Norton Property Group Pty Ltd v Ozzy States Pty Ltd (in liq) [2020] NSWCA 23

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Norton Property Group Pty Ltd v Ozzy States Pty Ltd (in liq) [2020] NSWCA 23 Hearing dates: 2 December 2019 Decision date: 21 February 2020 Before: Leeming JA at [1]; Payne JA at [115]; White JA at [116]. Decision: 1. Appeal allowed in part. 2. Set aside orders 1 and 2 made on 26 April 2019, and in lieu thereof, order that the amended statement of claim be dismissed. 3. Set aside the costs orders made on 28 June 2019. 4. Note that there are no orders as to the parties' costs at first instance or on appeal, with the intent that the parties bear their own costs. Catchwords: CONTRACT - real estate agent buyers agreement - entitlement to commission - agreement between property developer and real estate agent - agent to acquire options over seven contiguous parcels of land - options acquired over some of land - options never exercised by developer - agent rendered invoices for commission as options acquired - some invoices paid - whether agent entitled to commission for obtaining options which were never exercised

MISLEADING AND DECEPTIVE CONDUCT - agent made demands for commission - whether demands misleading or deceptive contrary to s 18 Australian Consumer Law - whether demands were expressions of opinion of agent's legal entitlement Legislation Cited: Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth), Sch 2 – Australian Consumer Law, ss 18, 236 Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW) Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), s 440D Property, Stock and Business Agents Regulation 2014, schedule 5 Property, Stock and Business Agents Act 2002 (NSW), ss 52, 55, 63, 65 Cases Cited: Agricultural and Rural Finance Pty Ltd v Gardiner (2008) 238 CLR 570; [2008] HCA 57 Al Maha Pty Ltd v Huajun Investments Pty Ltd [2018] NSWCA 245; 365 ALR 86 Bisset v Wilkinson [1927] AC 177 Campbell v Backoffice Investments Pty Ltd (2009) 238 CLR 304; [2009] HCA 25 Forrest v Australian Securities and Investments Commission (2012) 247 CLR 486; [2012] HCA 39 Global Sportsman Pty Ltd v Mirror Newspapers Pty Ltd (1984) 2 FCR 82 Goldsbrough, Mort & Co Ltd v Quinn (1910) 10 CLR 674; [1910] HCA 20 Horne v James [2015] NSWSC 465 Laybutt v Amoco Australia Pty Ltd (1974) 132 CLR 57 MSP Nominees Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Stamps (SA) (1999) 198 CLR 494; [1999] HCA 51 Mainteck Services Pty Ltd v Stein Heurtey SA (2014) 89 NSWLR 633; [2014] NSWCA 184 Muriniti; Newell v Lawcover Insurance Pty Ltd (No 2) [2018] NSWCA 311 Ozzy States Pty Ltd (in liq) v Norton Property Group Pty Ltd [2019] NSWCA 244 Ozzy States Pty Ltd v Norton Property Group Pty Ltd [2019] NSWDC 145 Petelin v Deger Investments Pty Ltd (1976) 133 CLR 538 Re Sigma Finance Corp (in administrative receivership) [2009] UKSC 2; [2010] 1 All ER 571 Ryde Developments Pty Ltd v The Property Investors Alliance Pty Ltd [2017] NSWCA 339 Smith v Land & House Property Corp (1884) 28 Ch D 7 Tonitto v Bassal (1990) 5 BPR 11,258 Tonitto v Bassal (1992) 28 NSWLR 564 Wilkie v Gordian Runoff Ltd (2005) 221 CLR 522; [2005] HCA 17 XL Insurance Co SE v BNY Trust Company of Australia Ltd [2019] NSWCA 215 Zhang v ROC Services (NSW) Pty Ltd (2016) 93 NSWLR 561; [2016] NSWCA 370 Texts Cited: J D Heydon, Heydon on Contract (Thomson Reuters 2019) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Norton Property Group Pty Ltd (First Appellant) Christos Exarhos (Second Appellant) Ozzy States Pty Ltd (in liq) (First Respondent) JRNN Pty Ltd (Second Respondent) Representation: Counsel: N Kidd SC, A Byrne (Appellants) S Goodman SC (Respondents)