Long v Michie [2003] NSWSC 233

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Long v Michie [2003] NSWSC 233 HEARING DATE(S) : 15, 16, 17 and 18 October 2002 JUDGMENT DATE : 7 April 2003 JURISDICTION: Equity JUDGMENT OF : Austin J DECISION : See under heading "Conclusion"

CATCHWORDS : EASEMENTS AND RIGHTS OF WAY - right of way appurtenant to church property granted in 1856 - obstruction of right of way by closing of access, creation of gardens, construction of garage door, and parking of vehicles - whether evidence showed that right of way was abandoned at general law or should be extinguished under s 89(1)(b) Conveyancing Act - RIGHT OF WAY - EXTINGUISHMENT - whether right of way should be deemed obsolete so as to justify extinguishment under s 89(1)(a) Conveyancing Act - RIGHT OF WAY - REASONABLE USER - whether continued existence of right impeded reasonable user of servient tenements without securing practical benefit to the owner of dominant tenement, so as to justify extinguishment under s 89(1)(a) LEGISLATION CITED : Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW) ss 88, 89 Real Property Act 1900 (NSW) s 28K Cannon v Villars (1878) 8 Ch D at 821 Chatsworth Estates v Fewell [1931] 1 Ch 224 Couche v Adams [2002] NSWSC 27 Crossley & Sons Ltd v Lightowler (1867) 2 Ch App 478 Denton v Phillpott [1990] NSW Conv R 55-545 Dunnell v Phillips (1982) 2 BTR 9517 Durian (Holdings) Pty Ltd v Cavacourt Pty Ltd (2000) 10 BPR [97830] 18,100 Finlayson v Campbell (Supreme Court of New South Wales, Young J, unreported, 4 September 1997) Gallagher v Rainbow (1994) 179 CLR 624 Gotobed v Pridmore [1970] 115 Sol Jo 78 Grill v Hockey (1991) 5 BPR 11,421 Guth v Robinson (1977) 1 BPR [97017] CASES CITED : Keefe v Amor [1965] 1 QB 334 Knight v Simmons [1896] 2 Ch 294 McIntyre v Porter [1983] 2 VR 439 Middleton v Arthur [2002] NSWSC 627 Proprietors Strata Plan No 9968 v Proprietors Strata Plan No 11173 [1979] 2 NSWLR 605 R v Chorley (1848) 12 QB 515 Re Henderson's Conveyance [1940] Ch 835 Saggers v Brown (1981) 2 BTR 9329 Swan v Sinclair [1924] 1 Ch 254 Tehidy Medals Ltd v Norman [1971] 2 QB 528 Treweeke v 36 Wolseley Road Pty Ltd (1973) 128 CLR 274 Ward v Ward (1852) 7 Ex 838 [155 ER 1189] Williams v Usherwood (1983) 45 P & CR 235 Zenere v Leate (1980) 1 BPR [97089] Peter Duncansby Long and Joy Ellen Long (P/XD) PARTIES : Christopher Robin Michie and Lindsay Francis Michie (D1/XC1) Robert Frederic Purves (D2/XC2) FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 1323/01 COUNSEL : M J Cohen (P) P B Walsh (D) SOLICITORS : Peter Cornelius & Partners (P) Church & Grace (D)