The Owners - Strata Plan No 76674 v Di Blasio Constructions Pty Ltd [2014] NSWSC 1067

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: The Owners - Strata Plan No 76674 v Di Blasio Constructions Pty Ltd [2014] NSWSC 1067 Hearing dates: 28 and 29 July 2014 Decision date: 11 August 2014 Before: Ball J Decision: Judgment for the plaintiff in the sum of $481,405.61 Catchwords: BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION - breach of statutory warranties in the Home Building Act 1989 (NSW), s 18B - reasonableness of owner's conduct after breach by builder - duty to mitigate - where builder refused to rectify defects - where owner lost confidence in builder - whether owner reasonable in rejecting later offer by builder to rectify defects - availability of damages for cost of rectification work Legislation Cited: Building Code of Australia Home Building Act 1989 (NSW), s 18B Cases Cited: Bellgrove v Eldridge [1954] HCA 36; (1954) 90 CLR 613 Bitannia Pty Ltd v Parkline Constructions Pty Ltd [2009] NSWSC 1302; (2010) 26 BCL 335 Burns v MAN Automotive (Aust) Pty Ltd [1986] HCA 81; (1986) 161 CLR 653 Cassidy v Engwirda Construction Co (No 2) [1968] Qd R 159 Cassidy v Engwirda Construction Co (No 2) [1968] QWN 47 (HC); (1968) 42 ALJR 168 Eribo v Odinaiya [2010] EWHC 301 (TCC) Hasell v Bagot, Shakes & Lewis Ltd [1911] HCA 62(1911) 13 CLR 374 Karacominakis v Big Country Developments Pty Ltd [2000] NSWCA 313 Radford v de Froberville [1978] 1 All ER 33; [1977] 1 WLR 1262 TC Industrial Plant Pty Ltd v Robert's Queensland Pty Ltd [1963] HCA 57; (1963) 180 CLR 130 TCN Channel 9 Pty Ltd v Hayden Enterprises Pty Ltd (1989) 16 NSWLR 130 Texts Cited: A Chambers, Hudson's Building and Engineering Contracts, (12th ed, 2010, Sweet & Maxwell) J Bailey, Construction Law, (Vol II, 2011, Informa Law) J Carter, E Peden and GJ Tolhurst, Contract Law in Australia, (5th ed, 2007, LexisNexis) Category: Principal judgment Parties: The Owners - Strata Plan No 76674 (Plaintiff) Di Blasio Constructions Pty Ltd (ACN 082 737 559) (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: D Hand (Plaintiff) M Pesman SC (Defendant) Solicitors: Makinson D'Apice (Plaintiff) Jane Crittenden (Defendant) File Number(s): 2012/119976 Publication restriction: Nil