Land Enviro Corp Pty Limited v HTT Huntley Heritage Pty Limited [2012] NSWSC 382

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Land Enviro Corp Pty Limited v HTT Huntley Heritage Pty Limited [2012] NSWSC 382 Hearing dates: 6 February 2012 - 16 March 2012 Decision date: 20 April 2012 Jurisdiction: Equity Division Before: Stevenson J Decision: The Third Amended Statement of Claim and the First and Second Cross Claims are dismissed. Catchwords: Trade and commerce - Trade practices - Misleading or deceptive conduct - Representations - Setting aside of consent order discontinuing proceedings - Damages for loss of opportunity to prosecute discontinued proceedings - Likelihood of success of discontinued proceedings - Fiduciary duties - Whether necessary to demonstrate ability to pursue opportunity appropriated by errant fiduciary - Laches - Entitlement to rescission - Necessity of knowledge of legal right to rescind - Affirmation - Restitutio in integrum - Intervention third party rights - Agency Legislation Cited: Fair Trading Act 1987 Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 Cases Cited: Alati v Kruger (1955) 94 CLR 216 Boyns v Lackey (1958) SR (NSW) 395 Bullabidgee Pty Limited v McCleary [2010] NSWSC 145 Coast Estates Pty Limited v Melevende [1955] VR 433 Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society Limited v The Producers and Citizens Cooperative Assurance Company of Australia Limited (1931) 46 CLR 41 Connectland Pty Ltd v Cardno Forbes Rigby Pty Ltd [2011] NSWCA 391 Consul Development Pty Limited v DPC Estates Pty Limited (1975) 132 CLR 373 Crabtree - Vickers Pty Limited v Australian Direct Mail Advertising & Addressing Co Pty Limited (1975) 133 CLR 72 Digi-Tech (Australia) Limited v Brand [2004] NSWCA 58 Ernest v Vivian (1863) 33 LJ (Ch) 513 Freeman and Lockyer v Buckhurst Park Properties (Mangal) Limited [1964] 2 QB 480 Harvey v Phillips (1956) 95 CLR 235 Henjo Investments Pty Limited v Collins Marrickville Pty Limited (1998) 39 FCR 546 Johnson v Perez (1988) 166 CLR 351 Land Enviro Corp Pty Ltd v HTT Huntley Heritage Pty Ltd (2008) 72 NSWLR 160 Land Enviro Corp Pty Ltd v HTT Huntley Heritage Pty Ltd [2012] NSWSC 177 Marks v GIO Australia Holdings Limited (1998) 196 CLR 494 Molotu Pty Limited v Solar Power Limited (1989) 6 BPR 13,460 Nikolaou v Papasavas, Phillips & Co (1989) 166 CLR 394 O'Connor v S.P. Bray Limited (1936) 36 SR (NSW) 248 O'Connor v S.P. Bray Limited (1937) 56 CLR 464 Pacific Carriers Limited v BNP Paribas (2004) 218 CLR 451 Perpetual Trustees Australia Ltd v Heperu Pty Ltd & Ors [No 2] (2009) 78 NSWLR 190 Pririe v Richardson [1927] 1 KB 448 Re Hoffman: Ex parte Worrell v Schilling (1989) 85 ALR 145 Sargent v ASL Developments Limited (1974) 131 CLR 634 Singh v Ginelle Pty Ltd [2010] NSWCA 310 Spies v Commonwealth Bank of Australia (1991) 24 NSWLR 691 Steve Masselos & Co v Young [2011] NSWCA 352 Streeter v Western Areas Exploration Pty Limited (2011) 278 ALR 291 Tenji v Henneberry & Associates Pty Limited (2000) 98 FCR 324 Tiplady v Gold Coast Carlton Pty Limited (1984) 8 FCR 438 Toll (FGCT) Pty Ltd v Alphapharm Pty Ltd (2004) 219 CLR 165 Tyco (Australia) Pty Ltd t/as ADT Security v Signature Security Group Pty Ltd [2009] FCA 1029 Warman International Limited v Dwyer (1995) 182 CLR 544 Watson v Foxman (1995) 49 NSWLR 315 Wentworth v Rogers (No 5) (1986) 6 NSWLR 534 Wright v TNT Management Pty Ltd (1989) 15 NSWLR 679 Texts Cited: Carter Peden Tolhurst, Contract Law in Australia, 5th ed (2007) Concise Oxford Dictionary 11th ed Macquarie Dictionary 3rd ed Seddon and Ellinghouse, Cheshire and Fifoot's Law of Contract, 9th Australia ed (2008) Spencer Bower and Handley, Res Judicata (2009) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Land Enviro Corp Pty Limited (First Plaintiff) Sam Zdrilic (Second Plaintiff) Amy Zdrilic (Third Plaintiff) Amy Holdings Pty Limited (Fourth Plaintiff) HTT Huntley Heritage Pty Limited (First Defendant) Robert Renshall (Second Defendant) David Hickie (Third Defendant) Sentel Pty Limited (Fourth Defendant) Devubo Pty Limited (Fifth Defendant) Vocifa Pty Limited (Sixth Defendant) Michael Ansell (Seventh Defendant) Representation: Counsel: T M Jucovic QC and S A Wells (Plaintiffs) M L D Einfeld QC and M Sneddon (First, Second and Fifth Defendants) G A F Connolly (Third and Sixth Defendants) Solicitors: Kemp Strang (Plaintiffs) Middletons (First, Second and Fifth Defendants) Bartier Perry (Third and Sixth Defendants) File Number(s): SC 2007/254173 Publication restriction: Nil