Young v Lamb (No.2) [2001] NSWSC 1014

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Young v Lamb (No.2) [2001] NSWSC 1014 CURRENT JURISDICTION: Equity FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 5096/98 HEARING DATE(S) : 8 November 2001 JUDGMENT DATE : 9 November 2001

Robert Francis Patrick Young (P) Kenneth John Lamb (D1) PARTIES : Louise Ann Lamb (D2) William Thomas Newell (D3) Dianne Margaret Newell (D4) JUDGMENT OF : Austin J

COUNSEL : M Heath (P) S Dixon (D) SOLICITORS : Button Hawdon & McMahon (Batemans Bay) (P) Daryl Hurst (Moruya) (D) CATCHWORDS : CONTRACT - assessment of damages - tenants' breach of contract to renew lease - loss of rent - damage to demised premises would have caused rent to abate if tenant had performed the contract by renewing the lease - damages for loss of rent reduced by amount corresponding to abatement - mitigation of loss - landlord failed to find tenant for three year duration of renewed term - whether landlord had mitigated loss British Westinghouse Co v Underground Railway [1912] AC 673 Buchanan v Byrnes (1983) 3 CLR 179 Karacominakis v Big Country Developments Pty Ltd [2000] NSWCA 313 Marshall v Mackintosh (1898) 78 LT 750 CASES CITED : Nangus Pty Ltd v Charles Donovan Pty Ltd [1990] VR 184 NLS Pty Ltd v Hughes (1966) 120 CLR 583 Progressive Mailing House v Tabali Pty Ltd (1985) 157 CLR 17 Re Eastdoro Pty Ltd (No 2) [1990] 1 Qd R 424 Wenkart v Pitman (1998) 46 NSWLR 502 DECISION : Judgment for plaintiff in the sum of $120,629 (loss of rent $106,148 and interest $14,481)