Jun International Property Pty Ltd v Fullerton Property Pty Ltd [2019] NSWSC 450

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Jun International Property Pty Ltd v Fullerton Property Pty Ltd [2019] NSWSC 450 Hearing dates: 8 April 2019 Decision date: 24 April 2019 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Ward CJ in Eq Decision: (1) Dismiss the plaintiff's claim for pre-judgment interest. (2) Subject to order 3, order that there be no order as to the costs of the proceedings. (3) The plaintiff pay the defendants' costs of the hearing on 8 April 2019. Catchwords: JUDGMENTS AND ORDERS — Interest— Award of as damages — Statutory power to award pre-judgment interest – discretion under s 100 of the Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) –– where there has been no judicial determination of the merits of the claim –– where unable to conclude on the material when the cause of action for repayment first accrued –– no pre-judgment interest awarded

COSTS –– application by the plaintiff for costs of the proceedings on the ordinary basis –– where the general position is that each party pay his, her or its own costs when there has been no final hearing on the merits –– whether defendant made express or implied admission or mixed admission of fact and law that the payment was due and payable –– whether defendants' conduct so unreasonable as to warrant departure from the usual costs order Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), ss 3, 100 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), rr 17.2, 42.1, 42.15A Cases Cited: Calderbank v Calderbank [1975] 3 WLR 586; [1975] All ER 333 Coopers Brewery Ltd v Panfida Foods Ltd (1992) 26 NSWLR 738 Dovuro Pty Ltd v Wilkins (2003) 215 CLR 317; [2003] HCA 51 Eastern Express Pty Ltd v General Newspapers Pty Ltd (1992) 35 FCR 43 Edwards Madigan Torzillo Briggs Pty Ltd v Gloria Stack [2003] NSWCA 302 Essex Securities Pty Ltd v Lunt [2006] WASC 58 Freelancer International Pty Ltd v Matthew O'Kane [2019] NSWSC 159 H Clark (Doncaster) Ltd v Wilkinson [1965] Ch 694; [1965] 1 All ER 934 Haines v Bendall (1991) 172 CLR 60; [1991] HCA 15 In the matter of CRC Civil & Drainage Pty Ltd [2013] NSWSC 1085, In the matter of Le Meilleur Pty Ltd (subject to Deed of Company Arrangement); Le Meilleur Pty Ltd (subject to Deed of Company Arrangement) & Ors v Jin Heung Mutual Savings Bank Co Ltd [2011] NSWSC 1115 Jeans v Commonwealth Bank of Australia Ltd [2003] FCAFC 309; (2003) 204 ALR 327 Khouri v National Australia Bank Ltd [2007] NSWSC 987 Lahoud v Lahoud [2011] NSWSC 994 MBP (SA) Pty Ltd v Gogic (1991) 171 CLR 657; [1991] HCA 3 Nichols v NFS Agribusiness Pty Ltd [2018] NSWCA 84 Pitcher v Langford (1991) 23 NSWLR 142 Re Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (Cth); Ex parte Lai Qin (1997) 186 CLR 622; [1997] HCA 6 Ruby v Marsh (1975) 132 CLR 642; [1975] HCA 32 SLE Worldwide Australia v WGB & Ors [2005] NSWSC 816 State of New South Wales v Avery (2016) 92 NSWLR 141; [2016] NSWCA 147 State of New South Wales v Loh Min Choo [2012] NSWCA 275 State of Queensland v JL Holdings Pty Ltd (1997) 189 CLR 146; 141 ALR 353; [1997] HCA 1 The Nominal Defendant v Gabriel (2007) 71 NSWLR 150; [2007] NSWCA 52 Transfield Services (Australia) Pty Limited v James Gaha [2012] NSWSC 865 Texts Cited: J D Heydon, LexisNexis Australia, Cross on Evidence (at 23 April 2019) Lexis Nexis Australia, Ritchie's Uniform Civil Procedure NSW (at 23 April 2019) Category: Costs Parties: Jun International Property Pty Ltd (Plaintiff) Fullerton Property Pty Ltd (First Defendant) Shun Fang Wang (Second Defendant) Yu Wang (Third Defendant) Representation: Counsel: C Freeman (Plaintiff) D Delaney (Defendants)