Despot v Registrar General of New South Wales [2016] NSWCA 5

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Despot v Registrar General of New South Wales [2016] NSWCA 5 Hearing dates: 23 - 24 July 2015 Date of orders: 03 February 2016 Decision date: 03 February 2016 Before: Gleeson JA at [1]; Leeming JA at [ 174]; Sackville AJA at [ 175] Decision: 1. Appeal dismissed. 2. Appellant to pay the costs of the second, third and fourth respondents. Catchwords: ESTOPPEL – Res judicata or cause of action estoppel – where order for specific performance made – condition as to payment of part purchase price not fulfilled – order not complied with – purchaser and incoming mortgagee obtain registration – on earlier appeal, vendor sought to maintain order for specific performance but vary condition as to payment on basis that amount of unpaid purchase price exceeded that found by trial judge – argument not able to be made on earlier appeal because inconsistent with basis upon which trial judge found purchaser ready, willing and able to perform – vendor obtained judgment on appeal for the outstanding purchase price and interest – vendor subsequently terminated the contract and applied to set aside order for specific performance – inconsistent remedies of enforcing order for specific performance by obtaining (and later recovering) judgment for outstanding purchase price and setting aside order for specific performance -– merger of rights and obligations under contract in money judgment obtained on earlier appeal – where relief sought before primary judge is inconsistent with judgment of the court on the earlier appeal which stands unreversed

CONTRACT – where order for specific performance made ––vendor fulfils all obligations under contract – condition as to payment of part purchase price not fulfilled – vendor seeks to enforce order and obtains judgment for payment of outstanding purchase price and interest – where vendor subsequently terminates contract – application by vendor to set aside order for specific performance – whether election between inconsistent remedies – where order for specific performance not complied with – merger of rights and obligations under contract in money judgment Legislation Cited: Home Building Act 1989 (NSW) Real Property Act 1900 (NSW), s 42; s 42(1); s 74 Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 75A (5), (7) and (9) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 39.50; r 36.15(1); r 36.16; r 36.16(3A); subrule 1; sub-rule 3C Cases Cited: Achurch v The Queen [2014] HCA 10; 253 CLR 141 Aarons v Advance Commercial Finance Ltd (1995) 6 BPR 13,911 A Hudson Pty Ltd v Legal & General Life of Australia Ltd (1985) 1 NSWLR 701 Austins of East Ham Ltd v Macey [1941] Ch 388 Bahr v Nicolay [No 2] [1998] HCA 16; 164 CLR 604 Barclays Bank plc v Estates & Commercial Ltd [1997] 1 WLR 415 Baxter v Obacelo Pty Ltd [2001] HCA 66; 205 CLR 635 Blair v Curran [1939] HCA 23; 62 CLR 464 Boland v Dillon; Cush v Dillon [2015] NSWCA 183 Breskvar v Wall [1971] HCA 70; 126 CLR 376 Buckman v Rose (1980) 1 BPR 97,059 Capital Properties v Swycher [1976] Ch 319 Carr v Finance Corporation of Australia (No 1) [1981] HCA 20; 147 CLR 246 Castle Constructions Pty Ltd v Sahab Holdings Pty Ltd [2013] HCA 11; 247 CLR 149 Chamberlain v Deputy Federal Commissioner of Taxation [1988] HCA 21; 164 CLR 502 Ciavarella v Balmer [1983] HCA 26; 153 CLR 438 Derrawee Pastoral Company Pty Ltd v McConochie [1995] NSWCA 123 Despot v Registrar General of NSW; Sky v Despot [2011] NSWSC 273 Despot v Registrar General [2012] NSWCA 160 Despot v Registrar General of NSW [2013] NSWCA 313 Despot v Registrar General of NSW [2014] NSWSC 1002 Despot v Registrar General of NSW (No 2) [2014] NSWSC 1122 Despot v Registrar General of NSW; Dlakic trading as Johnston Vaughan Solicitors v Despot [2014] NSWSC 1303 Dunworth v Mirvac Queensland Pty Ltd [2011] QCA 200; [2012] 1 Qd R 207 El-Saeidy v NSW Land & Housing Corporation [2014] NSWCA 172 Facey v Rawsthorne [1925] HCA 10; 35 CLR 566 Farah Constructions Pty Ltd v Say-Dee Pty Ltd [2007] HCA 22; 230 CLR 89 Forge & Ors v Australian Securities & Investments Commission [No 2] [2007] NSWCA 42; 69 NSWLR 575 Frazer v Walker [1967] AC 569 Harding v University of New South Wales [2002] NSWCA 325 Heggies Bulkhaul v Global Minerals Australia [2003] NSWSC 851; 59 NSWLR 312 Hewett v Court [1983] HCA 7; 149 CLR 639 Illawarra Hotel Company Pty Ltd v Walton Construction Pty Ltd [2012] NSWCA 61 Immer (No 145) Pty Ltd v Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (NSW) [1993] HCA 27; 182 CLR 26 Jackson v Goldsmith [1950] HCA 22; 81 CLR 446 JAG Investments Pty Ltd v Strati [1981] 2 NSWLR 600 Jaycar Pty Ltd v Lombardo [2011] NSWCA 284 Johnson v Agnew [1980] AC 367 Kuru v State of New South Wales [2008] HCA 26; 236 CLR 1 Lee v New South Wales Crime Commission [2012] NSWCA 262; 224 A Crim R 94 Ogle v Comboyuro Investments Pty Ltd [1976] HCA 21; 136 CLR 444 Perpetual Trustees Australia Ltd v Heperu Pty Ltd & Ors (No 2) [2009] NSWCA 387; 78 NSWLR 190 Petersen v Moloney [1951] HCA 57; 84 CLR 91 Re Ferrarese and Others; Ex parte Aloisio (1995) 60 FCR 586 Reliance Finance Corporation Pty Ltd v Heid [1982] 1 NSWLR 466 Re Luck [2003] HCA 70; 78 ALJR 177 Carr v Finance Corporation of Australia (No 1) [1981] HCA 20; 147 CLR 246 Riltang v L Pty Ltd [2004] NSWSC 977; 12 BPR 22,347 R v Marks; Ex parte Australian Building Construction Employees' and Builders Labourers' Federation [1981] HCA 33; 147 CLR 471 Sunbird Plaza Pty Ltd v Maloney [1988] HCA 11; (1989) 166 CLR 245 Tang Man Sit v Capacious Investments Ltd [1996] AC 514 Thiess Pty Ltd v Industrial Court of New South Wales [2010] NSWCA 252; 78 NSWLR 94 Tomlinson v Ramsey Food Processing Pty Ltd [2015] HCA 28; 323 ALR 1 United Australia Ltd v Barclays Bank Ltd [1941] AC 1 Vella v Aliperti (1995) 7 BPR 97586 Victorian Stevedoring and General Contracting Co Pty Ltd sub nom Meakes v Digan [1931] HCA 34; 46 CLR 73 Wishart v Fraser [1941] HCA 8; 64 CLR 470 Texts Cited: R P Meagher, J D Heydon and M J Leeming, Meagher, Gummow and Lehane's Equity: Doctrines and Remedies (4th ed 2002, LexisNexis) Spencer Bower and Handley; Res Judicata (4th ed 2009, LexisNexis London) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Ranko Despot (Appellant) Registrar General of New South Wales (First Respondent) Stelli Pty Ltd (Second Respondent) Westpac Banking Corporation (Third Respondent) Joyce Azzi (Fourth Respondent) Representation: Counsel: J Hewitt / Z Hillman (Appellant) Submitting appearance (First Respondent) D Williams / A Kaylinger (Second and Fourth Respondents) A Leopold SC / P Dowdy (Third Respondent)