Lahoud v Lahoud [2012] NSWSC 284

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Lahoud v Lahoud [2012] NSWSC 284 Hearing dates: 9 March 2012 Decision date: 27 March 2012 Jurisdiction: Equity Division Before: Ward J Decision: Costs orders to follow the event Catchwords: COSTS - offer of compromise - Calderbank offers - whether unreasonable for offeree to reject Calderbank offers - long history of disputation between parties - whether there was an element of real and genuine compromise in both offers - where first offer subject to set off against costs orders owed by offeree to offeror and did not include provision for interest - where second offer subject to set off against a fixed costs assessment in favour of offeree which was being appealed by offeree - uncertainty in the operation of the proposed set-off against costs orders - whether public policy principles underlying Calderbank offers supports finding that failure to accept offer unreasonable - HELD - not unreasonable for the offeree not to accept either offer Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) Cases Cited: Anderson Group Pty Ltd v Tynan Motors Pty Ltd (No 2) [2006] NSWCA 120; 67 NSWLR 706 Australian Beverage Distributors v Evans & Tate Premium Wines Pty Ltd [2006] NSWSC 560 Barecall Pty Ltd v Hoban [2010] NSWCA 219 Baulderstone Hornibrook Engineering Pty Ltd v Gordian Runoff Ltd (Formerly GIO Insurance Ltd) [2006] NSWSC 583 Baulderstone Hornibrook Engineering Pty Limited v Gordian Runoff Limited (No 2), [2009] NSWCA 12 Bennette v Cohen (No 2) [2009] NSWCA 162 Commonwealth v Gretton [2008] NSWCA 117 Danidale Pty Ltd v Abigroup Contractors Pty Ltd (No. 2) [2007] VSC 552 Dodds v Premier Sports Australia Pty Ltd (No.2) [2004] NSWSC 389 Elite Protective Personnel Pty Ltd v Salmon [2007] NSWCA 322 Elphick v Elliot [2003] 1 Qd R 362 Evans Shire Council v Richardson (No 2) [2006] NSWCA 61 Evans of Robb Evans & Associates v European Bank Ltd (No 2) [2009] NSWCA 170 Gertig v Davis (2003) SASR 226 Gorman v Carter [1998] EWCA Civ 1038 Hancock v Arnold; Dodd v Arnold (No 2) [2009] NSWCA 19 Hazeldene's Chicken Farm Pty Ltd v Victorian WorkCover Authority (No 2) [2005] VSCA 298; 13 VR 435 Herning v GWS Machinery Pty Ltd (No 2) [2005] NSWCA 375 Hobartville Stud Pty Ltd v Union Insurance Co Ltd (1991) 25 NSWLR 358 Klein v Jeffcoat [1996] EWCA Civ 686 Lahoud v Lahoud [2006] NSWSC 126 Lahoud v Lahoud [2011] NSWSC 994 Lahoud v Lahoud [2011] NSWSC 1186 Lahoud v Lahoud [2011] NSWCA 405 Leichhardt Municipal Council v Green [2004] NSWCA 341 Lockley v National Blood Transfusion Service [1992] 1 WLR 492 M T Associates Pty Ltd v Aqua-Max Pty Ltd [2000] VSC 163 Maitland Hospital v Fisher (No 2) (1992) 27 NSWLR 721 Miller v DPP (No.2) [2004] NSWCA 249 Miwa Pty Ltd v Siantan Properties Pty Ltd (No 2) [2011] NSWCA 344 R (On the Application of Bateman) v Legal Services Commission [2001] EWHC Admin 797 Rawson v Samuel (1841) Cr & Ph 161 Re Just Juice Corp Pty Ltd; Jones v Commonwealth (1992) 37 FCR 445 Regency Media Pty Ltd v AAV Australia Pty Ltd [2009] NSWCA 368 Roache v News Group Newspapers Ltd [1992] TLR 551 Shine v English Churches Housing Group [2004] EWCA Civ 434 Shorten v David Hurst Constructions Pty Ltd [2008] NSWSC 609 Sivritas v Sivritas [2008] VSC 580; (2008) 23 VR 349 SMEC Testing Services Pty Ltd v Campbelltown City Council [2000] NSWCA 323 State of New South Wales v Hamod & Ors [2011] NSWCA 376 Sun Candies Pty Ltd v Polites [1939] VLR 132 Team Dynamik Racing Pty Ltd v Longhurst Pty Ltd [2008] QSC 36 Tickell v Trifleska Pty Ltd (1990) 25 NSWLR 353 Wentworth v Wentworth (Unreported, NSW Supreme Court, Young J, 12 December 1994) Texts Cited: R Derham, Derham on the Law of Set-off (4th ed, 2010) R Meagher, D Heydon and M Leeming, Meagher Gummow and Lehane's Equity: Doctrines and Remedies (4th ed, 2002) I C F Spry "Equitable Set-Offs" (1969) 43 ALJ 265 S B Granat "The Doctrine of Equitable Set-off" (1965) 5 MULR 76 Category: Interlocutory applications Parties: Victor Lahoud (First Plaintiff/First Applicant) Castle Constructions Pty Ltd (Second Plaintiff/Second Applicant) Solidare Pty Ltd (Third Plaintiff/Third Applicant) Representation: Counsel S Philips (Plaintiffs/Applicants) I M Neil SC (Defendant/Respondents) Solicitors McLachlan Thorpe Partners (Plaintiffs/Applicants) Verekers Lawyers (Defendants/Respondents) File Number(s): 07/255809