Freeman v Londish [2018] NSWSC 1425

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Freeman v Londish [2018] NSWSC 1425 Hearing dates: 4-6 June and 6 & 7 August 2018; further written submissions 17 August 2018 Decision date: 20 September 2018 Jurisdiction: Equity - Commercial List Before: Stevenson J Decision: Plaintiff entitled to recover funds advanced to joint venture Catchwords: CONTRACT – oral joint venture to develop a retirement village - nature of plaintiff's funding obligations - whether plaintiff only obliged to provide funding if he and defendant agreed funds were reasonably necessary for the project – whether plaintiff or defendant repudiated his obligations under the joint venture Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) Cases Cited: BP Refinery (Westernport) Pty Ltd v Shire of Hastings (1977) 180 CLR 266 Byrne v Australian Airlines (1995) 185 CLR 410; [1995] HCA 24 Commonwealth of Australia v Amann Aviation Pty Ltd (1991) 174 CLR 64; [1991] HCA 54 DTR Nominees Pty Ltd v Mona Homes Pty Ltd (1978) 138 CLR 423; [1978] HCA 12 Harold R Finger & Co Pty Ltd v Karellas Investments Pty Ltd [2016] NSWCA 123 Hawkins v Clayton (1988) 164 CLR 539; [1988] HCA 15 Laurinda Pty Ltd v Capalaba Park Shopping Centre Pty Ltd [1989] HCA 23; (1989) 166 CLR 623 McRae v Commonwealth Disposals Commission (1951) 84 CLR 377; [1951] HCA 79 Robinson v Harman (1848) 1 Exch 850; (1848) 154 ER 363 Shevill v Builders Licensing Board (1982) 149 CLR 620; [1982] HCA 47 Sweet & Maxwell Ltd v Universal News Services Ltd [1964] 2 QB 699; [1964] 3 All ER 30 The Estate of Colleen McCullough [2018] NSWSC 1126 Watson v Foxman (1995) 49 NSWLR 315 Wesiak v D&R Constructions (Aust) Pty Ltd [2016] NSWCA 353 Texts Cited: J W Carter, Carter on Contracts (looseleaf online service, LexisNexis Butterworths) K Lewison & D Hughes, The Interpretation of Contracts in Australia, (2012, Lawbook Co) N C Seddon and R A Bigwood, Cheshire & Fifoot Law of Contract (11th ed, 2017, LexisNexis Butterworths) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Robert John Freeman (Plaintiff) Sidney Londish (First Defendant) Prestige Estates (Vic) Pty Ltd (Second Defendant) Prestige Lifestyle Estates Pty Ltd (Third Defendant) Representation: Counsel: P Silver (Plaintiff) R A Parsons (Defendants)