Michelangelo Alfredo Mascarello & Anor v Registrar-General of New South Wales [2018] NSWSC 284

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Michelangelo Alfredo Mascarello & Anor v Registrar-General of New South Wales [2018] NSWSC 284 Hearing dates: 12, 13, 15 February 2018 Decision date: 08 March 2018 Before: Sackar J Decision: See para [398] Catchwords: EQUITY – subrogation – general principles – Registrar-General's statutory right of subrogation – nature of statutory right of subrogation under Real Property Act 1900 (NSW) – amount Registrar-General can seek to recover in subrogation

NEGLIGENCE – duty of care – general principles – causation – proportionate liability – duty of care of solicitor – whether solicitor breached duty of care witnessing fraudulent signatures

CONTRACT – penalty – loan agreement – where the lower rate was 36% p.a. and higher rate 72% p.a. – whether higher interest rate void as penalty – whether deed of settlement entered into by Plaintiffs bar to Registrar-General's claim under penalty Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW) Professional Standards Act 1994 (NSW) Real Property Act 1900 (NSW) Statue Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2002 (NSW) Cases Cited: Acron Pacific Pty Ltd v Offshore Oil NL (1985) 157 CLR 514 Andrews v Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Pty Ltd [2012] HCA 30 Badenach v Calvert [2016] HCA 18 Bofinger v Kingsway Group Ltd [2009] HCA 44 Boscawen v Bajwa [1996] 1 WLR 328 Challenger Managed Investments Ltd v Direct Money Corp Pty Ltd [2003] NSWSC 1072 Chandra v Perpetual Trustees Victoria Ltd [2007] NSWSC 694 Glen Line v Attorney General (1930) 36 Com Cas 1 Heydon v NRMA Ltd [2000] NSWCA 374 Hunt & Hunt Lawyers (a firm) v Mitchell Morgan Nominees [2013] HCA 10 Kayteal Pty Ltd v John Joseph Dingnan [2011] NSWSC 197 Kellas-Sharpe v PSAL Pty Ltd [2012] QCA 371 King Investment Solutions v Hussain [2005] NSWSC 1076 Kowalczuk v Accom Finance Pty Ltd [2008] NSWCA 343 March v Stramare (E & MH) [1991] HCA 12 O'Dea v Allstates Leasing System (WA) Pty Ltd (1983) 152 CLR 359 Re Mango Credit Pty Ltd [2016] NSWSC 199 Registrar-General of New South Wales v LawCover Insurance Pty Ltd [2014] NSWCA 241 St George Bank Ltd v Quinerts Pty Ltd [2009] VSCA 245 St Paul Travelers Insurance Company Ltd v Dargan [2006] EWHC 3189 (Cth) Teresa Nadia Pedulla v Fernando Rene Panetta [2011] NSWSC 1386 Travel Compensation Fund v John Harvey Blair [2003] NSWSC 720 Yorkshire Insurance Company Ltd v Nisbet Shipping Company Ltd [1962] 2 QB 330 Texts Cited: Charles Mitchell and Stephen Watterson, Subrogation: Law and Practice (Oxford University Press, 2007) Dennis S K Ong, Ong on Subrogation (The Federation Press, 2014) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Michelangelo Alfredo Mascarello (first plaintiff) Maria Luisa Mascarello (second plaintiff) Registrar-General of New South Wales (first defendant) K R Lawyers and Consultants Limited (second defendant, second cross defendant) NWC Finance Pty Limited No 5 Pty Ltd (third cross defendant) Representation: Counsel: H Altan (first defendant) A R Zahra (second defendant) P Walsh (third defendant)