Lolakis & Anor v Konitsas [2002] NSWSC 889

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Lolakis & Anor v Konitsas [2002] NSWSC 889 revised - 25/10/2002 CURRENT JURISDICTION: Equity FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 4646/01 HEARING DATE(S) : 12/9/02-13/9/02 JUDGMENT DATE : 4 October 2002

Lucas Lolakis (First Plaintiff) PARTIES : Anna Lolakis (Second Plaintiff) Michael Konitsas (Defendant) JUDGMENT OF : Campbell J

COUNSEL : M K Rollinson (Plaintiffs) R A Skiller (Defendant) SOLICITORS : Friend & Co (Plaintiffs) Mee Ling (Defendant) CATCHWORDS : REAL PROPERTY - easements - whether purported easement is not really an easement because it confers exclusive possession of servient tenement - effect on validity of easement of transferee's failure to company with covenant contained in instrument granting easement - whether easement obsolete - whether easement impedes reasonable user of servient tenement without securing practical benefit to persons entitled to dominant tenement - whether easement abandoned - significance of criteria for Registrar General to expunge easement by administrative action - whether extinguishment will not substantially injure persons entitled to easement Conveyancing Act 1919 LEGISLATION CITED : Law of Property Act (UK) 1925 Limitations Act 1969 Real Property Act 1900 Application of Magney (1981) 2 BPR 97117 Application of Peter Cardigan Wolfe (1997) 8 BPR 15,669 Bursill Enterprises Pty Ltd v Berger Bros Trading Co Pty Ltd (1971) 124 CLR 73 Cavacourt Pty Ltd v Durian (Holdings) Pty Ltd (1998) 9 BPR 97761 Coles Myer NSW Ltd v Dymocks Book Arcade Ltd (1996) 9 BPR 97767 Copeland v Greenhalf [1952] 1 Ch 488 Durack v De Winton (1998) 9 BPR 97721 Evanel Pty Ltd v Nelson (1995) 39 NSWLR 209 Grigsby v Melville [1972] 1 WLR 1355 Guth v Robinson (1977) 1 BPR Heaton v Loblay (1960) SR (NSW) 332 In Re Ellenborough Park [1956] 1 Ch 131 In Re Ghey and Galton's Application [1957] 2 QB 650 In Re Henderson's Conveyance [1940] Ch 835 In Re Miscamble's Application [1966] VR 596 Metropolitan Railway Co v Fowler [1893] AC 416 CASES CITED : Mogensen v Portuland Developments Pty Ltd (1983) NSW ConvR 55-116 Morpath Pty Ltd v ACT Youth Accommodation Group Inc (1987) 16 FCR 325 Pennant Hills Golf Club Ltd v Roads and Traffic Authority of New South Wales (1999) 9 BPR 97771 Pink v Cummings [2000] NSWSC 1114; (2001) NSW ConvR 55-959 Piper v Edwards [1982] 1 NSWLR 336 Post Investments Pty Ltd v Wilson (1990) 26 NSWLR 598 Proprietors Strata Plan No 9968 v Proprietors Strata Plan No 11173 [1979] 2 NSWLR 605 Re Alexandra [1980] VR 55 at 57-58 Re R K Roseblade and V M Roseblade and the Conveyancing Act [1964-5] NSWR 2044 Reilly v Booth (1890) 44 ChD 12 Roxborough v Rothmans of Pall Mall Australia Limited [2001] HCA 68; (2001) 76 ALJR 203 Stannard v Issa [1987] 1 AC 175 Thomas W Ward, Ltd v Alexander Bruce (Grays) Ltd [1959] 2 Ll R 472 Treweeke v 36 Wolsley Road Pty Ltd (1973) 128 CLR 274 Truman Hanbury, Buxton and Co Limited's Application [1956] 1 QB 261 T Z Developments Pty Ltd v Rickman Pty Ltd (1993) 7 BPR 97582 Webster v Bradac (1993) 5 BPR 97430 Wright v Macadam [1949] 2 KB 744 DECISION : Easement held valid