Tan Hung Nguyen & Anor v Luxury Design Homes Pty Limited & 2 Ors [2004] NSWCA 178

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : Tan Hung Nguyen & Anor v Luxury Design Homes Pty Limited & 2 Ors [2004] NSWCA 178 HEARING DATE(S) : 22/10/03 JUDGMENT DATE : 11 June 2004

JUDGMENT OF : Hodgson JA at 1; McColl JA at 12; Einstein J at 57 DECISION : Appeal dismissed with costs.

CATCHWORDS : Building and construction - Contract - progress payments - disputes over second progress payment - referral to referee for report under Pt 28B r 2(1) of the District Court Rules 1973 - referee's report adopted by trial judge - appeal against reasons given in judgment - proper construction of the contract - insufficiency of reasons - proper approach to calculations - construction of termination clause - whether contract an "entire contract" - whether entire performance a condition precedent to payment - rule in Sumpter v Hedges [1898] 1 QB 673 - Proper construction of contract to exclude common law rights to relief for repudiatory conduct LEGISLATION CITED : District Court Rules 1973 Baltic Shipping Co v Dillon (1993) 176 CLR 344 Banbury & Cheltenham Direct Railway Co v Daniel (1884) 54 LJ Ch 265 Besser Industries (NT) Pty Ltd v Steelcon Constructions Pty Ltd (1995) 129 ALR 308 Biscayne Partners Pty Ltd v Valance Corp Pty Ltd [2003] NSWSC 874 Brewarrina Shire Council v Beckhaus Civil Pty Ltd [2003] NSWCA 4; 56 NSWLR 576 Carpenter v McGrath (1996) 40 NSWLR 39 Chalet Homes Pty Limited v Kelly [1978] Qd R 389 Commonwealth v Amann Aviation Pty Ltd (1991) 174 CLR 64 Connor v Stainton (1924) 27 WALR 72 Corio Guarantee Corporation Ltd v McCallum [1956] VLR 755 Dawnays Ltd v FG Minter Ltd and Trollope and Colls Ltd [1971] 1 WLR 1205 Egan v State Transport Authority (1982) 31 SASR 481 GEC Marconi Systems Pty Limited v BHP Information Technology Pty Limited (2003) 128 FCR 1; [2003] FCA 50 Gilbert-Ash (Northern) Limited v Modern Engineering (Bristol) Limited [1974] AC 689 Hoenig v Isaacs [1952] 2 All ER 176 Hungry Jacks Pty Ltd v Burger King Corp [1999] NSWSC 1029 CASES CITED : Hyundai Heavy Industries Co Ltd v Papadopoulos [1980] 1 WLR 1229 McLachlan v Nourse [1928] SASR 230 Madras, The [1898] P 90 Mahoney v Lindsay (1980) 55 ALJR 118 Markham & Andrews v Bernales (1906) 8 WALR 208 Mertens v Home Freeholds Company [1921] 2 KB 526 Ownit Homes Pty Ltd v Batchelor [1983] 2 Qd R 124 Peter Turnbull & Co. Pty. Ltd. v Mundus Trading Co (Australasia) Pty Limited (1954) 90 CLR 235 Philips v Ellinson Brothers Pty Ltd (1941) 65 CLR 221 Pickering v Ilfracombe Railway Company (1868) LR3CP 235 Robinson v Harman (1848) 1 Exch 850 Rocci & Anor v Diploma Construction Pty Ltd [2004] WASC 18 Sanders Constructions Pty Ltd, Re [1969] Qd R 29 Steele v Tardiani (1946) 72 CLR 386 Sumpter v Hedges [1898] 1 QB 673 Tharsis Sulphur and Copper Company v McElroy & Sons (1878) 3 App Cas 1040 Walsh v Kinnear (1876) 14 SCR(NSW) 434 Wenham v Ella (1972) 127 CLR 454 Tan Hung Nguyen (First Appellant) Cam Dung Lu (Second Appellant) PARTIES : Luxury Design Homes Pty Limited (ACN 003 129 815) (First Respondent) Lyn Frohlich (Second Respondent) Jack Reitsma (Third Respondent) FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40200/03 COUNSEL : Dr C Vaccaro (First and Second Appellants) Miss E Olsson SC, Mr Walsh (First, Second and Third Respondents) SOLICITORS : Mark Mullins (First and Second Appellants) Turnbull Bowles Lawyers (First, Second and Third Respondents)