Horne v James [2015] NSWSC 465

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Horne v James [2015] NSWSC 465 Hearing dates: 16 - 18 March & 20 April 2015 Decision date: 24 April 2015 Jurisdiction: Equity Division Before: Stevenson J Decision: Summons dismissed Catchwords: CONTRACT – whether Heads of Agreement a binding and enforceable agreement by defendants to sell rural property to plaintiff – whether Heads of Agreement merely agreement to allow plaintiff access to the property to sow canola crop in anticipation of parties entering formal contract for sale – proper construction of Heads of Agreement – whether "something has gone wrong with the language" – whether reference to "Heads of Agreement" in particular clause should be construed as a reference to "Contract for Sale" – whether any relevant part performance – whether any binding and enforceable agreement should be discharged or varied by reason of defendants' alleged misleading or deceptive conduct Legislation Cited: Contracts Review Act 1980 (NSW) Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW) Statute of Frauds 1677 (UK) Cases Cited: Air Great Lakes Pty Ltd v KS Easter (Holdings) Pty Ltd (1985) 2 NSWLR 309 Allen v Carbone (1975) 132 CLR 528 Baulkham Hills Private Hospital Pty Ltd v GR Securities Pty Ltd (1986) 40 NSWLR 622 Chartbrook Ltd v Persimmon Homes Ltd [2009] 1 AC 1101 Codelfa Constructions Pty Limited v State Rail Authority of New South Wales (1982) 149 CLR 337 Dowdle v Inverell Shire Council (1999) ANZ ConvR 429 Electricity Generation Corporation v Woodside Energy Ltd [2014] HCA 7; (2014) 251 CLR 640 Fitzgerald v Masters (1956) 95 CLR 420 Godecke v Kirwan (1973) 129 CLR 629 GR Securities Pty Ltd v Baulkham Hills Private Hospital Pty Ltd (1986) 40 NSWLR 631 Khoury v Khouri [2006] NSWCA 184; 66 NSWLR 241 Lezabar Pty Ltd v Hogan (1989) NSW ConvR 55-468 Mainteck Services Pty Ltd v Stein Heurtey SA [2014] NSWCA 184 Masters v Cameron (1954) 91 CLR 353 McDonald v Commissioner of Taxation (2001) 109 FCR 207 Mount Bruce Mining Pty Ltd v Wright Prospecting Pty Ltd [2014] NSWCA 323 Newey v Westpac Banking Corporation [2014] NSWCA 319 Niesmann v Collingridge (1921) 29 CLR 177 Plastyne Products Pty Ltd v Gall Engineering Company Pty Ltd (1988) NSW ConvR 55-376 Re Golden Key Ltd (in receivership) [2009] EWCA Civ 636 Sinclair, Scott & Co Ltd v Naughton (1929) 43 CLR 310 Smith v Lush (1952) 52 SR (NSW) 207 Souter v Shyamba Pty Ltd [2002] NSWSC 929 Stratton Finance Pty Ltd v Webb [2014] FCAFC 110 Western Export Services Inc v Jireh International Pty Ltd [2011] HCA 45 Westpac Banking Corporation v Tanzone Pty Ltd [2000] NSWCA 25 Texts Cited: Young, Croft & Smith, On Equity, (2009, Thomson Reuters Lawbook Co.) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Matthew Francis Horne (Plaintiff) Raymond Charles James (First Defendant) Adele Dianne James (Second Defendant) Representation: Counsel: L Byrne with J Kalantar (on 16 - 18 March 2015) and with J Walker (on 20 April 2015) (Plaintiff) F Corsaro SC with S Blount (Defendants)