Hawcroft v Hawcroft General Trading Co Pty Ltd [2016] NSWSC 555

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Hawcroft v Hawcroft General Trading Co Pty Ltd [2016] NSWSC 555 Hearing dates: 14 - 16 March 2016 Date of orders: 05 May 2016 Decision date: 05 May 2016 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Young AJ Decision: The plaintiff is entitled to the relief she seeks on the basis of the binding nature of the Deed of Indemnity of 20 May 2014. Catchwords: CONTRACT – Common mistake – Scope – Whether equity has a role – Solle v Butcher and Great Peace Shipping case discussion Legislation Cited: Article 91 of the Table A Fourth Schedule of the Companies Act 1961 (NSW) Cases Cited: Anning v Anning [1907] HCA 13; 4 CLR 1049 Australian Estates Pty Ltd v Cairns City Council [2005] QCA 328 Baloglow v Konstanidis [2001] NSWCA 451 Bingham v Bingham (1748) 1 Ves Sen 126; 27 ER 934 Brambles Holdings Ltd v Bathurst City Council [2001] NSWCA 61; 53 NSWLR 153 Branir Pty Ltd v Owston Nominees (No 2) Pty Ltd [2001] FCA 1833; 117 FCR 424 Chwee Kin Keong v Digilandmall.com Pte Ltd [2005] 1 SLR 502 (CA) Classic International Pty Ltd v Lagos [2002] NSWSC 1155; 60 NSWLR 241 Codelfa Construction Pty Ltd v State Rail Authority of New South Wales [1982] HCA 24; 149 CLR 337 Colyer v Clay (1843) 7 Beav 188; 49 ER 1036 Commonwealth v Verwayen [1990] HCA 39; 170 CLR 394 Donovan v Secretary, Department of Family and Community Services [2003] FCA 438 EK Nominees Pty Ltd v Woolworths Ltd [2006] NSWSC 1172 Errichetti Nominees Pty Ltd v Paterson Group Architects Pty Ltd [2007] WASC 77 Great Peace Shipping Ltd v Tsavliris Salvage (International) Ltd [2003] QB 679 HWG Holdings Pty Ltd v Fairlie Court Pty Ltd [2015] VSC 519; 302 FLR 230 Legal & General Life of Australia Ltd v A Hudson Pty Ltd (1985) 1 NSWLR 314 McRae v Commonwealth Disposals Commissioner [1951] HCA 79; 84 CLR 377 Milroy v Lord (1862) 45 ER 1185 Muschinski v Dodds [1985] HCA 78; 160 CLR 583 Norman v Federal Commissioner of Taxation [1963] HCA 21; 109 CLR 9 Norris v Perpetual Executors, Trustee & Agency Co (WA) Ltd (1941) 44 WALR 21 Norwich Pharmacal Co v Customs and Excise Commissioners [1974] AC 133 Plimmer v Mayor of Wellington (1884) 9 App Cas 699 Ramsden v Dyson (1866) LR 1 HL 129 Re Crothers; Crothers v Crothers [1930] VLR 49; 35 ALR 242 Re Danish Bacon Co Ltd v Staff Pension Fund Trusts [1971] 1 WLR 248 Re Dawdy (1885) 15 QBD 426 Riverlate Properties Ltd v Paul [1975] Ch 133 Saleh v Romanous [2010] NSWCA 274; 79 NSWLR 453 Scott v Coulson [1903] 1 Ch 453 Scott v Coulson [1903] 2 Ch 249 (CA) Shepherd v Federal Commissioner of Taxation [1965] HCA 70; 113 CLR 385 Sheriff v Coates (1830) 1 Russ & M 159; 39 ER 61 Sidhu v Van Dyke [2014] HCA 19; 251 CLR 505 Solle v Butcher [1950] 1 KB 671 Svanosio v McNamara [1956] HCA 55; 96 CLR 186 Taylor v Johnson [1983] HCA 5; 151 CLR 422 Walton Stores v Maher [1988] HCA 7; 164 CLR 387 William Sindall Plc v Cambridgeshire County Council [1994] 1 WLR 1016 Texts Cited: Edelman, James, "An Uncommon Mistake" (2004) 15(1) King's College Law Journal 127 Heydon, J, Leeming, M, and Turner, P, Meagher, Gummow & Lehane's Equity: Doctrines & Remedies (LexisNexis Butterworths. 2014, 5th ed) MacMillan, Catharine, Mistakes in Contract Law (Hart Publishing Oxford, 2010) McCamus, John, "Mistaken Assumptions in Equity; Sound Doctrine or Chimera?" (2004) 40 Canadian Business Law Journal 46 Seddon, N, "Contract: Mistake Mistake" (2006) 80 Australian Law Journal 95 Seddon, N, Seddon on Deeds (Federation Press, 2015) Story, J, Commentaries on Equity Jurisprudence as Administered in England and America (A Maxwell, London, 1839, 2nd ed) Yeo, Tiong Min, "Unilateral Mistake in Contract: Five Degrees of Fusion of Common Law and Equity – Chwee Kin Keong v Digilandmall.com Pte Ltd" [2004] Singapore Journal of Legal Studies 1 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Plaintiff - Jennifer Jane Hawcroft In Her Capacity As Executor of The Deceased Estate of Martin Hawcroft Defendant - Hawcroft General Trading Co Pty Limited Representation: Counsel: Plaintiff Mr LT Livingston Defendant Mr MW Sneddon Solicitors: Plaintiff Staunton & Thompson Defendant Fox & Staniland Lawyers File Number(s): 2015/129403