Print National Nominees Pty Ltd v Veritage Group Holdings Pty Ltd [2007] NSWSC 119

Reported Decision : (2007) NSW ConvR 56-175

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Print National Nominees Pty Ltd v Veritage Group Holdings Pty Ltd [2007] NSWSC 119

HEARING DATE(S) : 6 and 7 February 2007

JUDGMENT DATE : 27 February 2007

JURISDICTION : Equity Division

JUDGMENT OF : Windeyer J at 1

DECISION : Declaration that plaintiff exercised option to purchase and order for specific performance. Cross claim for rectification of option deed rejected.

CATCHWORDS : CONTRACTS – Option – Exercise of option – Question of whether notice of exercise of option served within time – Construction of option period – Ambiguity – Meaning of "date of this deed" – Where deed backdated by solicitor – Where no evidence of authority to backdate deed – Held option exercised within time - MISTAKE– Rectification – Claim on basis of a common mistake or a unilateral mistake – No evidence of common mistake or unilateral mistake

LEGISLATION CITED : Conveyancing (Sales of Land) Regulation 2005, Sch 4 Pt 2.2 Conveyancing Act 1919, s52A(2)

Cooper Brookes (Wollongong) Pty Limited v Commissioner of Taxation (1981) 147 CLR 297 Fitzgerald v Masters (1956) 95 CLR 420 CASES CITED : Strickland v Grieve (1995) 7 BPR 14,376 Styles v Wardle (1825) 4 B&C 908; 107 ER 1297 Watson v Phipps (1985) 60 ALJR 1

PARTIES : Print National Nominees Pty Ltd (Plaintiff) Veritage Group Holdings Pty Ltd (Defendant)

FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 4683/06

COUNSEL : Mr C R C Newlinds SC with him Mr D Allen (Plaintiff/Cross-Defendant) Mr D J Fagan SC with him Ms A M Seward (Defendant/Cross-Claimant)