Ainger v Coffs Harbour City Council (No 2) [2007] NSWCA 212

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION: Ainger v Coffs Harbour City Council (No 2) [2007] NSWCA 212 This decision has been amended. Please see the end of the judgment for a list of the amendments.

HEARING DATE(S): On the papers

JUDGMENT DATE: 16 August 2007

JUDGMENT OF: Mason P at 1; McColl JA at 2; Hunt AJA at 46

DECISION: 1. Costs of the claimant of the first trial to be paid by the opponent on a solicitor/client basis; 2. No order as to the costs of the motion.

CATCHWORDS: COSTS – costs of appeal – offer of compromise made by plaintiff before trial under DCR Pt 39A r 25 – plaintiff sought indemnity costs for trial and appeal – whether offer relevant to costs of appeal –neither DCR or SCR apply – costs order in discretion of the court – court considers circumstances at time offer made – no fresh offer made between trial and appeal – discretion to order costs of appeal on an indemnity basis turned on demonstrating unreasonable or delinquent conduct on the part of the party against whom order sought – no such conduct demonstrated – motion for indemnity costs of appeal refused - COSTS – costs of trial – application of UCPR to offer of compromise made under DCR Pt 39A r 25 – costs awarded on a solicitor/client basis - COSTS – offers of compromise – relevance of change in legal outlook to reasonableness of rejection of offer – principles.

Civil Procedure Act 2005 Suitors' Fund Act 1951 LEGISLATION CITED: District Court Rules 1973 Supreme Court Rules 1970 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005

Ainger v Coffs Harbour City Council [2005] NSWCA 424 Baresic v Slingshot Holdings Pty Ltd (No 2) [2005] NSWCA 160 Benham v Gambling [1941] AC 157 Brodie v Singleton Shire Council; Ghantous v Hawkesbury Shire Council [2001] HCA 29; (2001) 206 CLR 512 Brymount Pty Limited t/a Watson Toyota v Cummins and Anor; Young Shire Council v Cummins and Anor (No 2) [2005] NSWCA 69 Coombes v Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) (No 2) [2007] NSWCA 70 Cumper v Pothecary [1941] 2 KB 58 Ettingshausen v Australian Consolidated Press (1995) 38 NSWLR 404 Hillier v Sheather (1995) 36 NSWLR 414 Horseshoe Pastoral Company Pty Ltd v Murray Smith (trading as South Coast Tile & Slate Company) (Court of Appeal, 7 November 1995, unreported) Huntsman Chemical Co Australia Ltd v International Pools Australia Pty Ltd (1995) 36 NSWLR 242 Maitland Hospital v Fisher (No 2) (1992) 27 NSWLR 721 Maricic v Dalma Formwork (Australia) Pty Ltd (No 2) [2006] NSWCA 237 Moore v Woodforth (No 2) [2003] NSWCA 46 Morgan v Johnson (1998) 44 NSWLR 578 CASES CITED: Mulligan v Coffs Harbour City Council [2005] HCA 63; (2005) 223 CLR 486 Mutual Life and Citizens' Assurance Co Ltd v Evatt [1968] HCA 74; (1968) 122 CLR 556 Newcastle City Council v Lindsay [2004] NSWCA 198 NSW Insurance Ministerial Corporation v Reeve (1993) 42 NSWLR 100 Oshlack v Richmond River Council [1998] HCA 11; (1998) 193 CLR 72 Port Stephens Shire Council v Tellamist Pty Ltd (No 2) [2004] NSWCA 415 R T & Y E Falls Investments Pty Ltd v State of New South Wales (No 2) [2007] NSWCA 86 Rolls Royce Industrial Power (Pacific) Ltd (Formerly John Thompson (Australia) Pty Ltd) v James Hardie & Co Pty Ltd (Pacific) Limited [2001] NSWCA 461; (2001) 53 NSWLR 626 South Eastern Sydney Area Health Service v King [2006] NSWCA 2 South Sydney Council v Morris (No 3) [2001] NSWCA 200 Southern Area Health Service v Brown (No 2) [2004] NSWCA 19 State of New South Wales v Burton [2006] NSWCA 43 Suresh v Jacon Industries Pty Ltd (No 2) [2005] NSWCA 270 Temora Shire Council v Stein [2004] NSWCA 236 Thompson v Woolworths (Queensland) Pty Ltd [2005] HCA 19; (2005) 221 CLR 234 Vairy v Wyong Shire Council [2005] HCA 62; (2005) 223 CLR 422 Webb v South Australia (1982) 56 ALJR 912