Zugic v Vesuvius Australia Pty Ltd [2020] NSWSC 106

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Zugic v Vesuvius Australia Pty Ltd [2020] NSWSC 106 Hearing dates: 5 – 8 August 2019 Decision date: 21 February 2020 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Ward CJ in Eq Decision: 1. Dismiss the plaintiff's claim with costs. Catchwords: ESTOPPEL — Promissory Estoppel — Whether clear and unambiguous representation that defendant would enter into lease of premises on proposed terms and/or representation as to an appropriate occupation date and that defendant would sign lease for premises — Claim for equitable compensation

EQUITY — Assignment — Assignability of cause of action in promissory estoppel — Whether assignee had a 'genuine commercial interest" Legislation Cited: Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), rr 2.1, 12.7, 14.14 Cases Cited: Ajayi (t/a Colony Carrier Co) v RT Briscoe (Nigeria) Ltd [1964] 3 All ER 556;1 WLR 1326 Ashton v Pratt (2015) 88 NSWLR 281; [2015] NSWCA 12 Austotel Pty Ltd & Anor v Franklins Self-Serve Pty Ltd (1989) 16 NSWLR 582 Baulkham Hills Private Hospital Pty Ltd v GR Securities Pty Ltd (1986) 40 NSWLR 622 Baulkham Hills Private Hospital Pty Ltd v GR Securities Pty Ltd (1986) 40 NSWLR 531 Beaton v McDivitt (1985) 13 NSWLR 134 Bonette v Woolworths Ltd (1937) 37 SR (NSW) 142 Busby v Walker (1956) 84 So 2d 304 Caxton Street Agencies Pty Ltd v Korkidas [2002] QSC 210 Central Newbury Car Auctions Ltd v Unity Finance Ltd [1957] 1 QB 371 Cobbe v Yeoman's Row Management Ltd [2008] 1 WLR 1752; UKHL 55 Commonwealth of Australia v Verwayen (1990) 170 CLR 394 Crown Melbourne Ltd v Cosmopolitan Hotel (Vic) Pty Ltd (2016) 260 CLR 1; [2016] HCA 26 Davidovic v Vesuvius [2014] NSWSC 1066 Davidovic v Vesuvius Australia Pty Ltd (No 2) [2016] NSWSC 1679 Davidovic v Vesuvius Australia Pty Ltd (No 3) [2017] NSWSC 76 Davidovic v Vesuvius Australia Pty Ltd (No 4) (Supreme Court of New South Wales, Stevenson J, 31 March 2017, unrep) Delaforce v Simpson-Cook (2010)78 NSWLR 483; [2010] NSWCA 84 DHJPM Ltd v Blackthorn Resources Ltd (2011) 83 NSWLR 728; [2011] NSWCA 348 Donis v Donis (2007) 19 VR 577; [2007] VSCA 89 Doueihi v Construction Technologies Australia Pty Ltd (2016) 92 NSWLR 247; [2016] NSWCA 105 E Co v Q [2018] NSWSC 442 Equiticorp Finance Ltd (in liq) v Bank of New Zealand (1993) 32 NSWLR 50 Equity Capital Markets Limited [2008] NSWCA 206 Equuscorp Pty Ltd v Haxton (2012) 246 CLR 49; [2012] HCA 7 Freeman & Lockyer (a firm) v Buckhurst Park Properties (Mangal) Ltd [1964] 2 QB 480; [1964] 2 WLR 618 Galaxidis v Galaxidis [2004] NSWCA 111 Giumelli v Giumelli (1999) 196 CLR 101 Grundt v Great Boulder Pty Gold Mines Ltd (1937) 59 CLR 64; [1937] HCA 58 Hammond v JP Morgan Trust Australia Ltd [2012] NSWCA 295 Ingot Capital Investments Pty Limited v Macquarie Equity Capital Markets Limited [2008] NSWCA 206 Jones v Dunkel [1959] HCA 8; (1959) 101 CLR 298 Jopling v Jopling (1908) 8 CLR 33 Latec Investments Ltd v Hotel Terrigal Pty Ltd (1965) 113 CLR 265 Legione v Hateley (1983) 152 CLR 406 Leybourne v Permanent Custodians Ltd [2010] NSWCA 78 Low v Bouverie [1891] 3 Ch 82 Masters v Cameron (1954) 91 CLR 353; [1954] HCA 72 Monk v Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (1994) 34 NSWLR 148 New Zealand in First City Corporation v Downsview Nominees Ltd) [1989] 3 NZLR 710 Petersen v Moloney (1951) 84 CLR 91; [1951] HCA 57 Pola v Commonwealth Bank of Australia (Federal Court, Sundberg J, 19 December 1997, unrep) Pole v Leask (1863) 8 LT 645 Re Daley; Ex parte National Australia Bank (1992) 37 FCR 390; 8 ACSR 395 Re Timothy's Pty Ltd and the Companies Act [1981] 2 NSWLR 706 Repatriation Commission v Tsourounakis [2004] FCAFC 332 Rodda v Ian Rodda Pty Ltd (No 2) [2015] SASC 128 Rodda v Ian Rodda Pty Ltd [2015] SASC 95 Saleh v Romanous (2010) 79 NSWLR 453; [2010] NSWCA 274 Sidhu v Van Dyke (2014) 251 CLR 505; [2014] HCA 19 Sullivan v Sullivan [2006] NSWCA 312 Thorner v Major [2009] 3 All ER 945; [2009] 1 WLR 776 Tonna v Mendonca [2019] NSWSC 1849 Trendtex Trading Corp v Credit Suisse [1982] AC 679; [1981] 3 All ER 520 United Equipment Pty Ltd v Australian Portable Buildings Pty Ltd (No 2) [2017] WADC 73 Van Dyke v Sidhu [2013] NSWCA 198 Vesuvius Australia Pty Ltd v V&M Davidovic Pty Ltd [2011] NSWSC 539 Vukmirica v Betyounan [2008] NSWCA 16 Waltons Stores (Interstate) Ltd v Maher (1988) 164 CLR 387 Whitlock v Brew (1968) 118 CLR 445 Williams Group Australia Pty Ltd v Crocker [2015] NSWSC 1907 Williams Group Australia Pty Ltd v Crocker [2016] NSWCA 265 Zugic v Vesuvius Australia Pty Ltd [2017] NSWSC 1185Walsh v Lonsdale (1882) 21 Ch D 9; [1881] 51 All ER Rep Ext 1690 Zugic v Vesuvius Australia Pty Ltd [2018] NSWSC 1544 Texts Cited: Bradbook, Croft and Hay, Commercial Tenancy Law (3rd ed, 2008, LexisNexis Butterworths) G E Dal Pont (ed), Law of Agency (3rd ed, 2014, LexisNexis Butterworths) J D Heydon, M J Leeming, P G Turner, Meagher, Gummow & Lehane's Equity: Doctrines and Remedies (5th ed, 2015, LexisNexis) K R Handley, 'The Three High Court Decisions on Estoppel 1988-1990' (2006) 80 Australian Law Journal 724 K R Handley, Estoppel by Conduct & Election, (2nd ed, 2016, Thomson Reuters) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Damjan Zugic (Plaintiff) Vesuvius Australia Pty Ltd (First Defendant) Verekers Lawyers (Second Defendant) Representation: Counsel: JR Young (Plaintiff) B Coles QC with PT Russell (Defendants)