Monzer Tabbouch v Scott Devlin & Ors [2008] NSWSC 600

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Monzer Tabbouch v Scott Devlin & Ors [2008] NSWSC 600

HEARING DATE(S) : 10/06/08, 11/06/08, 12/06/08

JUDGMENT DATE : 20 June 2008

JURISDICTION : Equity Division

JUDGMENT OF : Einstein J

DECISION : Plaintiff's case against third defendant made out. Plaintiff's case against fourth defendant not made out.

CATCHWORDS : Conveyancing - Notices to complete - Whether original notice to complete ever efficacious to make time of the essence - Where a notice to complete specifies only a date for completion, whether recipient must complete by the end of the ordinary business hours on that day or has until midnight of that day in which to complete - Proper construction of provision permitting notice to complete to be issued within 14 days such time being deemed reasonable and sufficient and in which respect time is said to be of the essence - Whether such a provision exclusively defines the period of notice to be specified in a notice to complete - Expression "within 14 days" intended to be a shorthand way of saying "within a period of not less than 14 days" - Purchaser having given notice to complete to expire on or before 3.00pm on the 14th day agrees with the vendors that completion will take place at a nominate time on 15th day - Purchaser then purports to terminate the contract on the 15th day but prior to the nominate time

LEGISLATION CITED : Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW) Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1946 (NSW)

CATEGORY : Principal judgment

Afovos Shipping Co SA v Pagnan & Anor [1983] 1 All ER 449 Benyon v Wongala Holdings Pty Ltd (1999) 9 BPR 16,781 Byrne & Anor v Gagie (1991) NSW ConvR 55-604 Canning v Temby (1905) 3 CLR 419 Carr v Keys-Arenas (1982) NSW ConvR 55-069 Carr v JA Berriman Pty Ltd (1953) 89 CLR 327 Clark v Donald [unreported, Supreme Court of New South Wales, Wootton J, 19 December 1974] Commodities and Services International SA v Clemence Properites (Grays Inn) Ltd (unreported, Walton J, High Court, Eng, 1986; noted [1991] Conv 476 Dodds v Walker [1981] 2 All ER 609 Falconer v Wilson [1973] 2 NSWLR 131 Holland v Wiltshire (1954) 90 CLR 409 Karangahape Road International Village Ltd v Holloway (1989) 1 NZLR 83 Keys-Arenas v Carr (1982) NSW ConvR 55-068 Lester v Garland (1808) 15 Ves 248, 33 ER 748 Lohar Corporation Pty Ltd v Dibu Pty Ltd (1976) 1 BPR 9177 CASES CITED : Lowe v Evans [1989] 1 Qd R 295 Lucas & Tait (Investments) Pty Ltd v Victoria Securities Ltd [1973] 2 NSWLR 268 M & L Hazelton Pty Ltd v Woodfield (1982) 2 BPR 9558 Michael Realty Pty Ltd v Carr [1977] 1 NSWLR 553 Mission Corporation Ltd v Telecom Auckland Ltd [1994] 2 NZLR 357 Paclyn Pty Ltd v GP Harris Real Estate Pty Ltd (1987) 4 BPR 9267 Panoutsos v Raymond Hadley Corporation of New York [1917] 2 KB 473 Peter Turnbull and Co Pty Ltd v Mundus Trading Co (Australasia) Pty Ltd (1954) 90 CLR 235 Poort v Development Underwriting (Victoria) Pty Ltd (No 2) [1976] VR 779 and (No 2) [1977] VR 454 Raco v Grove Homes Pty Ltd (1974) 2 BPR 9411 Rightside Properties Ltd v Gray [1975] Ch 72 Robertson, Ex Parte [1983] 1 Qd R 526 Schindler v Pigault (1975) 30 P & Cr 328 Senavale Pty Ltd v Nolan [2000] NSWSC 619 Stickney v Keeble [1915] AC 386 Taylor v Raglan Developments Pty Ltd [1981] 2 NSWLR 117 Vyse v Wakefield (1840) 6 M & W 442; 151 ER 491