Lawrence v Ciantar; Ciantar v Lawrence [2019] NSWSC 464

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Lawrence v Ciantar; Ciantar v Lawrence [2019] NSWSC 464 Hearing dates: 4, 5 February 2019 Date of orders: 26 April 2019 Decision date: 26 April 2019 Jurisdiction: Equity - Real Property List Before: Henry J Decision: See paragraphs [234] - [236] Catchwords: CONTRACTS – written terms – oral terms – construction – whether plaintiff contractually obliged to carry out and complete certain works – whether joint venture agreement or contract caught by Home Building Act 1989 (NSW)

CONTRACTS – interpretation – ambiguity – evidence of surrounding circumstances – evidence of prior negotiations – evidence of subsequent conduct

STATUTORY INTERPRETATION – definitions – Home Building Act 1989 (NSW) – meaning of "residential building work" – contract to do sub-division works including construction of a driveway, retention tank and drainage works – whether preparatory works under contract constituted "residential building works" Legislation Cited: Home Building Act 1989 (NSW) ss 4, 6, 7, 7BA, 7D, 10; sch 1 cls 1, 2, 3 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) r 42.1 Cases Cited: Agricultural and Rural Finance Pty Ltd v Gardiner (2008) 238 CLR 570 Bank of Credit and Commerce International SA v Ali [2002] 1 AC 251 Bayside Council v Corp Constructions Pty Ltd [2017] NSWCA 120 Boreland v Docker [2007] NSWCA 94 Brambles Holdings Ltd v Bathurst City Council (2001) 53 NSWLR 153 Casa Maria Pty Limited v Trend Properties Pty Limited [1998] NSWCA 53 Centennial Coal Company Ltd v Xstrata Coal Pty Ltd (2009) 76 NSWLR 129 Cherry v Steele-Park (2017) 96 NSWLR 548 Codelfa Construction Pty Ltd v State Rail Authority of New South Wales (1982) 149 CLR 337 Empirnall Holdings Pty Ltd v Machon Paull Partners Pty Ltd (1988) 14 NSWLR 523 Grygiel v Baine [2005] NSWCA 218 Integrated Computer Services Pty Ltd v Digital Equipment Corp (Aust) Pty Ltd (1988) 5 BPR 97,326 International Air Transport Association v Ansett Australia Holdings Limited (2008) 234 CLR 151 Johnston v Brightstars Holding Company Pty Ltd [2014] NSWCA 150 Koompahtoo Local Aboriginal Land Council v Sanpine Pty Ltd (2007) 233 CLR 115 L Schuler AG v Wickman Machine Tool Sales Ltd [1974] AC 235 Lyn International Pty Ltd v Marcolongo [2011] NSWCA 303 Mount Bruce Mining Pty Ltd v Wright Prospecting Pty Ltd (2015) 256 CLR 104 New South Wales Land and Housing Corporation v Diab [2015] NSWCA 133 PRA Electrical Pty Ltd v Perseverance Exploration Pty Ltd (2007) 20 VR 487 Ryledar Pty Ltd v Euphoric Pty Ltd (2007) 69 NSWLR 603 Shepherd v Felt and Textiles of Australia Ltd (1931) 45 CLR 359 Simic v New South Wales Land and Housing Corporation (2016) 260 CLR 85 Sunbird Plaza Pty Ltd v Maloney (1988) 166 CLR 245 Syed Ahmad Shoaib Ali Pty Ltd v Jandson Pty Ltd [2018] NSWCATAP 228 Tamanna v Zattere; Thakorlal v Zattere; Rabac Pty Ltd v Zattere (2017) 18 BPR 37,139; [2017] NSWSC 1388 Toll (FGCT) Pty Ltd v Alphapharm Pty Ltd (2004) 219 CLR 165 Trend Properties Pty Limited v Casa Maria Pty Limited (Supreme Court (NSW), Windeyer J, 20 August 1998, unrep) Vroon BV v Foster's Brewing Group Ltd [1994] 2 VR 32 WIN Corporation Pty Ltd v Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd (2016) 341 ALR 467 Texts Cited: JW Carter, Contract Law in Australia (7th ed, 2018, LexisNexis Butterworths) NC Seddon, RA Bigwood, Cheshire & Fifoot Law of Contract (11th ed, 2017, LexisNexis Butterworths) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Wayne Lawrence (Plaintiff/Cross-Defendant) Paul William Ciantar (First Defendant/Second Cross-Claimant) Alice Sammut (Second Defendant/First Cross-Claimant) Representation: Counsel: J Kelly SC w D McDonald-Norman (Plaintiff/Cross-Defendant) E Peden w J Mee (First and Second Defendants/First and Second Cross-Claimants)