Fuentes v Bondi Beachside Pty Ltd [2016] NSWSC 531

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Fuentes v Bondi Beachside Pty Ltd [2016] NSWSC 531 Hearing dates: 3 March 2016 Decision date: 29 April 2016 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: White J Decision: Refer to para [56] of judgment. Catchwords: CONTRACT — Contract for the sale of land — Vendor's consent required prior to purchaser assigning, novating or otherwise disposing of its interest in the agreement or the property — Sub-sale contract entered into without vendor's consent — Vendor terminated contract for breach — Whether sub-sale a breach of contract – whether an essential breach – no evidence of vendor's suffering damage – purchaser entitled to order for specific performance – vendor entitled to nominal damages Legislation Cited: Land Registration Act 2002 (UK) Cases Cited: Abbey National Building Society v Cann [1991] 1 AC 56 Bell v General Accident Fire and Life Assurance Corpn Limited (1998) L & TR I Chan v Cresdon Pty Ltd (1989) 168 CLR 242 Chang v Registrar of Titles (1976) 137 CLR 177 Church of England Building Society v Piskor [1954] Ch 553 Coventry Permanent Economic Building Society v Jones [1951] 1 All ER 901 Cuthbertson v Irving (1859) 4 H & N 742; 157 ER 1034 DKLR Holding Co (No. 2) Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Stamp Duties [1980] 1 NSWLR 510 Duke of Northumberland v Attorney General [1905] AC 406 GPT Re Limited v Lendlease Real Estate Investments Limited [2005] NSWSC 964; (2005) 12 BPR 23,217 Hongkong Fir Shipping Co Ltd v Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd [1962] 2 QB 26 Kern Corporation Limited v Walter Reid Trading Pty Limited (1987) 163 CLR 164 Koompahtoo Local Aboriginal Land Council v Sanpine Pty Ltd [2007] HCA 61; (2007) 233 CLR 115 Re Transphere Pty Ltd (1986) 5 NSWLR 309 Scott v Southern Pacific Mortgages Ltd [2014] UKSC 52; [2015] AC 385; [2015] 1 All ER 277 Shaw v Foster (1872) LR 5 HL 321 Stern v McArthur (1988) 165 CLR 489 Universal Permanent Building Society v Cook [1952] Ch 95 Woolwich Equitable Building Society v Marshall [1952] Ch 1 Ziel Nominees Pty Ltd v VACC Insurance Co Ltd (1975) 180 CLR 173 Texts Cited: McGarry & Wade's Law of Real Property, 5th ed N Hopkins "Priorities and sale and leaseback: A wrong question, much ado about nothing and a story of tails and dogs" [2014] 79 Conv 245 P Sparkes, "Reserving a Slice of Cake" [2015] 79 Conv 301 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Jorge Bildo Saravia Fuentes (Plaintiff) Bondi Beachside Pty Ltd (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: J O'Sullivan (Plaintiff) S Epstein SC with E Whitby (Defendant)