contract for Sale of Land in New South Wales", Butt, 2nd ed, 1998 "The Law of Vendor and Purchaser", Stonham, 1964 DECISION : 1. Contract for sale of land between plaintiff as vendor and defendants as purchasers was validly terminated by the plaintiff; 2. Plaintiff repay to defendants $1,337.50, being the part of the deposit paid by the defendants; 3. Defendants pay to plaintiff damages of $8,199.40 for breach of contract.