Young & 1 Ors v The Owners S/P 3529 & 2 Ors [2001] NSWSC 1135

Reported Decision : 54 NSWLR 60

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Young & 1 Ors v The Owners S/P 3529 & 2 Ors [2001] NSWSC 1135 CURRENT JURISDICTION: Equity FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 2454/99 HEARING DATE(S) : 26/07/01, 27/07/01 JUDGMENT DATE : 11 December 2001

Bruce Donald Young (First Plaintiff) Nateli Solenko (Second Plaintiff) PARTIES : The Owners - Strata Plan No. 3529 (First Defendant) Leonard Wallace Boyd (Second Defendant) Helen Frances Boyd (Third Defendant) JUDGMENT OF : Santow J

COUNSEL : Dr C Birch, SC/ J-J Loofs (Plaintiffs) M D Young (First Defendant) John McEncroe & Company (Plaintiffs) SOLICITORS : David Le Page (First Defendant) Boyd House & Partners (Second and Third Defendants) CATCHWORDS : PROPERTY -- Strata titles -- Exclusive use by-law foreshadowed which would deprive non-residential lot owners of previous right to use common property including swimming pool and leave it exclusively with residential lot owners -- Nature of that right as proprietary -- Validity of by-law under s52(1)(a) of Strata Schemes Management Act 1996 (NSW) -- Principles of statutory construction -- Same expression in adjacent provisions having different denotation but same connotation -- Relevance of principles concerning expropriation in construction of statute -- Challengeable as fraud on minority and as expropriation under Gambotto principles -- meaning of "expropriation" for that purpose -- Slander of title - Fair Trading Act 1987 (NSW) and meaning of conduct in trade or commerce -- Availability of relief -- prematurity no defence in circumstances. Fair Trading Act 1987 (NSW) s42 LEGISLATION CITED : Strata Schemes (Freehold Development) Act 1973, s20 Strata Schemes Management Act 1996 (NSW) s52(1)(a) Strata Titles Act 1973 Re Boulton; ex parte Bean (1987) 162 CLR 514 Clissold v Perry (1904) 1 CLR 363 Concrete Constructions (NSW) Pty Limited v Nelson (1990) 169 CLR 594 Data Flow v Goodman (1999) 168 ALR 169 Duke of Brunswick v Harmer (1849) 14 QB 185 Gambotto v WCP Limited & Anor (1995) 182 CLR 432 Heydon v NRMA (2001) 36 ACSR 462 CASES CITED : Hougton & Anor v Immer (155) Pty Ltd (1997) 44 NSWLR 46 Loudon v Ryder (No. 2) [1953] 1 Ch 423 Metal Manufacturers Limited v Lewis, on appeal at (1988) 13 NSWLR 315 Monier v Szabo (1992) 28 NSWLR 53 Mulwala & District Services Club Ltd v Owners Strata Plan 37724 (2000) 50 NSWLR 458 North Wind Pty Limited v The Proprietors Strata Plan No. 3143 (1981) 2 NSWLR 809 Penney v Penney [1965] NSWR 495 Southern Cross Interiors Pty Ltd (in liq) v DCT (2001) 39 ACSR 305 DECISION : Foreshadowed by-law invalid without consent.