JDM Investments Pty Ltd v Todbern Pty Ltd [2000] NSWSC 349

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : JDM Investments Pty Ltd v Todbern Pty Ltd [2000] NSWSC 349 CURRENT JURISDICTION: Equity FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 1225/00 HEARING DATE(S) : 10, 11, 15, 17, 18 & 25 February and 7 March 2000 JUDGMENT DATE : 27 April 2000

PARTIES : JDM Investments Pty Limited (Receiver & Manager Appointed) (Administrator Appointed) (P) Todbern Pty Limited (D) JUDGMENT OF : Hamilton J

COUNSEL : R R I Harper (P) M L D Einfeld QC and F P Donohoe (D) SOLICITORS : Coudert Brothers (P) Verekers (D) CATCHWORDS : CONTRACTS [18] - General contractual principles - Offer and acceptance - Matters not giving rise to binding contract - Vagueness and uncertainty - Introductory - Commercial lease - Whether term so incapable of any definite or precise meaning that Court unable to attribute any particular contractual intention - CONTRACTS [120] - General contractual principles - Construction and interpretation of contracts - Other matters - Admissibility of extrinsic evidence - To show meaning of terms - Subsequent conduct - Whether course of conduct clear enough to show intention - CONVEYANCING [10] - Relationship of vendor and purchaser - Matters arising between contract and conveyance - Conditions precedent and subsequent - Other conditions - Condition of approval of form of assignment of lease by lessor and its solicitors - Ambit of matters to be taken into account in giving or withholding approval - ESTOPPEL [37] - Estoppel in pais - The representation - In general - Whether statement that lessor has given "blanket consent" or delegated right to consent to assignment to a subtenant a representation that there will be no future insistence on necessity for consent - LANDLORD AND TENANT [43] [44] - Covenants - Not to assign or sublet - Consent of lessor - Covenant which stipulates conditions which may be attached to consent to assignment to corporation but does not otherwise stipulate requirement of consent - Whether to be construed as requiring consent in all cases or whether term requiring consent in all cases to be implied - Other matters - Clause containing covenant against assignment or subletting but permitting same on fulfilment of conditions - Operation of clause - LANDLORD AND TENANT [88] - Termination of the tenancy - Forfeiture - Waiver of forfeiture - What amounts to - Whether statement that lessor has given "blanket consent" or delegated right to consent to assignment to a subtenant sufficient to preclude future insistence on necessity for consent. LEGISLATION CITED : Conveyancing Act 1919 ss 120, 129, 133B(1) Adler v Upper Grosvenor Street Investment Ltd [1957] 1 WLR 227 Brown v Gould [1972] Ch 53 Caney v Leith [1937] 2 All ER 532 Codelfa Construction Pty Ltd v State Rail Authority of New South Wales (1982) 149 CLR 337 Creer v P & O Lines of Australia Pty Limited (1971) 125 CLR 84 Hammond v Vam Ltd [1972] 2 NSWLR 16 Hide & Skin Trading Pty Limited v Oceanic Meat Traders Limited (1990) 20 NSWLR 310 International Drilling Fluids Ltd v Louisville Investments (Uxbridge) Ltd [1986] Ch 513 CASES CITED : Mendes v Commisioner of Probate Duties (Victoria) (1967) 122 CLR 152 Mulcahy v Hoyne (1925) 36 CLR 41 Murphy v Wright (1992) NSWConv R par 55-652 Provost Developments Ltd v Collingwood Towers Ltd [1980] 2 NZLR 205 Spintar Pty Ltd v Ranieri Nominees Pty Ltd 1 February 1991 SCNSW Bryson J unreported Sportsvision Australia Pty Limited v Tallglen Pty Limited (1998) 44 NSWLR 103 Spunwill Pty Limited v Bab Pty Limited (1994) 36 NSWLR 290 Upper Hunter County District Council v Australian Chilling & Freezing Co Ltd (1968) 118 CLR 429 CCH NSW Conveyancing Law and Practice 220 W D Duncan, Commercial Leases in Australia (3rd ed, 1998) 16 - 17 DECISION : That plaintiff's claim failed.