Casson v Leichhardt Council [2011] NSWLEC 243

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Casson v Leichhardt Council [2011] NSWLEC 243 Hearing dates: 5-6 December 2011 Decision date: 16 December 2011 Jurisdiction: Class 3 Before: Biscoe J Decision: Declaration that the lane located between 2 Birchgrove Road, Balmain and 4 Birchgrove Road, Balmain should not be dedicated as a public road Catchwords: REAL PROPERTY:- proposed dedication of a lane as a public road by council under s 16 Roads Act 1993 - application by adjoining landowner under s 17 for declaration that lane should not be dedicated as a public road - whether applicant had standing under s 17 to bring application as "owner" of the lane - whether council already owned lane by virtue of common law dedication prior to 1920 - if not, whether applicant owned adjoining part of lane to its middle line under middle line presumption rule - whether presumption rebutted - alternatively whether applicant owned lane by adverse possession or possessory title - whether discretion should be exercised in applicant's favour. Legislation Cited: Limitation Act 1969, ss 27(2), 38 Local Government Act 1906 Local Government Act 1919 ss 237, 323 Real Property Act 1900, s 45A Roads Act 1993, Part 2, ss 16, 17, Division 2, Part 2, 145(3), 232 Cases Cited: Attorney General v The City Bank of Sydney (1920) 20 SR (NSW) 216 Bellevue Crescent Pty Ltd v Marland Holdings Pty Ltd (1998) 43 NSWLR 364 Council of the City of Shoalhaven v Director-General National Parks and Wildlife Service [2004] NSWCA 163 Ex parte Permanent Trustee Company of New South Wales; Re Campbelltown Municipal Council (1959) 4 LGRA 186 Ensile Pty Ltd v Wollongong City Council (1994) 83 LGERA 289 Lake Macquarie City Council v Luka [1999] NSWCA 447, 106 LGERA 94 Marquis of Salisbury v The Great Northern Railway Company (1858) 144 ER 69 Newington v Windeyer (1985) 3 NSWLR 555 Owen v O'Connor (1964) 4 LGRA 159 Permanent Trustee Co of New South Wales Ltd v Council of the Municipality of Campbelltown [1960] HCA 62, 105 CLR 401 Rebecca L Cooper Medical Research Foundation Ltd v Woollahra Municipal Council [2001] NSWLEC 220, 117 LGERA 68 Sanderson v Wollongong City Council (1998) 102 LGERA 1 Simpson v Fergus (2000) 79 P. & C. R. 398 Sutherland Shire Council v Registrar-General (1991) 72 LGRA 84 Tomark Pty Ltd v Bellevue Crescent Pty Ltd [1999] NSWCA 347 Weber v Ankin (2008) NSWSC 106, (2008) 13 BPR 25, 231 Whittlesea City Council v Abbatangelo [2009] VSCA 188, 259 ALR 56 Texts Cited: Butt, Land Law, 6th ed, (2010) Lawbook Co Butt, Ticehurst & Hughes, Woodman & Nettle: The Torrens System in NSW, 2nd ed Norton on Deeds, 2nd ed (1928) W M Gaunt & Sons Ticehurst, Baalman & Wells, Land Titles Office Practice NSW, 5th ed (2001) Lawbook Co Category: Principal judgment Parties: Judith Casson (Applicant) Leichhardt Municipal Council (Respondent) Representation: COUNSEL: Mr D Murr SC and Mr S Nash (Applicant) Mr R Lancaster SC and Mr M Izzo (Respondent) SOLICITORS: Holman Webb Lawyers (Applicant) Pikes Lawyers (Respondent) File Number(s): 30318 of 2011