Maher v Bayview Golf Club [2004] NSWSC 275

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Maher v Bayview Golf Club [2004] NSWSC 275 HEARING DATE(S) : 23/03/04-26/03/04 JUDGMENT DATE : 4 June 2004 JURISDICTION: Equity JUDGMENT OF : Campbell J DECISION : Prescriptive easement established exercisable night and day, of a width sufficient to allow passage of two lanes of vehicles, for purpose of use of dominant tenement as a dwelling. Benefit of easement available to subdivided portions of dominant tenement

CATCHWORDS : REAL PROPERTY - easements - acquisition by prescription under doctrine of lost modern grant - easement not acquired over land of a tenant of the dominant tenement - effect of servient tenement coming under qualified title - method for ascertaining the scope of an easement acquired by prescription - effect of user not all being over precisely the same track - whether specific proof needed of use at night time to acquire an easement which permits use at night time - frequency of use needed before prescriptive easement arises - restriction of prescriptive easement by reference to purpose for which dominant tenement used during period when easement is accruing - whether prescriptive easement applies to lots into which dominant tenement is subdivided - abandonment of easements - fencing of easement - effect of illegality of use on acquisition of easement by prescription Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) LEGISLATION CITED : Prescription Act 1832 (UK) Real Property Act 1900 Transfer of Land Act 1928 (Vic) Attorney-General v Hodgson [1922] 2 Ch 429 Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited v Westpac Banking Corporations (1988) 164 CLR 662 Bakewell Management Ltd v Brandwood and Ors [2004] UKHL 14 British Railways Board v Glass [1965] Ch 538 Butler v Muddle (1995) 6 BPR 13,984 Cannon v Villars (1878) 8 Ch D 415 Cargill v Gotts [1981] 1 WLR 441 Carr v Foster and Others (1842) 3 QB 581; 114 ER 629 Commissioner of State Revenue (Victoria) v Royal Insurance Australia Limited (1994) 182 CLR 51 Dand v Kingscote (1840) 6 M&W 174; 151 ER 370 David Securities Pty Limited and Others v Commonwealth Bank of Australia (1992) 175 CLR 353 Davis and Another v Whitby [1974] 1 Ch 186 Delohery v Permanent Trustee Co of New South Wales (1904) 1 CLR 283 Dobbie and Another v Davidson and Others (1991) 23 NSWLR 625 Dunnell v Phillips (1982) 2 BPR 9517 Gallagher v Rainbow and Others (1994) 179 CLR 624 Gangemi and Another v Watson (1994) 11 WAR 505 Hamilton v Joyce [1984] 3 NSWLR 279 Hanning v Top Deck Travel Group Ltd (1993) 68 P&CR 14 Hollins v Verney (1884) 13 QBD 304 Hulley v Silversprings Bleaching and Dyeing Company Limited [1922] 2 Ch 268 Ironside, Crabb and Crabb the Cook, Cook & Barefoot (1980) 41 P&Cr 326 Jelbert v Davis and Another [1968] 1 WLR 589 Kilgour v Gaddes [1904] 1 KB 457 CASES CITED : Lock v Abercester, Limited [1939] 1 Ch 861 Milner's Safe Company, Limited v Great Northern and City Railway Company [1907] 1 Ch 208 Neaverson v Peterborough Rural District Council [1902] 1 Ch 557 Nelson v Hughes [1947] VLR 227 Oakley and Another v Boston [1976] 1 QB 270 Pavey & Matthews Proprietary Limited v Paul (1987) 162 CLR 221 Proprietors Strata Plan No 9,968 and Another v Proprietors Strata Plan No 11,173 and Others [1979] 2 NSWLR 605 R v Oxfordshire County Council and Another; Ex parte Sunningwell Parish Council [2000] 1 AC 335 Rochdale Canal Co v Radcliffe (1852) 18 QB 287; 118 ER 108 Rodwell and Another v G R Evans & Co Pty Ltd and Another [1978] 1 NSWLR 448 Rodwell v G R Evans & Co Pty Ltd (1977) 3 BPR 9114 RPC Holdings, Ltd v Rogers [1953] 1 All ER 1029 Short v Patrial Holdings Pty Ltd (1994) 6 BPR 13,996 Simmons v Dobson and Another [1991] 1 WLR 720 Sunset Properties Pty Ltd v Johnston (1975) 3 BPR 9185 Tehidy Minerals Ltd and Another v Norman and Others [1971] 2 QB 528 Union Lighterage Company v London Graving Dock Company [1902] 2 Ch 557 United Land Company v Great Eastern Railway Company [1875] 10 Ch App Cas 586 Walker v Espie [2003] NSWSC 559 Wheaton v Maple & Co [1893] 3 Ch 48 White and Others v Taylor and Another (No.2) [1969] 1 Ch 160 White v Grand Hotel, Eastbourne Limited [1913] 1 Ch 113 Williams v James (1867) LR 2 CP 577 Wimbledon and Putney Commons Conservators v Dixon (1875) 1 Ch D 362 Woodhouse & Co Ltd v Kirkland (Derby) Ltd [1970] 1 WLR 1185 PARTIES : Reginald Bede Maher - Plaintiff Bayview Golf Club Limited - Defendant FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 4626/02 COUNSEL : N Francey - Plaintiff W Haffenden - Defendant SOLICITORS : F J Smith & Company - Plaintiff Edgington & Alfonso - Defendant