Lucantonio v Benscrape Pty Ltd [2020] NSWSC 579

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Lucantonio v Benscrape Pty Ltd [2020] NSWSC 579 Hearing dates: 6 May 2020 Date of orders: 18 May 2020 Decision date: 18 May 2020 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Ward CJ in Eq Decision: 1. Order the plaintiffs to re-plead [53] of the statement of claim in order to specify with particularity the material facts matters and circumstances on which they rely for the allegation there contained. 2. Direct the plaintiffs to file and serve an amended statement of claim (encompassing the amendments for which leave was granted in 2019 and complying with order 1 above) within 14 days and, to the extent necessary, grant leave for the filing of that amended pleading. 3. Direct the defendants to file and serve within 28 days thereafter their defence to the amended statement of claim. 4. Otherwise dismiss the notice of motion filed by the first defendant with costs. Catchwords: CIVIL PROCEDURE — Pleadings — Strike out/summary judgment application — Adequacy of pleading — Whether reasonable cause of action — Whether tendency to cause prejudice, embarrassment or delay Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), ss 56, 57, 58, 59 Civil Procedure Act 2010 (Vic) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), rr 13.1, 14.8, 14.14,14.28 Cases Cited: ACN 074 971 109 v The National Mutual Life Association of Australasia Ltd [2010] VSC 186 Air Services Australia v Zarb [1998] NSWCA 7 Allison v Tuna Tasmania Pty Ltd [2018] TASFC 5 Allstate Life Insurance Co v Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (1995) 58 FCR 26 Arthur Andersen Corporate Finance Pty Ltd v Buzzle Operations Pty Ltd (in liq) [2009] NSWCA 104 Arthur Young v Tieco International (1999) 182 LSJS 367 Banque Commerciale SA (in Liq) v Akhil Holdings Ltd (1990) 169 CLR 279; [1990] HCA 11 Barclay Mowlem Construction Ltd v Dampier Port Authority (2006) 33 WAR 82; [2006] WASC 281 Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd v Williamson [2017] NSWSC 939 Bond Corp Pty Ltd v Thiess Contractors Pty Ltd (1987) 14 FCR 215 Booker Industries Proprietary Limited v Wilson Parking (Qld) Proprietary Limited (1982) 149 CLR 600; [1982] HCA 53 Bruce v Odhams Press Ltd [1936] 1 KB 697 CA & CA Ballan Pty Ltd v Oliver Hume (Australia) Pty Ltd [2017] VSCA 11 Caason Investments Pty Ltd v Cao (2015) 236 FCR 322; [2015] FCAFC 94 Callahan v O'Neill [2002] NSWSC 877 Collier v Country Women's Association of New South Wales [2017] NSWCA 22 Commonwealth Bank of Australia v ZYX Learning Centres Limited [2014] NSWSC 1676 Commonwealth of Australia v Griffiths (2007) 70 NSWLR 268; [2007] NSWCA 370 Cosmos E-C Commerce Pty Ltd v Sue Bidwell & Associates Pty Ltd [2005] NSWCA 81 David Securities Pty Ltd v Commonwealth of Australia (1992) 175 CLR 353 Dey v Victorian Railway Commissioners (1949) 78 CLR 62; [1949] HCA 1 E Co [a pseudonym] v Q [a pseudonym] (No 4) [2019] NSWSC 429 F&G Sykes (Wessex) Ltd v Fine Fare Ltd [1967] 1 Lloyd's Rep 53 General Steel Industries Inc v Commissioner for Railways (NSW) (1964) 112 CLR 125; [1964] HCA 