Wilh. Wilhelmsen Investments Pty Ltd v SSS Holdings Pty Ltd [2019] NSWCA 32

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Wilh. Wilhelmsen Investments Pty Ltd v SSS Holdings Pty Ltd [2019] NSWCA 32 Hearing dates: 12 October 2018 Decision date: 26 February 2019 Before: Beazley ACJ at [1]; White JA at [167]; Emmett AJA at [187] Decision: (1) Appeal dismissed.

(2) The appellant to pay the respondent's costs. Catchwords: EMPLOYMENT LAW — rights and liabilities as between employer and third persons — liabilities of employer — whether employer can be vicariously liable in contract for fraudulent conduct of employee — where issue of vicarious liability not raised in pleadings

ESTOPPEL — estoppel by convention — mutual assumption — course of dealing — whether course of business dealings between appellant and respondent clothed employee with ostensible authority — whether appellant estopped from denying employee had authority — whether respondent relied on relevant representation of authority to its detriment — whether respondent's reliance on relevant representation of authority reasonable Cases Cited: ADM v FDGK [2018] NSWSC 442 Amalgamated Investment & Property Co Ltd (in liq) v Texas Commerce International Bank Ltd [1982] QB 84 Armagas Ltd v Mundogas SA [1986] AC 717 Caringbah Investments Pty Ltd v Caringbah Business and Sports Club Ltd (In liq) [2016] NSWCA 165 Clarey v Permanent Trustee Co Ltd [2005] VSCA 128 Con-Stan Industries of Australia Pty Ltd v Norwich Winterthur Insurance (Australia) Ltd (1986) 160 CLR 226; [1986] HCA 14 Crabb v Arun District Council [1976] Ch 179 Crabtree-Vickers Pty Ltd v Australian Direct Mail Advertising & Addressing Co Pty Ltd (1975) 133 CLR 72; [1975] HCA 49 Ffrench v Sestili (2007) 98 SASR 28; [2007] SASC 241 Freeman & Lockyer v Buckhurst Park Properties (Mangal) Ltd [1964] 2 QB 480 Gould v Vaggelas (1984) 157 CLR 215; [1984] HCA 68 Kelly v Fraser [2013] 1 AC 450 Kuhl v Zürich Financial Services (2011) 243 CLR 361; [2011] HCA 11 Lloyd v Grace, Smith & Co [1912] AC 716 Lynch v Stiff (1943) 68 CLR 428; [1943] HCA 38 Manly Council v Byrne [2004] NSWCA 123 March v E & MH Stramare Pty Ltd (1991) 171 CLR 506; [1991] HCA 12 Miller Heiman Pty Ltd v Sales Principles Pty Ltd [2017] NSWCA 106 New South Wales v Lepore (2003) 212 CLR 511; [2003] HCA 4 Overbrooke Estates Ltd v Glencombe Properties Ltd [1974] 1 WLR 1335 Pacific Carriers Ltd v BNP Paribas (2004) 218 CLR 451; [2004] HCA 35 Pioneer Mortgage Services Pty Ltd v Columbus Capital Pty Ltd (2016) 250 FCR 136; [2016] FCAFC 78 Priestley v Priestley [2016] NSWSC 1096 Priestley v Priestley [2017] NSWCA 155 Prince Alfred College Inc v ADC (2016) 258 CLR 134; [2016] HCA 37 SEB Trygg Liv Holding AB v Manches [2006] 1 WLR 2276 Sidhu v Van Dyke (2014) 251 CLR 505; [2014] HCA 19 Steria Ltd v Hutchison [2006] EWCA Civ 1551 Texts Cited: A Silink, "Causation in Equitable Estoppel" (2017) 43 ABR 320 G E Dal Pont, Law of Agency (LexisNexis, 3rd ed, 2014) K R Handley, Estoppel by Conduct and Election (Sweet & Maxwell, 1st ed, 2006) K R Handley, Estoppel by Conduct and Election (Sweet & Maxwell, 2nd ed, 2016) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Wilh. Wilhelmsen Investments Pty Ltd (Appellant) SSS Holdings Pty Ltd trading as MobileCorp (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: N Furlan (Appellant) J Harrowell (Respondent)