Real Property Law

Sydney Jacobs

[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Sydney Jacobs Sydney practises in the areas of commercial law and equity, real property including easements, covenants, strata and building and construction law. Sydney's experience in easement matters includes: Applications to restrain the servient owner from obstructing the use of an easement Section 88K applications Applications for declaratory relief in respect of easement rights Whether easements have become obsolete through disuse or by reason of changes in the character of the neighbourhood Issues pertaining to both common law and Torrens title Whether a legal practitioner has been negligent by not giving advice in the context of the sale of land, that there was no easement securing the right of the purchaser to retain a particular utility service in place Whether there is an equitable easement, by estoppel, to maintain in situ the signage of a major CBD hotel Sydney holds a Master of Laws from the University of Cambridge. He is the sole author of two major loose-leaf services for Thomson Reuters: Commercial Damages and Injunctions: Law & Practice. He is a frequent presenter at CPD Seminars, some of which are linked below. Sydney has appeared before tribunals, such as the Consumer Trade & Tenancy Tribunal, NCAT, Industrial Relations Commission, Crime Commission and the Independent Commission Against Corruption as well as at technical references, numerous mediations and arbitrations. Sydney is an arbitrator and expert determiner approved by the NSW Bar Association and an NMAS certified mediator. Prior to being called to the Bar, Sydney was a solicitor in the Construction Divisions of Minter Ellison Morris Fletcher (now Minter Ellison) and Deacon Graham & James (now Norton Rose Fulbright). For any enquiries, or to brief Sydney, please contact our clerk Paul Walker at (02) 8915 5102.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator type="normal" color="#000000" up="30" down="30"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Areas of Practice Appellate Building & Construction Law Commercial Law Corporations Law Easements and Covenants Equity & Trusts Inquests, Inquiries & Royal Commissions Intellectual Property Local Government, Planning & Environmental Law Mediation Mediators Real Property Law Retail and Commercial Leasing Trade Practices & Competition [/vc_column_text][vc_separator type="normal" color="#000000" up="30" down="30"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Qualifications 1982 – Bachelor of Arts: University of Cape Town, South Africa 1984 – Bachelor of Laws: University of Cape Town, South Africa 1986 – Master of Laws: Cambridge University, UK 1990 – Higher Diploma in Company Law: University of Witwatersrand, South Africa 2017 – BarADR Approved Arbitrator & Expert Determiner 2019 – Mediator, Approved under the National Mediation Accreditation System (NMAS) [/vc_column_text][vc_separator type="normal" color="#000000" up="30" down="30"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Professional experience 1995 – 1997 Senior Associate, Deacons Graham & James (now Norton Rose Fulbright) – Construction Department 1994 – 1995 Solicitor, Levingstons – Commercial Litigation and Maritime Law Department 1991 – 1994 Solicitor, Minter Ellison Morris Fletcher – Construction Department Academia Sydney is a former part-time lecturer on the topic of Damages and Equitable Remedies, as part of the Master of Laws Program at the University of Technology, Sydney [/vc_column_text][vc_separator type="normal" color="#000000" up="30" down="30"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Membership NSW Bar Association Australian Bar Association Resolution Institute[/vc_column_text][vc_separator type="normal" color="#000000" up="30" down="30"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text] Selected Cases Sydney has extensive experience acting for clients in complex hearings and appeals in a wide variety of jurisdictions. Significant matters in which he has appeared are as follows  Supreme Court of New South Wales Easement Cases Turvey v Crotti (No. 2) [2019] NSWSC 399 – Costs – Costs on an indemnity basis – alleged wilful disregard of known facts or clearly established law – whether case unduly prolonged by groundless contentions – offers of compromise – whether maximum sum of costs should be specified