Kriketos v Livschitz [2009] NSWCA 96

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION: Kriketos v Livschitz [2009] NSWCA 96

HEARING DATE(S): 11 February 2009

JUDGMENT DATE: 5 May 2009

JUDGMENT OF: Allsop P at 1; McColl JA at 16; Macfarlan JA at 178

DECISION: 1. Appeal allowed. 2. Set aside the verdict and judgment entered for the respondent and in lieu thereof order that there be judgment for the appellant. 3. Respondent to pay the appellant's costs of the appeal and of the District Court proceedings. 4. Respondent to have a certificate under the Suitors' Fund Act 1951 if otherwise qualified in relation to the costs of the appeal.

CATCHWORDS: CONTRACTS – offer and acceptance – acceptance by conduct – conduct evidencing acceptance – principles relating to the inference of a contract from conduct and silence – negotiations between parties' solicitors – no response to last letter from offeror – whether offer accepted – whether final mutual assent to offer - CONTRACTS – subsequent conduct – test to determine whether acceptance of offer can be inferred from subsequent conduct

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

CATEGORY: Principal judgment

Air Great Lakes Pty Ltd v K S Easter (Holdings) Pty Ltd (1985) 2 NSWLR 309 Australian Broadcasting Corporation v XIVth Commonwealth Games Ltd (1988) 18 NSWLR 540 Australian Woollen Mills Pty Ltd v Commonwealth [1955] UKPCHCA 3;(1955) 93 CLR 546 Baloglow v Konstanidis & Ors [2001] NSWCA 451 Barrier Wharfs Ltd v W Scott Fell & Co Ltd [1908] HCA 88; (1908) 5 CLR 647 Baulkham Hills Private Hospital Pty Ltd v G R Securities Pty Ltd (1986) 40 NSWLR 622 Brambles Holdings Ltd v Bathurst City Council [2001] NSWCA 61; (2001) 53 NSWLR 153 Branir Pty Ltd v Owston Nominees (No 2) Pty Ltd [2001] FCA 1833; (2001) 117 FCR 424 Brogden v Metropolitan Railway Co (1877) 2 App Cas 666 Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Co [1893] 1 QB 256 Codelfa Construction Pty Limited v State Rail Authority of New South Wales [1982] HCA 24; 149 CLR 337 Coulton v Holcombe [1986] HCA 33; (1986) 162 CLR 1. Empirnall Holdings Pty Ltd v Machon Paull [1988] 14 NSWLR 523 Equuscorp Pty Ltd v Glengallan Investments Pty Ltd [2004] HCA 55; (2004) 218 CLR 471 Ermogenous v Greek Orthodox Community of SA Inc [2002] HCA 8; (2002) 209 CLR 95 Gould & Birkbeck & Bacon v Mt Oxide Mines Ltd (in liq) [1916] HCA 81; (1916) 22 CLR 490 G R Securities Pty Ltd v Baulkham Hills Private Hospital Pty Ltd (1986) 40 NSWLR 631 CASES CITED: Hendriks v McGeoch [2008] NSWCA 53; (2008) Aust Torts Reports 81-942 Hooker v Gilling [2007] NSWCA 99 Ingot Capital Investments Pty Ltd & Ors v Macquarie Equity Markets Ltd & Ors [2008] NSWCA 206 Insurance Commissioner v Joyce (1948) 77 CLR 39 Integrated Computer Services Pty Limited v Digital Equipment Corp (Aust) Pty Limited (1988) 5 BPR 11, 110 International Air Transport Association v Ansett Australia Holdings Ltd [2008] HCA 3; (2008) 234 CLR 151 Kitas v Eisman & Ors, (Supreme Court of New South Wales, Master Macready, 10 December 2003, unreported) Kitas v Eisman & Anor, (Supreme Court of New South Wales, Master Macready, 27 February 2004, unreported) Laidlaw v Hillier Hewitt Elsley Pty Ltd [2009] NSWCA 44 Maxitherm Boilers Pty Ltd v Pacific Dunlop Insurances Pty Ltd [1998] 4 VR 559 Meates v Attorney-General [1983] NZLR 308 Pacific Carriers Limited v BNP Paribas [2004] HCA 35; (2004) 218 CLR 451 Pethybridge v Stedikas Holdings Pty Ltd [2007] NSWCA 154; (2007) Aust Contract R 90-26 Rambaldi; in the matter of Philip Charles Weeden, a bankrupt v Weeden [2008] FCA 1597 Sagacious Procurement Pty Ltd v Symbion Health Ltd (formerly Mayne Group Ltd) [2008] NSWCA 149 Sagacious Procurement Pty Limited v Symbion Health Limited [2009] HCATrans 23. Toll (FGCT) Pty Ltd v Alphapharm Pty Ltd [2004] HCA 52; (2004) 219 CLR 165 Vroon BV v Foster's Brewing Group [1994] 2 VR 32 White v Overland [2001] FCA 1333