Roude v Helwani [2020] NSWSC 123

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Roude v Helwani [2020] NSWSC 123 Hearing dates: 5 September 2019 Date of orders: 26 February 2020 Decision date: 26 February 2020 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Harrison AsJ Decision: The Court orders that:

(1) The appeal is dismissed.

(2) Magistrate Atkinson's decision dated 9 November 2018 is affirmed.

(3) The amended summons dated 5 September 2019 is dismissed.

(4) The plaintiffs are to pay the defendant's costs on an ordinary basis. Catchwords: APPEAL – Local Court Act s 39 – Defendant carried out plumbing and electrical works on plaintiffs' property under oral contract – Defendant successful in Local Court claim in quantum meruit – Whether there was no evidence of the fair and reasonable cost of the works – Where the builder's invoices were the only evidence of the cost of the works – Appeal dismissed Legislation Cited: Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), s 138 Home Building Act 1989 (NSW), s 3 Local Court Act 2007 (NSW), ss 39(1), 40(1), 41 Cases Cited: Acuthan v Coates (1986) 6 NSWLR 472; (1986) 24 A Crim R 304 Australian Broadcasting Tribunal v Bond (1990) 170 CLR 32; (1990) 94 ALR 11 Australian Gas Light Co v Valuer-General (1940) 40 SR (NSW) 126; (1940) 40 SR (NSW) 126 Beale v Government Insurance Office (NSW) (1997) 48 NSWLR 430; (1997) 25 MVR 373 BP Exploration Co (Libya) Ltd v Hunt (No 2) [1982] 1 All ER 925; [1979] 1 WLR 783 Bradley v Matloob [2015] NSWCA 239; (2015) MVR 194 Brenner v First Artists' Management Pty Ltd [1993] 2 VR 221 Carlson v King (1947) 64 WN (NSW) 65 Council of the City of Sydney v Woodward [2000] NSWCA 201 Franklin v Ubaldi Foods Pty Ltd [2005] VSCA 317 Horley v Sector 7G Architecture Pty Ltd (in liq) [2011] NSWSC 827 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298; [1959] ALR 367 Jung v Son [1998] NSWCA 120 Maksim (NSW) Pty Limited v Jantune Pty Limited [2013] NSWSC 1634 McPhee v S Bennett Ltd (1934) 8 WCR 372; (1934) 52 WN (NSW) 8 Mitchell v Cullingral Pty Ltd [2012] NSWCA 389 Pavey & Matthews Pty Ltd v Paul (1987) 162 CLR 221; (1987) 69 ALR 577 Pettitt v Dunkley [1971] 1 NSWLR 376 Public Service Board of New South Wales v Osmond (1986) 159 CLR 656; (1986) 63 ALR 559 Shepherd v Felt & Textiles of Australia Ltd (1931) 45 CLR 359; [1931] ALR 194 Sopov v Kane Constructions [2009] VSCA 216 Tagget v McLean Austquip Pty Ltd [2014] NSWSC 1310 Wang v Yamamoto [2015] NSWSC 942 Texts Cited: K Mason, J W Carter and G J Tolhurst, Mason and Carter's Restitution Law in Australia (LexisNexis Butterworths, 3rd ed, 2016) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Ali Roude (First Plaintiff) Susan Roude (Second Plaintiff) Adib Helwani (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: F Corsaro SC with D Allen (Plaintiffs) QA Rares (Defendant)