Bakerland Pty Ltd & Anor v Coleridge [2002] NSWCA 30

Reported Decision : (2002) 12 ANZ Insurance Cases 61-521

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : Bakerland Pty Ltd & Anor v Coleridge [2002] NSWCA 30 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40407/01 HEARING DATE(S) : 29 November 2001 JUDGMENT DATE : 25 March 2002

PARTIES : Bakerland Pty Ltd & Bakerland No 1 Pty Ltd - Appellants Davan Ean Coleridge - Respondents JUDGMENT OF : Giles JA at 1; Heydon JA at 78; Grove J at 79

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : District Court LOWER COURT DC 9589/97 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT Coleman DCJ JUDICIAL OFFICER :

COUNSEL : S J Motbey - Appellant G Burton - Respondent SOLICITORS : Norwoods - Appellant Phillips Fox - Respondent CATCHWORDS : INSURANCE - storm damage - collapse of part of building - whether insured entitled to indemnity value of building viewed alone as distinct from together with the land on which it stood - whether insured worse off as result of the collapse - whether errors in evidentiary rulings - whether insured had proved costs of removal of debris - entitlement to interest. D. Bennett v Jones (1977) 2 NSWLR 355; British Traders' Insurance Co Ltd v Monson (1964) 111 CLR 86; CIC Insurance Ltd v Bankstown Football Club Ltd (1997) 187 CLR 384; The Commonwealth v McLean (1996) 41 NSWLR 389; CASES CITED: General Accident Insurance Asia Ltd v Sakr (2001) NSWCA 402; re Gordon, Official Trustee in Bankruptcy v Pike (Beaumont J, 1 September 1995, unreported); NRMA Ltd v Morgan (Giles J, 28 August 1998, unreported); Papakosmas v The Queen (1999) 196 CLR 297; Wentworth v Wentworth (Santow J, 17 April 1997, unreported). DECISION : (1) Appeal allowed in part; (2) Set aside the verdict and judgment for the defendant against the plaintiffs and in lieu thereof verdict and judgment for the plaintiffs against the defendant for $30,388.93; (3) Set aside the order that the plaintiffs pay the defendant's costs and in lieu thereof order that the plaintiffs pay three-quarters of the defendant's costs; (4) Order that the appellant pay three-quarters of the responent's costs of the appeal.