Douglas Allen Lloyd v Andrew John Doust [2018] NSWDC 463

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Douglas Allen Lloyd v Andrew John Doust [2018] NSWDC 463 Hearing dates: 19 – 22 March 2018 Date of orders: 22 March 2018 Decision date: 22 March 2018 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Neilson DCJ Decision: The cross-claim is dismissed.

I order the defendant/cross-claimant to pay the costs of the plaintiff/cross-defendant of the statement of claim on the ordinary basis until 27 October 2016 and thereafter on the indemnity basis. The cross-claim is dismissed. I order the cross-claimant to pay the cross defendant's costs. Catchwords: CONTRACT HARVESTING WORK – whether harvesting contractor made a contractual promise to start harvesting ten days after the property owner commenced windrowing his canola crop – time being of the essence – consideration of usual practice in Western NSW between croppers and harvesters – whether alleged contract plausible – contract purely oral – consideration or fallibility of human memory with the passage of time whether alleged contract the subject of reconstruction Legislation Cited: Fair Trading Act 1987 (NSW) Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) Cases Cited: Ahern v Associated Products Pty Limited [2017] NSWDC 185 Armagas Ltd v Mundogas S.A. (The "Ocean Frost") [1985] 1 Lloyd's Rep 1 Bathurst Regional Council v Local Government Financial Services Pty Ltd (No 5) [2012] FCA 1200 Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336 Camden v McKenzie [2008] 1 Qd R 39 Campbell v Campbell [2015] NSWSC 784 Coote v Kelly; Northam v Kelly [2016] NSWSC 1447 Craig v Silverbrook [2013] NSWSC 1687 Effem Foods Pty Ltd v Lake Cumbeline Pty Ltd [1999] HCA 15; (1999) 161 ALR 599 Evans and Braddock [2015] NSWSC 249 Fox v Percy [2003] HCA 22; (2003) 214 CLR 118 Gestmin SGPS S.A. v Credit Suisse (UK) Limited [2013] EWHC 3560 Harbour Port Consulting v NSW Maritime [2011] NSWSC 813 Helton v Allen (1940) 63 CLR 691 at 712 Hughes v St Barbara Mines Ltd [No 4] [2010] WASC 160 Kit Digital Australia Pty Ltd (in liq) [2014] NSWSC 1547 Lake Cumbeline Pty Ltd v Effem Foods Pty Ltd (trading as Uncle Ben's of Australia) (Federal Court of Australia, Tamberlin J, 29 June 1995, unrep) McGraddie v McGraddie and another [2013] UKSC 58; [2013] 1 WLR 2477 New South Wales v Hunt (2014) 86 NSWLR 226 Nominal Defendant v Cordin [2017] NSWCA 6 Onassis and Calogeropoulos v Vergottis [1968] 2 Lloyd's Rep 403 Rosenberg v Percival [2001] HCA 18; (2001) 205 CLR 434 Société d'Avances Commerciales (Sociéte Anonyme Egyptienne) v Merchants Marine Insurance Co (The Palitana) (1924) 20 Ll L Rep 140 Warner v Hung, in the matter of Bellpac Pty Limited (Receivers and Managers Appointed) (In Liquidation) (No 2) [2011] FCA 1123; 297 ALR 56 Watson v Foxman (1995) 49 NSWLR 315 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Douglas Allen Lloyd (Plaintiff) Andrew John Doust (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Mr R Notley (Cross-Claimant) Mr B Le Plastrier (Cross-Defendant)