Monti v Roads and Maritime Services
[2018] NSWLEC 178
At a glance
Source factsCourt
Land and Environment Court (NSW)
Decision date
2018-11-06
Before
Pepper J
Source
Original judgment source is linked above.
Judgment (11 paragraphs)
The Montis Apply Late to Amend Their Claim in Compulsory Acquisition Proceedings to Add a Claim for Special Value
- On what ought to have been the first day of final submissions in Class 3 compulsory acquisition proceedings that have been running in a highly fragmented manner for the past three weeks, the applicants, Mr Allan Monti, Mr Phillip Monti and Mr Christopher Monti ("the Montis"), made an urgent oral application for leave to file further amended points of claim in the Court. The amendments effectively added a further claim for compensation under s 55(b) of the Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act 1991 ("the Just Terms Act") for special value.
- The evidence of both parties was closed and all witnesses, including all expert valuation witnesses, had been excused.
- No affidavit evidence accompanied the oral application by the Montis.
- The respondent, the Roads and Maritime Services of NSW ("the RMS"), opposes the application principally on the basis that further expert evidence will be required to meet it, a proposition with which the Montis did not cavil, although the extent of the evidence and the delay that this would cause to the finalisation of the proceedings was in dispute. RMS also did not rely on any affidavit evidence.
- In short, notwithstanding that the amendment will cause a delay in the finalisation of the hearing, and additional costs will be incurred by all parties, the dictates of justice weigh in favour of granting the Montis leave to amend (see ss 56-60 and 64 of the Civil Procedure Act 2005 ("CPA")). Otherwise, the Montis will be precluded from pursuing a claim worth $510,473.
- Upon the conclusion of the application, the Court delivered exceedingly brief oral reasons granting leave to amend, with a promise to provide more detailed written reasons as soon as possible. This judgment comprises a fulfilment of that promise.