Coplin v Al Maha Pty Limited [2016] NSWSC 1745

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Coplin v Al Maha Pty Limited [2016] NSWSC 1745 Hearing dates: 2, 3 and 4 May and 2 June, 2016 Decision date: 16 December 2016 Jurisdiction: Equity - Real Property List Before: Lindsay J Decision: Upon an exercise of jurisdiction under section 7 of the Contracts Review Act 1980 NSW, an option deed between a home owner (as grantor) and a land developer (as grantee) is to be declared wholly invalid ab initio. Catchwords: CONTRACTS - Unconscionable and unjust transactions – Statutory remedies under the Contracts Review Act 1980 NSW – Unsophisticated plaintiff rushed into transaction - Lost opportunity to obtain independent legal advice – Lack of understanding of terms and effect of Put and Call Option – Public interest in requiring parties to adhere to contracts balanced against public interest in not holding a party to a contract attended by procedural and substantive injustice. Legislation Cited: Australian Consumer Law Competition and Consumer Act 2010 Cth Contracts Review Act 1980 NSW Real Property Act 1900 NSW Cases Cited: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v CG Berbatis Holdings Pty Limited ( 2003) 214 CLR 51 Baltic Shipping Company v Dillon (1991) 2 NSWLR 1 Bridgewater v Leahy (1998) 194 CLR 457 Canty v Paperlin X Australia Pty Limited [2014] NSWCA 309 Carter v Hyde (1923) 33 CLR 115

Commercial Bank of Australia v Amadio (1983) 151 CLR 447 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298 Louth v Diprose (1992) 175 CLR 621 Perpetual Trustee Company Limited v Khoshaba [2006] NSWCA 41 at [86]; PT Limited v Spuds Surf Chatswood Pty Limited [2013] NSWCA 446 Transfield Properties (Kent Street) Pty Ltd v Amos Aked Swift Pty Ltd (1994) 36 NSWLR 321 West v AGC (Advances) Limited (1986) 5 NSWLR 610 Texts Cited: Baxt, "Unconscionability: High Court emphasies Moral Obloquy in Obiter Dicta Statements" (2016) 90 ALJ 870