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[2017] NSWCA 71
Court of Appeal (NSW)
2016-08-19
Meagher JA, Ward JA
Original judgment source is linked above.
Introduction
Sections 21 and 28 of the Insurance Contracts Act
The issues in the appeal
Background facts
Whether Stealth knew or a reasonable person in the circumstances could be expected to know the association with the Comancheros was relevant to Calliden's underwriting decision (grounds of appeal 3 and 4)
Whether if the insured's association with the Comancheros had been disclosed to Calliden it would not have renewed the insurance (grounds of appeal 5 and 10)
Whether at the time of renewal in September 2011 Stealth knew that the registration of the brothel had lapsed or not been maintained (ground of appeal 6)
Whether if the fact of the lapse of registration had been disclosed Calliden would not have insured the premises against property damage at the time of the fire (grounds of appeal 8 and 10)
Conclusion
Endnotes
Amendments 10 April 2017 - [10] Typographical error corrected DISCLAIMER - Every effort has been made to comply with suppression orders or statutory provisions prohibiting publication that may apply to this judgment or decision. The onus remains on any person using material in the judgment or decision to ensure that the intended use of that material does not breach any such order or provision. Further enquiries may be directed to the Registry of the Court or Tribunal in which it was generated. Decision last updated: 10 April 2017
Stealth Enterprises Pty Ltd t/as The Gentlemen's Club
Calliden Insurance Limited
Solicitors: MCK Lawyers (Appellant) Turks Legal (Respondent) File Number(s): 2015/279424 Publication restriction: Nil Decision under appeal Court or tribunal: Supreme Court of New South Wales Jurisdiction: Common Law Citation: [2015] NSWSC 1270 [2015] NSWSC 1691 Date of Decision: 03 September 2015 Before: Schmidt J File Number(s): 2012/324562
[This headnote is not to be read as part of the judgment] The appellant insured owned and operated a brothel from premises in the ACT. Those premises were insured against property damage and liability by the respondent insurer under its "Adult Industry Insurance Policy" which was marketed to the owners and operators of such businesses. On 1 January 2012 the premises were damaged by fire. The appellant made a claim under the renewed policy current at the time of that fire. The respondent insurer denied liability on the basis that at the time the policy was renewed, the appellant had failed to comply with its duty of disclosure under s 21 of the Insurance Contracts Act 1984 (Cth) (the Insurance Contracts Act) in two respects. The first matter not disclosed was that the appellant's sole director and manager were members of the Comancheros bikie gang. The second was that at the time of renewal, the brothel's registration under the Prostitution Act 1992 (ACT) had lapsed due to a failure to lodge an annual notice. The primary judge found that the appellant had failed to comply with its duty of disclosure in relation to each of these matters and that, had they been disclosed, the respondent would not have renewed the policy and been on risk at the time of the fire. Accordingly, the primary judge held that the respondent was entitled to have its liability reduced to nil under s 28(3) of the Insurance Contracts Act. The issues in the appeal were: i. Whether a reasonable person in the circumstances of the appellant insured could be expected to know that the association between the appellant and the Comancheros bikie gang was relevant to the respondent insurer's decision whether to accept the risk by renewing the policy (Insurance Contracts Act, s 21(1)(b)). ii. Whether, had the disclosure of that association been made, the respondent insurer would not have been on risk at the time of the fire, so was entitled to have its liability reduced to nil (Insurance Contracts Act, s 28(3)). iii. Whether at time of renewal in September 2011 the appellant insured knew that registration of the brothel had lapsed or not been maintained (Insurance Contracts Act, s 21(1)(a)). iv. Whether, had the fact of the lapsed registration been disclosed to the respondent, it would not have renewed the policy or otherwise insured the premises, so was entitled to have liability reduced to nil (Insurance Contracts Act s 28(3)). The Court held allowing the appeal: In relation to (i): It was not established that a reasonable person in the circumstances could be expected to know this association was relevant to the insurer's underwriting decision (Meagher JA, Ward JA and Sackville AJA agreeing). A reasonable insured could understand that an underwriter specialising in the insurance of brothels would expect that people with criminal connections were likely to be involved in the use of the premises: Meagher JA [52], Sackville AJA [83] If it was relevant to the insurer to know of the fact of any general association between the insured and any particular activity or organisation, a reasonable insured might have expected that there would be questions in the proposal addressed to that subject: Meagher JA [53], Ward JA [73], Sackville AJA [83] The fact of the membership association did not give rise to any matter relied on that a reasonable person would not have expected to arise from the nature of the use of the premises as a brothel. The association without more could not be expected to justify a different or more adverse underwriting assessment than the risk described in the proposal: Meagher JA [55], Sackville AJA [84] Lindsay v CIC Insurance Ltd (1989) 16 NSWLR 673 considered In relation to ii: It was not established that had disclosure of the association been made the insurer would not have renewed the policy (Sackville AJA, Meagher and Ward JJA agreeing) There was no contemporaneous and objective evidence supporting the underwriter's assessment that she would have declined to renew the policy had the association been disclosed. The evidence as a whole did not support the finding that, had the respondent insurer been made aware of the association, it would have declined to renew the policy: Meagher JA [59]-[60]; Sackville AJA [96]-[97] Rosenberg v Percival (2001) 205 CLR 434; [2001] HCA 18 considered In relation to iii: The insured was aware of the fact of the lapsed registration (Meagher JA, Ward JA and Sackville AJA agreeing). The primary judge did not err in inferring that the insured was aware that its registration had lapsed on 30 September 2010 and that it required a further notice be given: Meagher JA [64]. In relation to iv: It was not established that had disclosure of the lapsed registration been made the insurer would not have renewed or otherwise insured the premises at the time of the fire (Meagher JA, Ward JA and Sackville AJA agreeing). There was evidence from which the Court might reasonably infer that had there been disclosure of the lapse of registration, the appellant would have remedied the problem of its registration and subsequently obtained insurance so that the respondent would have been on risk at the time of the fire. In the face of that evidence the insurer was not entitled to reduce its liability to nil : Meagher JA [67], Ward JA [74]
[2003] HCA 25
[2003] QCA 182
(1987) 8 NSWLR 514
(2008) 235 CLR 103
(1989) 16 NSWLR 673
(1959) 101 CLR 298
(2003) 214 CLR 514
(2013) 302 ALR 732
(2001) 205 CLR 434
(1979) 142 CLR 531
[2008] HCA 30