Ross Bilton & Ors v Georgia Ligdas [2016] NSWSC 1262

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Ross Bilton & Ors v Georgia Ligdas [2016] NSWSC 1262 Hearing dates: 31 May - 3 June & 22 June 2016 Date of orders: 29 July 2016 Decision date: 29 July 2016 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Rein J Decision: See [128] Catchwords: REAL PROPERTY - Easement- whether express easement exists as a matter of construction of conveyancing grant- HELD: No express easement. REAL PROPERTY- Easement- whether there is a prescriptive easement as a result of continued use by plaintiffs and their predecessors in title, issue of permission-HELD: Prescriptive easement established for two of the three properties belonging to the Plaintiffs. REAL PROPERTY - Easement- whether right to statutory easement exists under s.88K Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW)- Whether 'reasonable necessity, whether easement is inconsistent with public interest, whether all reasonable attempts made to obtain the easement- adequacy of amount not in issue-HELD: Easement granted for the benefit of the third property Legislation Cited: Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW) Prescriptive Act 1832 (UK) Real Property Act 1990 (NSW) Cases Cited: 117 York Street Pty Limited v Proprietors Strata Plan 16123 (1998) 43 NSWLR 504 Austin v Wright (1926) 29 WALR 55 Benn v Hardinge (1992) 66 P & CR 246 Bloom v Lepre [2008] NSWSC 79; (2008) 13 BPR 24,923 Coles Myer NSW Ltd v Dymocks Book Arcade Ltd (1996) 7 BPR 14,638 Delohery v Permanent Trustee Co of NSW [1904] HCA 10; (1904) 1 CLR 283 Destri Enterprises Pty Ltd & Ors v Donald James Maxwell [2012] NSWSC 295 Dobbie v Davidson (1991) 23 NSWLR 625 Earl de la Warr v Miles (1881) 17 Ch D 535 Fernance v Simpson [2003] NSWSC 121 Gardner v Hodgson's Kingston Brewery Co Ltd [1903] AC 229 Gangemi v Watson (1994) 11 WAR 505 Goodwin v Papadopoulous (1985) NSW Conv R 55-256 Hanny v Lewis (1998) 9 BPR 16,205 Hamilton v Joyce [1984] 3 NSWLR 279 Hollins v Verney (1884) 13 QBD 304 ING Bank (Australia) Ltd v O'Shea [2010] NSWCA 71; (2010) 14 BPR 27,317 Khatter v Wiese [2005] NSWSC 1014; (2005) 12 BPR 23,235 Long v Michie [2003] NSWSC 233 Maher v Bayview Golf Club [2004] NSWSC 275; (2004) 12 BPR 22,457 Mills v Silver [1991] Ch 271 Owners Strata Plan 13635 v Ryan [2006] NSWSC 221; (2006) 12 BPR 23,485 South Maitland Railways Pty Ltd v Satellite Centres Australia Pty Ltd [2009] NSWSC 716; (2009) 14 BPR 26,823 Treweeke v 36 Wolseley Road Pty Ltd [1973] HCA 27; (1973) 128 CLR 274 Weber v Ankin [2008] NSWSC 106; (2008) 13 BPR 25,231 Williams v State Transit Authority of NSW [2004] NSWCA 179; (2004) 60 NSWLR 286 Texts Cited: Gaunt and Morgan J's Gale on Easements at (11th ed, 2009, Sweet & Maxwell) P. Butt's Land Law (18th ed, 2008, Thomson Reuters) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Ross Bilton (1st Plaintiff) Clair Weaver (2nd Plaintiff) Sinead Dwyer (3rd Plaintiff) Alan Dwyer (4th Plaintiff) David Hudson (5th Plaintiff) Georgia Ligdas (1st Defendant) Christine Kensworthy (2nd Defendant) Executor of the Estate of the late Brian Holbache (3rd Defendant) Colleen Earl (4th Defendant) Gerald Michael Carr (5th Defendant) Joanne Crews (6th Defendant) Margaret Morrell (7th Defendant) Robert Morrell (8th Defendant) Representation: Counsel: G.A Moore (Plaintiffs) J.M Ireland (1st Defendant)