Barrington Tops Developments Pty Ltd v Low [2008] NSWSC 832

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Barrington Tops Developments Pty Ltd v Low [2008] NSWSC 832

HEARING DATE(S) : 29 & 30 April 2008, 16 May and 5 June 2008

JUDGMENT DATE : 14 August 2008

JURISDICTION : Equity

JUDGMENT OF : Hamilton J

DECISION : That plaintiff had committed a breach of contract. Damages assessed at $230,000.

CATCHWORDS : CONTRACTS [120] - General contractual principles - Construction and interpretation of contracts - Other matters – Whether a term for the carrying out of a subdivision or the sale of certain lots was an absolute promise – Whether a term should be implied that the obligation imposed was only to use reasonable endeavours.

LEGISLATION CITED : Community Land Development Act 1989 Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 s 80(3)

CATEGORY : Principal judgment

Butt v M'Donald (1896) 7 QLJ 68 Codelfa Construction Proprietary Limited v State Rail Authority of New South Wales (1982) 149 CLR 337 Day v United States 245 US 159 (1917) CASES CITED : Mackay v Dick (1881) 6 App Cas 251 Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust v South Sydney Council (2002) 76 ALJR 436 Scanlan's New Neon Limited v Tooheys Limited (1943) 67 CLR 169 Secured Income Real Estate (Australia) Limited v St Martins Investments Proprietary Limited (1979) 144 CLR 596 Taylor v Caldwell (1863) 3 B&S 826; 122 ER 309

30 Williston on Contracts (4th ed, 2004) [77:38] TEXTS CITED : Carter, Peden and Tolhurst, Contract Law in Australia (5th ed, 2007) [33-03] Seddon and Ellinghaus, Cheshire and Fifoot's Law of Contract (9th Aust ed, 2008) [10.40]