69 GPI Leisure Corporation Ltd (In Liq) v Yuill (1997) 42 NSWLR 225 Gunns Ltd v Marr [2005] VSC 251 H 1976 Nominees Pty Ltd v Galli (1979) 40 FLR 242; [1979] FCA 74 Ingot Capital Investments Pty Ltd v Macquarie Equity Capital Market Ltd (2008) 73 NSWLR 653; [2008] NSWCA 206 Ingot Equity Capital Markets Pty Ltd v Macquarie Equity Capital Investments Ltd [2004] NSWSC 1136 Kirby v Sanderson Motors Pty Ltd (2002) 54 NSWLR 135; [2002] NSWCA 44 Mann v Paterson Constructions Pty Ltd (2019) 93 ALJR 1164; [2019] HCA 32 McGuirk v University of New South Wales [2009] NSWSC 1424 Meckiff v Simpson [1968] VR 62 Mitanis v Pioneer Concrete (Vic) Pty Ltd (1997) ATPR 41-591 Northam v Favelle Favco Holdings Pty Ltd (Supreme Court (NSW) 7 March 1995 unrep) Ottavio v Hayvio Pty Ltd [2011] NSWSC 1125 Pavey & Matthews Proprietary Limited v Paul (1987) 162 CLR 221; [1987] HCA 5 Pharma-a-Care Laboratories Pty Ltd v Commonwealth of Australia (No 3) (2010) 267 ALR 494; [2010] FCA 361 Pi v Pierce and Attorney General for NSW [2015] NSWCA 118 Pinson v Lloyds and National Provincial Foreign Bank Ltd [1941] 2 KB 72 Plankton Australia Pty Limited v Rainstorm Dust Control Pty Limited [2018] FCA 174 PPK Willoughby Pty Ltd v Roads and Maritime Services [2014] NSWSC 407 Relwood Pty Ltd v Manning Homes Pty Ltd [1990] 1 Qd R 481 Research in Motion Ltd v Samsung Electronics Australia Pty Ltd (2009) 176 FCR 66; [2009] FCA 320 Shelton v National Roads and Motorist Association Ltd (2004) 51 ACSR 278; [2004] FCA 1393 Shomat Pty Ltd v Rubinstein (1995) 124 FLR 284 Sidhu v Van Dyke (2014) 251 CLR 505; [2014] HCA 19 Simmons v New South Wales Trustee and Guardian [2014] NSWCA 405 St Clair v Timtalla Pty Ltd [2010] QSC 480 Steiner v Strang [2016] NSWSC 9 Stojanovski v Stojanovski [2018] NSWSC 1967 Tamaya Resources Limited (in Liq) v Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (A Firm) [2015] FCA 1098 Thomson v STX Pan Ocean Co Ltd [2012] FCAFC 15 Thorp v Holdsworth [1876] 3 Ch D 637 Upper Hunter County District Council v Australian Chilling and Freezing Co [1968] 118 CLR 429 Watiwat v Dixon [2017] NSWSC 360 Webster v Lampard (1993) 177 CLR 598; [1993] HCA 57 Wentworth v Rogers (No. 5) (1986) 6 NSWLR 534 White v Overland [2001] FCA 1333 Winterton Constructions Pty Ltd v Hambros Australia Ltd (1992) 39 FCR 97 Wride v Schulze [2004] FCAFC 216 York Air Conditioning & Refrigeration (A/sia) Pty Ltd v Commonwealth (1949) 80 CLR 11 Zaghloul v Woodside Energy Limited (No 9) [2019] FCA 1718 Texts Cited: Cheshire & Fifoot's Law of Contract (LexisNexis, 11th ed, 2017) Edelman and Bant, Unjust Enrichment (Hart Publishing, 2nd edition, 2016) JW Carter, Contract Law in Australia (LexisNexis, 7th ed, 2018) Category: Procedural and other rulings Parties: Trevor Edward Lucantonio (First Plaintiff/First Respondent on the Motion) Dianne Wendy Lucantonio (Second Plaintiff/Second Respondent on the Motion) Benscrape Pty Ltd (First Defendant/Applicant on the Motion) John Peter Salvestro (Second Defendant) Representation: Counsel: M Condon SC with B Le Plastrier (Plaintiffs/Respondents on the Motion) D Cooper QC (First Defendant/Applicant on the Motion)