Ippolito v Cesco [2020] NSWSC 561

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Ippolito v Cesco [2020] NSWSC 561 Hearing dates: 27 to 28 April and 4 May 2020 Decision date: 14 May 2020 Jurisdiction: Equity - Technology and Construction List Before: Ball J Decision: Judgment for the plaintiff in the sum of $380,509.03 Catchwords: BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION – Breach of statutory warranties in the Home Building Act 1989 (NSW), s 18B – Application s 48MA of the Home Building Act 1989 (NSW) to proceedings brought before the Supreme Court – Whether the Court will order specific performance of a building contract - Whether damages for loss of rent were in the parties' reasonable contemplation at the time the contract was entered into – Distinction between difficulty of assessing damages and failure to take reasonable steps to prove damages suffered. Legislation Cited: Home Building Act 1989 Cases Cited: Adams v Morellini [2010] WASC 61 Bellgrove v Eldridge (1954) 90 CLR 613 Biggin v Permanite [1951] 1 KB 422 Forrest v Australian Securities and Investments Commission (2012) 247 CLR 486 Graham H Roberts Pty Ltd v Maurbeth Investments Pty Ltd [1974] 1 NSWLR 93 Hadley v Baxendale (1854) 9 Exch 341 JLW (Vic) Pty Ltd v Tsiloglou [1994] 1 VR 237 NCON Australia Ltd v Spotlight Pty Ltd [2012] VSC 604 Owners – Strata Plan No 76674 v Di Blasio Constructions Pty Ltd [2014] NSWSC 1067 Owners Strata Plan 78465 v MD Constructions Pty Ltd [2016] NSWSC 162 Placer v Thiess (2003) 77 ALJR 768 The Commonwealth v Amann Aviation Pty Limited (1991) 174 CLR 64 Texts Cited: JD Heydon, MJ Leeming and PG Turner, Meagher, Gummow and Lehane's Equity Doctrines and Remedies, LexisNexis Butterworths, 5th ed (2015) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Steffan James Ippolito (Plaintiff) Michael Cesco (First Defendant) Michael Cesco t/as Grid Projects Pty Ltd (Second Defendant) Representation: Counsel: DS Weinberger (Plaintiff) L Shipway (Defendants)