Registrar-General of New South Wales v Jea Holdings (Aust) Pty Ltd [2015] NSWCA 74

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Registrar-General of New South Wales v Jea Holdings (Aust) Pty Ltd [2015] NSWCA 74 Hearing dates: 8 April 2014 Decision date: 27 March 2015 Before: Bathurst CJ at [1]; Beazley P at [1]; Basten JA at [145] Decision: (1) Appeal allowed; dismiss Awar's cross-appeal;

(2) The orders made by Windeyer AJ on 21 May 2013 be set aside.

(3)(a) Declare that the land contained in Folio Identifier 4/219028 is burdened by an easement in the terms set out in Memorandum of Transfer J493622 dated 20 October 1963 and registered on 23 April 1964 between Green Valley Shopping Centre Pty Ltd as Transferor and Tooth and Co as Transferee ("the Easement");

(b) Order that the appellant register the Easement in Schedule 2 of Folio Identifier 4/219028;

(c) Order that the first respondent (Jea Holdings) pay the costs of the appellant (Registrar-General) and the second respondent (Awar) in this Court and in the court below. Catchwords: REAL PROPERTY – Torrens title – easements – whether right over land is capable of being the subject matter of a grant of easement – whether right to jointly use car park interferes with ownership rights of servient tenement holder to the extent that the validity of the easement is denied

REAL PROPERTY – Torrens title – exceptions to indefeasibility under s 42(1)(1a) – whether easement "validly created" under the Real Property Act 1900 - where easement never recorded on the certificate of title of the servient tenement – whether easement omitted Legislation Cited: Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW), s 88; Pt 6, Div 4 Real Property Act 1900 (NSW), ss 12, 32, 35, 36, 37, 41, 42, 46, 47, 120, 129; Pts 13, 14 Real Property (Computer Register) Amendment Act 1979 (NSW), Sch 10 (5)(g) Real Property Act 1862 (Vic) Cases Cited: Attorney General of Southern Nigeria v John Holt & Co (Liverpool) Ltd [1915] AC 599 Australian Hi-Fi Publications Pry Ltd v Gehl [1979] 2 NSWLR 618 Berger Bros Trading Co Pty Ltd v Bursill Enterprises Pty Ltd (1969) 91 WN(NSW) 521 Breskvar v Wall [1971] HCA 70; 126 CLR 376 Brydall Pty Ltd v Owners of Strata Plan 66794 [2009] NSWSC 819; 14 BPR 26,831 Bursill Enterprises Pty Ltd v Berger Bros Trading Co Pty Ltd [1971] HCA 9; 124 CLR 73 Castle Constructions Pty Ltd v Sahab Holdings Pty Ltd [2013] HCA 11; 247 CLR 149 Christopoulos v Kells (1988) 13 NSWLR 541 Clos Farming Estates Pty Ltd v Easton [2002] NSWCA 389; 11 BPR 20,605 Copeland v Greenhalf [1952] Ch 488 Crowley v Templeton [1914] HCA 6; 17 CLR 457 Dobbie v Davidson (1991) 23 NSWLR 625 Gett v Tabet [2009] NSWCA 76; [2009] Aust Torts Reports 82-005; (2009) 254 ALR 504 Goodwin v Papadopoulos (1985) NSW ConVR 55-256 Harada v Registrar of Titles [1981] VR 743 In re Ellenborough Park [1956] 1 Ch 131 James v The Registrar General (1967) 69 SR (NSW) 361 Jobson v Nankervis (1943) 44 SR(NSW) 277; 61 WN(NSW) 76 London & Blenheim Estates v Ladbroke Retail Parks Ltd [1992] 1 WLR 1278 Macquarie Bank Ltd v Fociri Pty Ltd (1992) 27 NSWLR 203 Mercantile General Life Reinsurance Co v Permanent Trustee Ltd (1988) 4 BPR 9534 Moncrieff v Jamieson [2007] UKHL 42; 1 WLR 2620 Papadopoulos v Goodwin [1983] 2 NSWLR 113 Parramore v Duggan [1995] HCA 21; 183 CLR 633 R & R Fazzolari Pty Ltd v Parramatta City Council [2009] HCA 12; 237 CLR 603 The Owners of East Fremantle Shopping Centre West Strata Plan 8618 v Action Supermarkets Pty Ltd [2008] WASCA 180; 37 WAR 498 Weigall v Toman [2006] QSC 349; [2008] 1 Qd R 192 Wheeldon v Burrows (1879) 12 Ch D 31 White v Betalli [2007] NSWCA 243; 71 NSWLR 381 Wilcox v Richardson (1997) 8 BPR 15,491 Wright v Macadam [1949] 2KB 744 Texts Cited: Baalman and Wells, The Practice of the Land Titles Office (New South Wales) (3rd ed 1952, Lawbook Co) E A Francis The Law and Practice Relating to Torrens Title in Australia (1972, Butterworths) vol 1 K Gray and SF Gray, Elements of Land Law (5th ed, 2009, Oxford UP) at [5.1.64], [5.1.66] P Butt, Land Law (6th ed 2009, Lawbook Co) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Registrar General of New South Wales (Appellant) Jea Holdings (Aust) Pty Ltd (First Respondent) Awar Pty Ltd (Second Respondent) Representation: Counsel: P Walsh; L Walsh (Appellant) G A Moore; K N E Viglianti (First Respondent) I R Pike SC (Second Respondent)