SUMY PTY LTD v SOUTHCORP WINES PTY LTD [2004] NSWSC 1000

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : SUMY PTY LTD v SOUTHCORP WINES PTY LTD [2004] NSWSC 1000 HEARING DATE(S) : 5, 6, 13 October 2004 JUDGMENT DATE : 4 November 2004 JURISDICTION: Commercial List JUDGMENT OF : Bergin J DECISION : Plaintiff entitled to judgment in the amount of $1,470,366.

CATCHWORDS : [CONTRACT FOR SALE OF LAND] - Whether the plan attached to the contract is part of the contract - Falsa demonstratio non nocet - Whether maxim applies - Whether the stated area in the deposited plan attached to the contract amounted a contractual warranty - Whether the plaintiff's right to sue for breach merged on completion - [DAMAGES] - Whether damages should be assessed as at time of breach, as at time of discovery of breach, or as at date of trial - [TRADE PRACTICES ACT] - Whether reliance was placed upon misrepresentation - Quantum of damages Conveyancing (Sale of Land) Regulation 1995 (NSW) LEGISLATION CITED : Conveyancing (Vendor Disclosure and Warranty) Regulation 1986 (NSW) Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) Avim Pty Ltd v Guilianotti (1989) 16 NSWLR 666 Batey v Gifford (1997) 42 NSWLR 710 Brueckner v The Satellite Group (Ultimo) Pty Ltd [2002] NSWSC 378 Cottrill v Steyning and Littlehampton Building Society [1966] 1 WLR 753 County Personnel (Employment Agency) Ltd v Alan R Pulver & Co [1987] 1 WLR 916 Cowen v Truefitt Ltd [1898] 2 Ch 551 Diamond v Campbell-Jones & Others [1961] 1 Ch 22 Dodd Properties Limited v Cantebury County Council [1980] 1 WLR 433 East Ham Borough Council v Bernard Sunley & Sons Ltd [1966] AC 406 CASES CITED : Eastwood v Ashton [1915] AC 900 Jennings v Zilahi-Kiss, Zilahi-Kiss and M.K. Tramaine & Company Pty Ltd (1972) 2 SASR 493 Johnson v Agnew [1980] AC 367 Johnson v Perez (1988) 166 CLR 351 Murphy v Overton Investments Pty Ltd (2004) 78 ALJR 324 Stephens v Selsey Renovations Pty Ltd [1974] 1 NSWLR 273 Svanosio v McNamara (1956) 96 CLR 186 Tefbao Pty Ltd v Stannic Securities Pty Ltd (1990) 5 BPR 11,189 Terri Co Pty Ltd v Aldoth Pty Ltd (1989) 94 FLR 245 Watcham v Attorney General of East Africa Protectorate [1919] AC 533 Wenham v Ella (1972) 127 CLR 454 PARTIES : Sumy Pty Limited (Plaintiff) Southcorp Wines Pty Limited (Defendant) FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 50147/03 COUNSEL : G. Inatey SC; V. Gray; AJ Abadee (Plaintiff) A. Ogborne (Defendant) SOLICITORS : Malcolm Johns & Company (Plaintiff) Cutler Hughes & Harris (Defendant)