C&P Syndicate Pty Ltd v Reddy [2013] NSWSC 643

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: C&P Syndicate Pty Ltd v Reddy [2013] NSWSC 643 Hearing dates: 09.04.2013, 10.04.2013 Decision date: 27 May 2013 Jurisdiction: Equity Division Before: Lindsay J Decision: Short Minutes of Orders to be brought in, providing for: (1) Judgment for the plaintiff against the first defendant in the sum of $575,000 plus interest; and (2) dismissal of proceedings against the second defendant Catchwords: CONVEYANCING - options - construction and operation of put option - dispute concerning whether letter purporting to exercise put option was received together with contracts of sale - whether put option was duly exercised.

EQUITY - equitable remedies - specific performance - jurisdiction and availability - whether (and if so, in what circumstances) innocent party is entitled to orders for specific performance upon election to treat repudiation of wrongdoer as discharging contract - whether plaintiff is entitled to order for specific performance in aid of damages claim for breach of contract. Legislation Cited: Supreme Court Act 1970 NSW Statute of Frauds 1677 (UK) Conveyancing Act 1919 NSW ss 23c, 54A Electronic Transactions Act 2000 NSW, s 8 Practice Note SC Gen 16 Cases Cited: Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298 Goldsbrough Mort & Co Limited v Quinn (1910) 10 CLR 674 at 678 and 691 Carter v Hyde (1923) 33 CLR 115 at 122-125 Ballas v Theophilos [No 2] (1957) 98 CLR 193 at 207-209 The Farmers' Mercantile Union and Chaff Mills Limited v Coade (1921) 30 CLR 113 at 123 Howard Smith & Co Limited v Varawa (1907) 5 CLR 68 at 79 Spectra Pty Limited v Pindari Pty Limited [1974] 2 NSWLR 617 at 622-624 Prudential Assurance Co Limited v Health Minders Pty Limited (1987) 9 NSWLR 673 at 677B-678A Hankey v Clavering [1942] 2 KP 326 Mooney v Williams (1906) 3 CLR 1 at 7 Walsh v Lonsdale" (1882) 21 Ch D 9 at 14-15 Chan v Cresdon Pty Limited 168 CLR 251-254 Majik Markets Pty Limited v S&M Motor Repairs Pty Limited (No 1) (1987) 10 NSWLR 49 at 54C-F. Carter v Hyde (1923) 33 CLR 115 at 122-123. Moschi v Lep Air Services Limited [1973] AC 331 at 345G-346B, 350C-351A and 352A-B Hadley v Baxendale (1854) 156 ER 145 at 151 Wenham v Ella (1972) 127 CLR 454 at 471-472 Allen v Carbone (1975) 132 CLR 528 at 532-533 Burns v Man Automotive (Aust) Pty Limited (1986) 161 CLR 653 at 657-658 672-673 Hungerfords v Walker (1989) 171 CLR 125 at 142 and 149 Pacific Carriers Limited v BNP Paribas (2004) 218 CLR 451 at 461-462 [22] Equuscorp Pty Limited v HGT Investments Pty Limited (2005) 218 CLR 471 at 483-484 [33]-[36] Toll (FGCT) Pty Limited v Alphapharm Pty Limited (2004) 219 CLR 165 at 177-183 [35]-[48] Tonitto v Bassal (1992) 28 NSWLR 564 at 574G-575F Pakenham Upper Fruit Co Ltd v Crosby (1924) 35 CLR 386 at 394-395; JC Williamson Ltd v Lukey and Mulholland (1931) 45 CLR 282 at 297-299 Young v Lamb [2001] NSWCA 225; 10 BPR [97867] at [64] Kavia Holdings Pty Ltd v Suntrack Holdings Pty Ltd [2011] NSWSC 716 at [33] Young v Lamb [2001] NSWCA 225; 10 BPR [97867] at [64] Lamont v Heron (1970) 126 CLR 239 at 243 Price v Strange [1978] Ch 337 Facey v Rawsthorne (1925) 35 CLR 566 at 588 JAG Investments Pty Limited v Strati [1981] 2 NSWLR 600 Sunbird Plaza Pty Limited v Maloney (1988) 166 CLR 245 at 259-260 Bragg v Alam [1981] 1 NSLR 668 Manai Investment Co Limited v Eagle Star Life Assurance Co Limited [1997] AC 749 at 774B-778E and 779F-780G (esp at 780B-C) Phillips Fox (a firm) v Westgold Resources NL [2000] WASCA 85 The Millstream Pty Limited v Schultz [1980] 1 NSWLR 547 at 552-553; Madden v Kevereski [1983] 1 NSWLR 305 at 306-307 Mills v Ruthol Pty Limited (2004) 61 NSWLR 1 at 13 [61] Ogle v Comboyuro Investments Pty Limited (1976) 136 CLR 444 at 461-462 Butler v Fairclough (1917) 23 CLR 78 at 89 Gray v Motor Accident Commission (1998) 196 CLR 1 at 6-7 [13] Alexander v Cambridge Credit Corporation (1987) 9 NSWLR 310 Robinson v Harman (1848) 1 Ex 850 at 855; 154 ER 363 at 365 Wenham v Ella (1972) 127 CLR 454 at 460 Commonwealth v Amann Aviation Pty Limited (1991) 174 CLR 64 at 80, 98, 134, 148 and 161 Palasty v Parlby [2007] NSWCA 345; 13 BPR 25, 311 at [43]-[45] Laird v Pim (1841) 7 M&W 474; 171 ER 852 at 854 Johnson v Agnew [1980] AC 367 Johnson v Perez (1988) 166 CLR 351 at 355-356, 367, 371 and 380 Tabcorp Holdings Limited v Bowen Investments Pty Limited (2009) 236 at 272 at 285-286 [13] and 288 [16] Carpenter v McGrath (1996) 40 NSWLR 39 at 59E-G Palasty v Parlby [2007] NSWCA 345; 13 BPR 25, 311 Sunbird Plaza Pty Ltd v Maloney (1988) 166 CLR 245 at 260-261 and 273 Ronnoc Finance v Spectrum Network Systems Ltd (1997) 45 NSWLR 624 at 633A and 636D-E Statewide Developments Pty Ltd v Higgins [2011] NSWCA 35; 15 BPR 29, 195 Higgins v Statewide Developments Pty Ltd [2010] NSWSC 183; 14 BPR 27, 293 at [96]-[102] Louinder v Leis (1982) 149 CLR 509 at 513 and 526; Raineri v Miles [1981] AC 1050 at 1083 B, 1084 B-C, 1090 H-1091 A and 1093 D Castle Constructions Pty Limited v Fekala Pty Limited (2006) 65 NSWLR 648 at 651 [11] the Johnson v Agnew [1980] AC 367 at 401B Pheeney v Doolan [No 2] [1977] 1 NSWLR 601 at 604C-605B, 613E-F and 619E-F MBP (SA) Pty Limited v Gogic (1991) 171 CLR 657 at 663 MMAL Rentals Pty Limited v Bruning (2005) 63 NSWLR 167 at 184 [95] - 185 [102]) McDonald v Dennys Lascelles Ltd (1933) 48 CLR 457 at 476-477, cited by Johnson v Agnew at [1980] AC396D-H. Chan v Cresdon Pty Ltd (1989) 168 CLR 242 at 250-256 Texts Cited: Commentaries on Equity Jurisprudence (1st English ed, London, 1884) Fourth Part of Institutes of the Laws of England, page 84, Sir Edward Coke Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England, Volume 3, page 431 PJ Butt, The Standard Contract for Sale of Land in New South Wales (Law Book Co, Sydney, 1st ed,1985), and (LBC Information Services, Sydney, 2nd ed, 1998) R Megarry and RP Meagher, Whither Equity? (College of Law, Sydney, 1985), pp 26-27 PW Young, C Croft and ML Smith, On Equity (Law Book Co, Sydney, 2009), para [14.300], citing Fry, A Treatise on the Specific Performance of Contracts (6th ed, 1921), p 477 (and, by implication, pp 495-497); G Jones and W Goodhart, Specific Performance (Butterworths, London, 1986), p 232 n 20, citing Johnson v Agnew [1980] AC 367 at 392E-H P Sparkes, "Back-dating Specific Performance" (1989) 10 Journal of Legal History 33 Category: Principal judgment Parties: C&P Syndicate Pty Limited ACN 104 727 291 (Plaintiff) Jeanette Dawn Reddy (First Defendant) Teddington Pty Limited ABN 12 136 980 124 trading as "Teddington Legal" (Second Defendant) Representation: V.R. Gray (Plaintiff) M Lawson (First Defendant) J Sheller (Second Defendant) Newhouse & Arnold Solicitors (Plaintiff) Atkinson Vinden Solicitors (First Defendant) Gilchrist Connell Solicitors(Second Defendant) File Number(s): 2011/00232981