GOLDMASTER HOMES P/L & ANOR v JOHNSON & ORS [2004] NSWCA 144

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : GOLDMASTER HOMES P/L & ANOR v JOHNSON & ORS [2004] NSWCA 144 HEARING DATE(S) : 04/05/2004 JUDGMENT DATE : 4 June 2004

JUDGMENT OF : Mason P at 1; Bryson JA at 2; Stein AJA at 44; DECISION : [2003] NSWSC 230 affirmed. Appeal dismissed with costs.

CATCHWORDS : CONTRACTS – offer and acceptance – option, first refusal – affirm finding of Brownie AJ that, on evidence of correspondence and conversation, there was no concluded contract for a right of first refusal – consideration of nature of right of first refusal and case law thereon – reject argument that should follow decisions in States of US – significance of observations in Woodroffe v. Box (1954) 92 CLR 245 and Mackay v. Wilson (1947) 47 SR NSW 315. D. LEGISLATION CITED : Conveyancing Act 1919 Sched.3 s60 Manchester Ship Canal Co v. Manchester Racecourse Co [1900] 2 Ch 352 Smith v. Morgan [1971] 1 WLR 803 Gardner v. Coutts & Co [1968] 1 WLR 173 Kellner v. Bartman (1993) 620 NE 2d 607 Abraham Investment Company v. Payne Ranch Inc. & Ors (1998) 968 SW 2d 518 Cortese & Ors v. Connors (1956) 135 NE 2d 28 DiMaria v. Michaels (1982) 455 NYS 2d 875 CASES CITED : Tribble & Anor v. Reely & Ors (1976) 557 P 2d 813 Butler & Ors v. Richardson & Ors (1948) 60 A 2d 718 Barling & Ors v. Horn & Ors (1956) 296 SW 2d 94 Brownies Creek Collieries Inc. v. Asher Coal Mining Co. (1967) 417 SW 2d 249 Phipps v. CW Leasing Inc. (1996) 923 P 2d 863 Woodroffe v. Box (1954) 92 CLR 245 Mackay v Wilson (1947) 47 SR (NSW) 315 Smith v. Morgan [1971] 1 WLR 803 Goldmaster Homes Pty Ltd and Rocky Scarcella - Appellants PARTIES : Keith Norman Johnson - First Respondent Johnson & Johnson Real Estate Pty Ltd - Second Respondent Hills Development Corporation Pty Ltd - Third Respondent FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40321/2003 COUNSEL : V. Gray - Appellants F. Gleeson - Respondents SOLICITORS : Corporate & Civil Legal - Appellants Phillips Fox - Respondents