The Owners Strata Plan No 57164 v Yau [2017] NSWCA 341

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: The Owners Strata Plan No 57164 v Yau [2017] NSWCA 341 Hearing dates: 26 April and 15 May 2017 Decision date: 21 December 2017 Before: Beazley P at [1]; Leeming JA at [195]; Emmett AJA at [196] Decision: Appeal dismissed with costs. Catchwords: REAL PROPERTY – strata scheme for a residential and commercial building – application of Strata Schemes Management Act 1996 (NSW) – effect of non-compliance with notice requirements for a meeting of the executive committee specified in Sch 3, cl 6 – whether resolution passed by Executive Committee in breach of ss 65A and 80A – whether Executive Committee has authority to instruct legal representatives to settle legal proceedings

PROCEDURE – consent orders – whether consent orders may be set aside – orders already entered – circumstances in which orders may be set aside – whether court has a discretion to set aside orders when basis for setting aside the order has been established

AGENCY – ostensible authority – whether senior counsel has ostensible authority to enter settlement agreement – whether parties acted in reliance on representation of authority – whether no question of ostensible authority as a result of the principle that estoppel does not operate against a statute Legislation Cited: Strata Schemes Management Act 1996 (NSW), ss 6, 17, 21, 62, 65A, 75, 80A, 153, 181, 207, Sch 3, cls 6, 17 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) (UCPR), r 36.15 Cases Cited: 2 Elizabeth Bay Road Pty Limited v The Owners - Strata Plan No 73943 (2014) 88 NSWLR 488; [2014] NSWCA 409 Alcan (NT) Alumina Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Territory Revenue (NT) (2009) 239 CLR 27; [2009] HCA 41 Australian Federation of Islamic Councils Inc v Farrell [2016] NSWCA 256 Bailey v Marinoff (1971) 125 CLR 529; [1971] HCA 49 Balog v Independent Commission Against Corruption (1991) 169 CLR 625; [1991] HCA 28 Barron v Potter [1914] 1 Ch 895 Be Financial Pty Ltd as Trustee for Be Financial Operations Trust v Das [2012] NSWCA 1164 Burns v Corbett (2017) 316 FLR 448; [2017] NSWCA 3 Certain Lloyd's Underwriters v Cross (2012) 248 CLR 378; [2012] HCA 56 CIC Insurance Ltd v Bankstown Football Club Ltd (1995) 9 ANZ Insurance Cases ¶61-232 Crabtree-Vickers Pty Ltd v Australian Direct Mail Advertising & Addressing Co Pty Ltd (1975) 133 CLR 72; [1975] HCA 49 DJL v The Central Authority (2000) 201 CLR 226; [2000] HCA 17 Donellan v Watson (1990) 21 NSWLR 335 Doyle v Hall Chadwick [2007] NSWCA 159 Freeman & Lockyer v Buckhurst Park Properties (Mangal) Ltd [1964] 2 QB 480 Gamser v Nominal Defendant (1977) 136 CLR 145; [1977] HCA 7 Geissler v Accro Motors Pty Ltd (1955) 73 WN (NSW) 31 Harvey v Phillips (1956) 95 CLR 235; [1956] HCA 2 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499; [1936] HCA 40 Huddersfield Banking Co Ltd v Henry Lister & Son Ltd [1895] 2 Ch 273 Katter v Melhem (2015) 90 NSWLR 164; [2015] NSWCA 213 Kinch v Walcott [1929] AC 482 Lin v The Owners - Strata Plan No 50276 (2004) 11 BPR 21,463; [2004] NSWSC 88 Logwon Pty Limited v Warringah Shire Council (1993) 33 NSWLR 13 Lucke v Cleary (2011) 111 SASR 134; [2011] SASCFC 118 Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs v Kurtovic (1990) 21 FCR 193 Northside Developments Pty Ltd v Registrar-General (1990) 170 CLR 146; [1990] HCA 32 Owners Strata Plan 50276 v Thoo (2013) 17 BPR 33,789; [2013] NSWCA 270 Pavlovic v Universal Music Australia (2015) 90 NSWLR 605; [2015] NSWCA 313 Permanent Trustee Co (Canberra) Ltd (Executor estate of Andrews) v Stocks & Holdings (Canberra) Pty Ltd (1976) 15 ACTR 45 Pratten v Warringah Shire Council [1969] 2 NSWR 161 Project Blue Sky Inc v Australian Broadcasting Authority (1998) 194 CLR 355; [1998] HCA 28 Quach v New South Wales Health Care Complaints Commission (No 4) [2016] NSWCA 285 Roach v Bickle (1915) 20 CLR 663; [1915] HCA 80 Rogers v The Queen (1994) 181 CLR 251; [1994] HCA 42 Romeo v Papalia [2012] NSWCA 221 Ryan v Kings Cross RSL Club Pty Ltd [1972] 2 NSWLR 79 Singh v Ginelle Pty Ltd [2010] NSWCA 310 St Alder v Waverly Local Council [2010] NSWCA 22 Stolfa v Hempton (2010) 15 BPR 28,253; [2010] NSWCA 218 SZTAL v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2017] HCA 34 Thoo v The Owners Strata Plan No 50276 (2011) 15 BPR 29,309; [2011] NSWSC 657 Texts Cited: G E Dal Pont, Law of Agency (3rd ed, 2014, LexisNexis) 460 [20-7] Category: Principal judgment Parties: The Owners Strata Plan No 57164 (Appellant) Annie May Fun Yau (First Respondent) Andy Sung Kit Yau (Second Respondent) Representation: Counsel: J Kelly SC; V Kerr SC; A Carr (Appellant) P Greenwood SC; I Griscti (Respondents)