Turvey v Crotti [2018] NSWSC 1959 – Easements – for right of way – old system sub-division – nuisance – defendant obstructed the plaintiff’s ability to excercise the right of way over an access road appurtenant to her property. There was a subdivision of a large estate in the 1800s where the transfers to the original purchasers included the rights to pass and repass on the roads shown in the original plan of subdivision. At least one of these easements was omitted to be registered in a transfer in the 1900s where the land was qualified title, and the Registrar General then used his powers under s 42 Real Property Act 1900 (NSW) to register the easement. Common ground that the defendant’s conduct constituted actionable nuisance – damages for inconvenience & distress C v T  NSWSC [2018] – Application for easement for stormwater for large sub-division, pursuant to s88k Conveyancing Act. Significant experts' reports on issues of planning & zoning, engineering, valuation and environmental issues. Minister issued concept approval – reasonable necessity and other issues – after being case managed in the Real Property list the matter was successfully mediated C v G [2018] – Easement for access – blocked by gate – interim injunction for access obtained – matter case managed in Real Property List and settled by negotiation. M v R NSWSC [2018]- Application for easement for access & services pursuant to s88k Conveyancing Act – historic Pyrmont terraces – expert evidence by architect & electrical engineer - case managed in the Real Property list after evidence served, matter mediated successfully in 2018 Kocagil v Chen [2012] NSWSC – Successful easement application pursuant to section 88K Conveyancing Act Tony Stepanoski v Zhimin Chen [2011] NSWSC 1573 – Order obtained under section 88K of the Conveyancing Act for an easement for stormwater. Expert evidence including engineering & architectural planning. Portolesi v Tsaloukas NSWSC Proceedings No. 2009/287619 – Order obtained under section 88K of the Conveyancing Act for an easement for stormwater. Expert Evidence. Gee v Burger [2009] NSWSC 149 – Consideration of whether one can one plead an actionable right to privacy where one has an easement for right of way Gee v Burger [No 2]; [2009] NSWSC 1152 – Easement and privacy issues Gee v Burger [No 3]; [2009] NSWSC 1153 – Easement, privacy issues and costs regarding amendment application Hilton Hotels (Australia) Pty. Ltd. v. Sunrise Resources (Australia) Pty Ltd [2000] NSWSC 46 – Consent by lessor of Hilton Hotel to placement of signs by lessee (the Hilton); equitable easements; conventional estoppel pursuant to Eslea v Butts Other Cases Australian Commercial Marketing v Gold [2018] NSWSC 1701 – Land Law – Occupation of commercial premises – lease / licence – option in licence excercised orally for part of premises, so as to allow the Defendant to remain for a further three years; and other related issues including severance of part of agreement relating to determining rental in the option period that is void for vagueness S v I – Restraint of Trade – dispute between doctors. Sale of business. Was restraint part of the sale agreement? If so, was it reasonable or was it liable to be struck down? Spark Property Pty Ltd v Mammone & Cristofaro – SC proceedings 2017/64574 – Successful application to declare Vendor’s Notice to complete & Notice of termination of a contract for sale of land, invalid. True construction/rectification of contract. Order for specific performance and costs granted S v A [2018] – Ex Parte Freezing order for close to $900,000 for real estate agent’s commission Taste of Tuscany Restaurant v Papantoniou [2017] NSWSC 932 – Lease – existence of agreement – no concluded agreement – no intention that parties be bound prior to a formal lease being duly exectuted – unjust enrichment Crawford v Crawford & Morris NSWSC Equity Division Proceedings, 2016/71897 – Freezing/Mareva Orders, worldwide freezing orders regarding properties in Australia and Malta Wang & Ors v Kaymet Pty Ltd [2015] NSWSC 1058 – Admissibility of an expert’s report on the basis of whether the opinion shown to be based on the expert’s specialised knowledge Pisano v Williams [2014] NSWSC 1070 – Building and construction dispute; sale of a residence and a claim for damages for misleading or deceptive conduct and breach of duty of care Aussteel v Marcon [2014] NSWSC – Preliminary discovery application Barangaroo Development [2013] NSWSC – Urgent application for order under section 88K of the Conveyancing Act to allow temporary easement for access to erect scaffolding Wang & Ors v Kaymet Pty Ltd [2015] NSWSC – Proceedings involving purchasers of units “off the plan” and  whether builder/developer used reasonable efforts to register the strata plan by the "sunset date", whether rescission lawful. Zahos v Michael [2012] NSWSC 1110 – Successfully resist strike out in claim for alienation of assets with intention to defeat creditors (section 37A of the Conveyancing Act) McGrath v Beumer [2010] NSWSC 892 – Construction of Settlement agreement – whether settlement effected in light of subsequent events Peisley v Maddrell Management Pty Ltd [2010] NSWSC 1477 – Appeal on point of law against decision of magistrate; denial of natural justice Bank of Western Australia v Love [2009] NSWSC 1421 – Procedure & judgement/orders – amending, varying and setting aside orders Randi Wixs Pty Ltd v Kennedy [2009] NSWSC 933 – Lease prepared which did not reflect determination of ADT – rent erroneously stated in lease – transfer of property to third party – successful defence that plaintiff has no personal equity against defendant third party and any personal equity plaintiff may have cannot be enforced against registered proprietor George Maurice Norman Farkas v Northcity Financial Services Pty Ltd [2004] NSWSC 206 – Whether an insurer was liable to pay terminal illness benefits to the Plaintiff – application for setting aside of default judgement for possession – doctrine of benefits and burdens – unconscionable conduct G & E Avakoumides Pty Ltd v Commonwealth Funds Management [2004] NSWSC 711 – Commercial leases; negotiations to lease different premises; where series of offer documents “subject to …approval…contract and availability”; whether alleged oral acceptance of written offer sufficient to create contract; section 54A of the Conveyancing Act Adler Mallach Holdings Pty Ltd v Robertson [2001] NSWSC 692; [2002] NSWSC 1176 – Defendants using fake names, establish a business in competition with business sold to the Plaintiff. Election as to remedies. Damages – basis for assessment Tsaprazis v Goldcrest Properties Pty Lttd [2000] NSWSC 765 – Practice – costs – proceedings terminated because supervening event rendered them moot – Landlord & Tenant – termination of tenancy. Notice by landlord where landlord  forms opinion that repair of damage impracticable or undesirable –  Not authorised where opinion based on the economics of dealing with the problems of building generally, including design faults  District Court of New South Wales Dionys v National Australia Bank, 12 June 2015 – Successful claim against bank regarding the transfer of funds without authority. Proceedings involved question of whether bank had contractual defences (upheld on appeal [2016] NSWCA 242) Tilment Pty Ltd t/as Architects Edmiston Jones v Graham & Batmac Constructions Pty Ltd [2007] – Substantially successful defence on behalf of builder of claims for defective workmanship (flooring, ceiling timbers & paving). Referred to Rudge SC as Referee, whose report was dated 21 June 2007  Local Court of New South Wales Snowy River Shire Council v Adaminaby Craft Group Inc [2014] NSWLC – Successful claim for return of a valuable decorative curtain involving the doctrine of accession as a basis for asserting ownership Marcon v Lombardo [2013] NSWLC – Application pursuant to Access to Neighbouring Land Act 2000 (NSW) by developer to insert rock anchors and scaffolding. Settled pre-hearing Alan & Kerrie Pearlman v Bresman Pty Ltd (t/as Viaduct Tennis Centre) – 25 June 2002 – Mag. IJ Gray – successful claim up to (then) maximum jurisdiction of the Local court, for damages in contract and tort for defective design & construction of a tennis court & associated negligent advice Administrative Decisions Tribunal (ADT) / NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) Maphaven Pty Ltd Pty Ltd v The Owners –Strata Plan No 48887 [2019] NSWCAT – Strata schemes –strata levies –what is the obligation (if any) of a lot holder to make contribution to insurance premiums over and above ordinary levies – change to the use of the leased premises (carpet shop to bespoke tattoo artist) –what impact (if any) did this have on insurance premiums ...