Argyropoulos v Layton & Anor [2002] NSWCA 183

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : Argyropoulos v Layton & Anor [2002] NSWCA 183 revised - 21/06/2002 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40646/00 HEARING DATE(S) : 15 March 2002 JUDGMENT DATE : 20 June 2002

PARTIES : Vasilios ARGYROPOULOS (Appellant) Nicholas Guy LAYTON & Steven John BURNS (Respondent) JUDGMENT OF : Handley JA at 1; Hodgson JA at 11; Santow JA at 14

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : District Court LOWER COURT DC 4171/99 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT Cripps ADJC JUDICIAL OFFICER :

COUNSEL : M R Aldridge, SC/ M W Anderson (Appellant) G M Gregg (Respondent) SOLICITORS : Maxwell Berghouse & Ives (Appellant) Corrs Chamber Westgarth (Respondent) CATCHWORDS : TORT - professional negligence - respondent failed to commence proceedings in prescribed time and failed to seek leave to commence proceedings out of time - whether more than one cause of action - continuing duty - CONTRACT - breach of duty under retainer - DAMAGES - general principle - discretion to discount award for the possibility that leave to commence out of time may have failed. LEGISLATION CITED : Motor Accidents Act 1988 s52(4) Bell v Brown [1990] 2 QB 495 Carter v Egg Pulp Marketing Board (1942) 66 CLR 557 Cartledge v Jopling & Sons Ltd [1963] AC 758 Cassis v Kalfus [2001] NSWCA 460 Damberg v Damberg and others (2002) 52 NSWLR 493 Doundoulakis v Antony Sdrinis & Co [1989] VR 781 Dunlop v McGowans 1979 SC 22; 1980 SC(HL) 73 Flower & Hart v White Industries (Qld) Pty Limited [201] 109 FCR 280 (full court) Harris v Raggatt [1965] VR 779 Hawkins v Clayton (1986) 5 NSWLR 109; (reversed by the High Court (1988) 164 CLR 539) Hetherington v Mirvac Pty Ltd [1999] NSWSC 443; (1999) Aust Torts Reports 81-514 at 66-022 - 66-023 Howell v Young (1826) 5 B & C 259 [108 ER 97] Larking v Great Western (Nepean) Gravel Ltd (1940) 64 CLR 221 CASES CITED: Letang v Cooper [1965] 1 QB 232 Marshall v London Passenger Transport Board [1936] 3 All ER 83 Patterson v Richards [1963] VR 179 Read v Brown (1888) 22 QBD 128 Republic of India v India Steamship Co Ltd [1993] 410 Sampson v Zucker (NSWSC, CA, 11 December 1996, unreported) Scarcella v Lettice (2000) 51 NSWLR 302 Scott v Echegaray (1991) Aust Torts Reports 81-120 Sheldon v McBeath (1993) ATPR 81-209 Smith v Wilkins and Davies Construction [1958] NZLR 958 Vulic v Bilinsky [1983] 2 NSWLR 472 Wardley Australia Ltd v Western Australia (1992) 175 CLR 514 Williams v Milotin (1957) 97 CLR 465 Wilson v Rigg (Sperling J, [2000] NSWSC 16, 7 February 2000, unreported) DECISION : 1. Appeal allowed and orders in court below set aside; 2. Judgment for the Appellant in the sum of $10,251.28 with effect from 24 July 2000; 3. Respondents to pay Appellant's costs of the proceedings in the court below; 4. Respondent to pay Appellant's costs of the appeal and to have a suitor's fund certificate if otherwise entitled.