Mohamed v Farah [2004] NSWSC 482

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Mohamed v Farah [2004] NSWSC 482 HEARING DATE(S) : 21/05/04 JUDGMENT DATE : 4 June 2004 JURISDICTION: Equity Division JUDGMENT OF : Barrett J DECISION : Leave to plaintiff to withdraw accepted offer of compromise

CATCHWORDS : PROCEDURE - offer of compromise - whether acceptance faxed to offeror's solicitor was properly served - whether acceptance actually coming to offeror's solicitor's notice after business hours on last day was effective acceptance - offer affected by mistake of offeror's solicitor - recipient of offer did not know of mistake - whether offeror may withdraw offer despite acceptance - whether wholly contractual matter - relevance of litigation context and court's functon of ensuring just result Evidence Act 1995 - s.160 LEGISLATION CITED : Ritchie's Supreme Court Procedure (NSW) - para 22.5.1 Supreme Court Rules 1970 - Parts 7, 9, 22 Easyfind (NSW) Pty Ltd v Paterson (1987) 11 NSWLR 98 Howship Holdings Pty Ltd v Leslie (1996) 41 NSWLR 542 Lewes Nominees Pty Ltd v Strang (1983) 57 ALJR 823 Lewis v Combell Constructions Pty Ltd (1989) 18 NSWLR 528 CASES CITED : Parklands Blue Metal Pty Ltd v Kowari Motors Pty Ltd [2004] 1 QdR 140 Pino v Prosser [1967] VR 835 Scanruby Pty Ltd v Caltex Petroleum Pty Ltd [2001] NSWSC 411 Taylor v Johnson (1983) 151 CLR 422 Waitemata City Council v MacKenzie [1988] 2 NZLR 242 Young v Combe (unreported, NSWSC, Hodgson J, 29 July 1993) PARTIES : Makram Mohamed - Plaintiff Lorraine Marion Farah - Defendant FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 3535/03 COUNSEL : Mr J R Wilson SC - Plaintiff Mr C M Simpson - Defendant SOLICITORS : Back Schwartz Vaughan - Plaintiff L Rundle & Co - Defendant