Owners Strata Plan 4085 v Mallone [2006] NSWSC 1381

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Owners Strata Plan 4085 v Mallone [2006] NSWSC 1381

HEARING DATE(S) : 18/10/06

JUDGMENT DATE : 13 December 2006

JURISDICTION : Equity Division

JUDGMENT OF : Young CJ in Eq

DECISION : Defendant liable to contribute to the abatement of the continued nuisance from her land involving rocks falling onto the plaintiff's land. Each party to pay their own costs.

CATCHWORDS : TORTS [171]- Nuisance- Rocks falling from defendant's land onto common land of body corporate- Not caused by defendant- Continued nuisance- Mandatory quia timet injunction- Duty to take reasonable care to abate nuisance- Scope of duty based on facts and circumstances- Defendant has limited finances- Rocks also falling from plaintiff's property- Plaintiff has not mitigated damages- Substantial cost to defendant of abating nuisance- Uncertain effectiveness- Defendant not to take all necessary steps, only those that are reasonable in the circumstances- Defendant to contribute some funds and to act reasonably in co-operation with plaintiff.

LEGISLATION CITED : Civil Liability Act 2002, s 35(1)(b) Strata Schemes Management Act 1996, s 227

Attorney General for Canada v Ritchie Contracting and Supply Co Ltd [1919] AC 999 Bankstown City Council v Alamdo Holdings Pty Ltd (2005) 223 CLR 660; 79 ALJR 1511 Bonnici v Ku-ring-gai MC (2001) 121 LGERA 1 Businessworld Computers Pty Ltd v Australian Telecommunications Commission (1988) 82 ALR 499 Economy Shipping Pty Ltd v ADC Building Pty Ltd [1969] 2 NSWR 97 Giles v Walker (1890) 24 QBD 656 Goldman v Hargrave (1966) 115 CLR 458 Hargrave v Goldman (1963) 110 CLR 40 Hornsby SC v Danglade (1928) 29 SR (NSW) 118 Job Edwards Ltd v Birmingham Navigations [1924] 1 KB 341 Lambton v Mellish [1894] 3 Ch 163 CASES CITED : Leakey v National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty [1980] QB 485 Noble v Harrison [1926] 2 KB 332 Owners-Strata Plan 43551 v Walter Construction Group Ltd (2004) 62 NSWLR 169 Pontardawe Rural District Council v Moore-Gwyn [1929] 1 Ch 656 Proprietors of Strata Plan No 14198 v Cowell (1989) 24 NSWLR 478 Redland Bricks Ltd v Morris [1970] AC 652 Richmond City Council v Scantelbury [1991] 2 VR 38 Sedleigh-Denfield v O'Callaghan [1940 AC 880 Sparke v Osborne (1908) 7 CLR 51 Sturges v Bridgman (1879) 11 Ch D 852 Thorpe v Brumfitt (1873) LR 8 Ch App 650 Torette House Pty Ltd v Berkman [1939-1940] 62 CLR 637 Yared v Glenhurst Gardens Pty Ltd (2002) 10 BPR 19,485