National Australia Bank Limited v Dionys as Trustee for the Angel Family Trust [2016] NSWCA 242

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: National Australia Bank Limited v Dionys as Trustee for the Angel Family Trust [2016] NSWCA 242 Hearing dates: 8 June 2016 Decision date: 02 September 2016 Before: Macfarlan JA at [1]; Sackville AJA at [2]; White J at [145] Decision: 1. Appeal dismissed. 2. The appellant pay the respondent's costs of the appeal. Catchwords: BANKING – contract – agreement between bank and customer to open new account – whether a clause in the bank's printed terms and conditions limiting the bank's liability in certain circumstances was incorporated into the contract – whether contract was cancelled before customer received printed terms and conditions – whether bank took steps reasonably necessary to bring customer's attention to the limiting clause. PROCEDURAL FAIRNESS – whether any denial of procedural fairness to bank in customer being permitted to dispute that she had signed a withdrawal slip. AGENCY – whether customer had authorised a third party to withdraw funds from her account – ratification – whether customer ratified the third party's withdrawal of funds. EVIDENCE – whether primary Judge relied on Jones v Dunkel inference against bank – whether such reliance is justified. Legislation Cited: Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) Cases Cited: Baltic Shipping Co v Dillon ("Mikhail Lermentov") (1991) 22 NSWLR 1 at 24 Brambles Holdings Ltd v Bathurst City Council (2001) 53 NSWLR 153 British Crane Hire Corporation Ltd v Ipswich Plant Hire Ltd [1974] 1 All ER 1059 Brown v Westminster Bank Ltd [1964] 2 Lloyd's LR 187 Causer v Browne [1952] VLR 1 Circle Freight International Ltd v Medeast Gulf Exports Ltd [1988] 2 Lloyd's Rep 427 City Bank of Sydney v McLaughlin [1909] HCA 78; 9 CLR 615 Commercial Union Assurance Company of Australia Ltd v Ferrcom Pty Ltd (1991) 22 NSWLR 389 Commonwealth Bank of Australia v Perrin [2011] QSC 274 Commonwealth Trading Bank of Australia v Sydney Wide Stores Pty Ltd [1981] HCA 43; 148 CLR 304 Council of the City of Sydney v West [1965] HCA 68; 114 CLR 481 Daly v General Steam Navigation Co Ltd (The "Dragon") [1979] 1 Lloyd's Rep 257 Damjanovic v York Agencies Pty Ltd [2003] NSWCA 222 Davison v Vickery's Motors Ltd (In Liq) [1925] HCA 47; 37 CLR 1 Dionys v National Australia Bank Ltd (District Court, 12 June 2005, unrep) Empirnall Holdings Pty Ltd v Machon Paull Partners Pty Ltd (1988) 14 NSWLR 523 Fox v Percy [2003] HCA 22; 214 CLR 118 Groves v Groves [2013] QSC 277 Hardwick Game Farm v Suffolk Agricultural Poultry Producers Association [1969] 2 AC 31 Hood v Anchor Line (Henderson Brothers) Ltd [1918] AC 837 Jones v Dunkel [1959] HCA 8; 101 CLR 298 Keighley, Maxsted & Co v Durant [1901] AC 240 Kuhl v Zurich Financial Services Australia Ltd [2011] HCA 11; 243 CLR 361 Lederberger v Mediterranean Olives Financial Pty Ltd [2012] VSCA 262 Leybourne v Permanent Custodians Ltd [2010] NSWCA 78 London International Trust Ltd v Barclays Bank Ltd [1980] 1 Lloyd's Rep 241 Majesty Restaurant Pty Ltd (In Liq) v Commonwealth Bank of Australia (1998) 47 NSWLR 593 Maxitherm Boilers Pty Ltd v Pacific Dunlop Ltd [1998] 4 VR 559 McCutcheon v David MacBrayne Ltd [1964] 1 All ER 430 National Australia Bank Ltd v Hokit Pty Ltd (1996) 39 NSWLR 377 O'Donnell v Reichard [1975] VR 916 Oceanic Sun Line Special Shipping Company Inc v Fay [1988] HCA 32; 165 CLR 197 Parker v South Eastern Railway Company (1877) 2 CPD 416 Payne v Parker [1976] 1 NSWLR 191 Petersen v Moloney [1951] HCA 57; 84 CLR 91 Pole v Leask (1863) 33 LJ Ch 155 QBE Insurance (Australia) Ltd v Stewart [2009] NSWCA 66 Quarante Pty Ltd v The Owners Strata Plan No. 67212 [2008] NSWCA 258 Robertson v Balmain New Ferry Co Ltd [1906] HCA 83; 4 CLR 379 Rowe v B & R Nominees Pty Ltd [1964] VR 477 Sun Line Special Shipping Company Inc v Fay [1988] HCA 32; 165 CLR 197 Surfstone Pty Ltd v Morgan Consulting Engineers Pty Ltd [2015] QSC 290 Tai Hing Ltd Cotton Mill Ltd v Liu Chong Hing Bank Ltd [1986] AC 80 Taylor v Smith [1926] HCA 16; 38 CLR 48 Thornton v Shoe Lane Parking Ltd [1971] 2 QB 163 Toll (FGTC) Pty Ltd v Alphapharm Pty Ltd [2004] HCA 52; 219 CLR 165 Wallaby Grip Ltd v QBE Insurance (Australia) Ltd; Stewart v QBE Insurance Australia (Australia) Ltd [2010] HCA 9; 240 CLR 444 West v Commercial Bank of Australia Limited [1935] HCA 14; 55 CLR 315 Texts Cited: A Tyree, Banking Law in Australia (8th ed, 2014) NC Seddon, RA Bigwood and MP Ellinghaus, Cheshire and Fifoot's Law of Contract (10th Aust ed, 2012) G E Dal Pont, Law of Agency (3rd ed, 2014) JD Heydon, Cross on Evidence, Australian Edition (loose leaf) Category: Principal judgment Parties: National Australia Bank Limited (Appellant) Samantha Dionys as Trustee for the Angel Family Trust (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: Mr PD Reynolds (Appellant) Mr CD Wood / Mr JEF Brown (Respondent)