Sydney Attractions Group Pty Ltd v Frederick Schulman [2013] NSWSC 858

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Sydney Attractions Group Pty Ltd v Frederick Schulman [2013] NSWSC 858 Hearing dates: 19, 20, 21, 22, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 November, 3, 4, 6, 7 December 2012, and further written submissions on 13 and 17 December 2012 Decision date: 28 June 2013 Jurisdiction: Equity Division Before: Sackar J Decision: See paragraph [321] Catchwords: EVIDENCE - admissibility of business records - admissibility of books kept by a body corporate - need for precise identification of relevant representation or matter.

CONTRACTS - construction - surrounding circumstances - whether clause is ambiguous or susceptible of more than one meaning - scope of permissible extrinsic material to aid in construction.

CONTRACTS - construction - dependency of rights and obligations - whether plaintiff's entitlement to seek particular rights under a contract are dependent on it having fulfilled particular obligations - whether plaintiff is taking advantage of its own wrongdoing.

CONTRACTS - construction - particular clauses - whether plaintiff has exercised reasonable endeavours - whether plaintiff has acted in good faith. Legislation Cited: City of Sydney Act 1988 Evidence Act 1898 Evidence Act 1995 Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) Cases Cited: Aalders v PA Putney Finance Australia Pty Ltd [2011] NSWSC 756 Albrighton v Royal Prince Alfred Hospital [1980] 2 NSWLR 542 Alghussien Establishment v Eaton College [1991] 1 All ER 267 Apollo Shower Screens Pty Limited and Anor v Building and Construction Industry Long Service Payments Corporation (1985) 1 NSWLR 561 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Advanced Medical Institute Pty Ltd (No 2) (2005) 147 FCR 235 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Air New Zealand Limited (No 1) [2012] FCA 1355 Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Hellicar [2012] HCA 17 Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Rich (2005) 216 ALR 320 Automatic Fire Sprinklers Pty Ltd v Watson (1946) 72 CLR 435 Barker v The Queen (1983) 153 CLR 338 Blatch v Archer (1774) 1 Coup 63 Brett v Barr Smith (1919) 26 CLR 87 Broken Hill Theatres Pty Ltd v FCT (1952) 85 CLR 423 Brothers v Park (2004) 12 BPR 98,114 Burger King Corp v Hungry Jack's Pty Ltd (2001) 69 NSWLR 558 Burke & Anor v LFOT Pty Limited (2002) 209 CLR 282 Centennial Coal Company Ltd v Xstrata Coal Pty Ltd (2009) 76 NSWLR 129 Centennial Coal Company Ltd v Xstrata Coal Pty Ltd [2009] NSWSC 788 Codelfa Construction Pty Limited v State Rail Authority of NSW (1982) 149 CLR 337 Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society v FCT (1953) 89 CLR 428 Cordon Investments Pty Ltd v Lesdor Properties Pty Ltd [2012] NSWCA 184 Falkiner v Commissioner of Stamp Duties (NSW) [1972] 2 NSWLR 839 Franklins Pty Ltd v Metcash Trading Ltd (2009) 76 NSWLR 603 Fuji Xerox Finance Limited v CSG Limited [2012] NSWSC 890 Gutheil v The Ballarat Trustees, Executors and Agency Company Limited (1922) 30 CLR 293 Hallstroms Pty Ltd v FCT (1946) 72 CLR 634 Hospital Products Limited v United States Surgical Corporation (1984) 156 CLR 41 Jireh International Pty Ltd t/as Gloria Jeans Coffee v Western Exports Services Inc [2011] NSWCA 137 L Schuler AG Wickman Machine Tool Sales Ltd [1974] AC 235 Lithgow City Council v Jackson (2011) 244 CLR 352 Macquarie International Health Clinic Pty Ltd v Sydney South West Area Health Service [2010] NSWCA 268 Merewether v Scottish Australian Mining Co Ltd (1907) 4 CLR 953 National Australia Bank Limited v Samson (No 2) (unreported) Young J, 9 September 1991 Palgo Holdings Pty Ltd v Gowans (2005) 221 CLR 249 Phoenix Commercial Enterprises Pty Ltd v City of Canada Bay Council [2010] NSWCA 64 Ringrow Pty Ltd v BP Australia Ltd (2003) 130 FCR 569 Ruthol Pty Ltd v Tricon (Australia) Pty Ltd (2005) 12 BPR 98,225 Shomat Pty Ltd v Rubenstein (unreported) Young J, 4 December 1995 Sun Newspapers Ltd v FCT (1939) 61 CLR 337 TCN Channel 9 Pty Ltd v Hayden Enterprises Pty Ltd (1989) 16 NSWLR 130 Transfield Pty Ltd v Arlo International Ltd (1980) 144 CLR 83 Tricontinental Corporation Ltd v HDFI Ltd (1990) 21 NSWLR 689 Valoutin v Furst (1998) 154 ALR 119 Vetter v Lake Macquarie City Council (2001) 202 CLR 439 Waters Lane & Anor v Sweeny & Ors [2007] NSWCA 200 Webb v McCracken (1906) 3 CLR 1018 Wilkie v Gordian Runoff Ltd (2005) 221 CLR 522 Wolseley Investments Pty Ltd v Gillespie (2007) 13 BPR 98,278 Texts Cited: Edmund Powell, The Practice of the Law of Evidence, (1856) Law Times Office J Allsop, "Good Faith and Australian Contract Law: A Practical Issue and a Question of Theory and Principle" (2011) 85 Australian Law Journal 341 J D Heydon, Cross on Evidence, 9th ed (2013) LexisNexis Butterworths K Lewison and D Hughes, The Interpretation of Contracts in Australia, (2012) Thomson Reuters Thomas Peake, A Compendium of the Law of Evidence, 3rd ed (1808) Luke Hanfard & Sons Category: Principal judgment Parties: Sydney Attractions Group Pty Ltd (Plaintiff) Frederick Schulman (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: R McKeand SC and A Casselden (Plaintiff) N Kidd SC and L Jackson (Defendant) Solicitors: Herbert Geer (Plaintiff) Levitt Robinson (Defendant) File Number(s): 2010/92382