Woodhouse v Fitzgerald and McCoy (No 2) [2020] NSWSC 450

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Woodhouse v Fitzgerald and McCoy (No 2) [2020] NSWSC 450 Hearing dates: 23 - 27 March 2020; 14 April 2020 Date of orders: 27 April 2020 Decision date: 27 April 2020 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Schmidt AJ Decision: 1. Verdict for Mr Woodhouse.

2. The parties should confer and file orders reflecting the conclusions reached within 7 days. Catchwords: TORTS - negligence – nature of duty of care – escape of fire – origin of fire – nature of duty owed by owners of rural property to adjoining landowner – property damaged after controlled burn conducted by Rural Fire Service on application of landowners – whether duty non-delegable –whether duty satisfied by arranging to have Rural Fire Service conduct burn – requirements of Rural Fires Act 1997-

TORTS - negligence - breach of duty - foreseeability - whether defendants had actual or constructive knowledge of the risk of harm - precautions which a reasonable person would have taken in the circumstances – whether adequate precautions taken

NUISANCE- – relationship between nuisance and negligence – whether nuisance established

DAMAGES – whether damages established - concurrent wrongdoers – apportionment – contributory negligence

EVIDENCE – expert opinion evidence – whether experts possessed specialised knowledge- whether opinions based on expertise Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) Coroners Act 2009 (NSW) Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) Rural Fires Act 1997 (NSW) Cases Cited: Barescape Pty Ltd atf the Vs Family Trust & Ors v Bacchus Holdings Pty Ltd atf The Bacchus Holdings Trust & Anor (2011) 81 NSWLR 345; [2011] NSWSC 1002 Bird v Ford [2013] NSWSC 264 Black v Christchurch Finance Co. [1894] AC 48 [1893] UKPC 60 Burnie Port Authority v General Jones Pty Ltd (1994) 179 CLR 520; [1994] HCA 13 Camellia Properties Pty Ltd and Ors v Wesfarmers General Insurance Ltd [2013] NSWSC 1975 Chandra & Anor v Perpetual Trustees Victoria Ltd & Ors (2007) Aust Torts reports 81-896 [2007] NSWSC 694 County Securities Pty Limited v Challenger Group Holdings Pty Limited & Anor [2008] NSWCA 193 Dasreef Pty Limited v Hawchar (2011) 243 CLR 588; [2011] HCA 21 Elliot v Bickerstaff (1999) 48 NSWLR 214; [1999] NSWCA 453 Federal Commissioner of Taxation v Silverton Tramway Company Limited (1953) 88 CLR 559; [1953] HCA 79 Gales Holdings Pty Limited v Tweed Shire Council (2013) 85 NSWLR 514; [2013] NSWCA 382 Garzo v Liverpool/Campbelltown Christian School Limited & Anor [2011] NSWSC 292 Grills v Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd [2015] NSWCA 72 Hallmark Construction Pty Ltd v Brett Harford; Copeland Building Services Pty Ltd v Hallmark Construction Pty Ltd; Hallmark Construction Pty Ltd v Harford Transport Pty Ltd [2020] NSWCA 41 Hargrave v Goldman (1963) 110 CLR 40; [1963] HCA 56 HG v R (1999) 197 CLR 414; [1999] HCA 2 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499; [1936] HCA 40 Hunt & Hunt Lawyers v Mitchell Morgan Nominees Pty Ltd (2013) 247 CLR 613; [2013] HCA 10 Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd. v Shatwell [1965] AC 656; [1964] UKHL 2 Ingot Capital Investments Pty Ltd & Ors v Macquarie Equity Capital Markets Ltd & Ors (2008) 73 NSWLR 653; [2008] NSWCA 206 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR; [1959] HCA 8 Kevan v Commissioner for Railways [1972] 2 NSWLR 710 Kondis v State Transport Authority (1984) 154 CLR 672; [1984] HCA 61 Leichardt Municipal Council v Montgomery (2007) 230 CLR 22; [2007] HCA 6 McInnes v Wardle (1931) 45 CLR 548; [1931] HCA 40 Nicholls & Ors v Michael Wilson & Partners Ltd [2012] NSWCA 383 Northern Sandblasting Pty Ltd v Harris (1997) 146 ALR 572; [1997] HCA 39 P & M Quality Smallgoods Pty Limited v Leap Seng [2013] NSWCA 167 Parker v Commonwealth (1965) 112 CLR 295; [1965] HCA 12 Perpetual Trustee Company Ltd v Milanex Pty Ltd (in liquidation) [2011] NSWCA 367 Placer (Granny Smith) Pty Ltd v Thiess Contractors Pty Ltd (2003) 196 ALR 257; [2003] HCA 10 Podrebersek v Australian Iron & Steel Pty Ltd (1985) 59 ALJR 492; [1985] HCA 34 Quijiao Liu & Anor v Yuqing Xiao & Ors [2020] NSWSC 289 Re NSW Grains Board [2002] NSWSC 913 Regina v Jung [2006] NSWSC 658 Rickard & Ors v Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd & Ors (2009) 54 MVR 214; [2009] NSWSC 1115 Robson v Leischke (2008) 72 NSWLR 98; [2008] NSWLEC Sedleigh-Denfield v O'Callaghan [1940] AC 880; [1940] UKHL 2 Sutherland Shire Council v Becker (2006) 150 LGERA 184; [2006] NSWCA 344 Sutherland Shire Council v Heyman (1985) 175 CLR 425; [1985] HCA 41 The Finance Brokers Supervisory Board v Van Stokkum [2006] WASCA 97 Troulis and Anor v Vamvoukakis and Anor [1998] NSWCA 237 Utility services Corporation v SPI Electricity Pty Limited & Ors (2012) 35 VR 628; [2012] VSCA 158 Water Board v Moustakas (1988) 180 CLR 491; [1988] HCA 12 Weber v Greater Hume Shire Council (2019) 100 NSWLR 1, [2019] NSWCA 74 Woodhouse v Fitzgerald and McCoy [2020] NSWSC 257 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Brian Woodhouse (Plaintiff) Barry Fitzgerald (1st Defendant) Virginia McCoy (2nd Defendant) Representation: Counsel: G Parker SC with P Tierney (Plaintiff) R Cheney SC with H Pintos-Lopez (1st & 2nd Defendants)