McDonough v The Owners Strata Plan No 57504 [2014] NSWSC 1708

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: McDonough v The Owners Strata Plan No 57504 [2014] NSWSC 1708 Hearing dates: Friday, 21 November 2014 Decision date: 02 December 2014 Jurisdiction: Equity Division Before: Brereton J Decision: Summons for transfer of proceedings from District Court dismissed with costs Catchwords: PROCEDURE - inferior courts - New South Wales - District Court - transfer of proceedings - equitable jurisdiction of District Court - whether claim for equitable compensation for breach of trust within s 134(1)(e) and thus excluded from s 134(1)(h) - held, it is REAL PROPERTY - strata title - management and control - duty of owners corporation to maintain common property - trustee obligations of owners corporation - whether claim for equitable compensation for failure to maintain common property maintainable - held, it is not Legislation Cited: (NSW) Civil Procedure Act 2005, s 140, s 144 (NSW) District Court Act 1973, s 134 (NSW) Strata Schemes Management Act 1996, s 62 Cases Cited: Brookfield Multiplex Ltd v Owners Corporation Strata Plan 61288 [2014] HCA 36 Commonwealth Bank of Australia v Hadfield [2001] NSWCA 440; (2001) 53 NSWLR 614 Lin v The Owners - Strata Plan No 50276 [2004] NSWSC 88 Lubrano v The Proprietors of Strata Plan No 4038 (1993) 6 BPR 13,308 Nicita v Owners of Strata Plan 64837 [2010] NSWSC 68 The Owners Strata Plan 50276 v Thoo [2013] NSWCA 270 Ridis v Proprietors of Strata Plan 10308 [2005] NSWCA 246; (2005) 63 NSWLR 449 Seiwa Pty Ltd v The Owners of Strata Plan 35042 [2006] NSWSC 1157; (2006) 12 BPR 23,673 Woolcock Street Investments Pty Ltd v CDG Pty Ltd [2004] HCA 16; (2004) 216 CLR 515 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Lynn Marea McDonough (plaintiff) The Owners Strata Plan No. 57504 (defendant) Representation: Counsel: M Sneddon (plaintiff) F Hicks (defendant) Solicitors: Gillard Consulting Lawyers (plaintiff) Doyle Edwards Anderson Lawyers (defendant) File Number(s): 2014/294323