(d) the application is made by an owner of a lot in the strata scheme concerned and the applicant has not paid all contributions levied and payable in relation to the lot under this Act."
33 By s 181(3), the Tribunal may revoke an order appealed against and, by s 185(5), may dismiss an appeal. There is no provision in regard to these sections (or the Act as a whole) that requires the Tribunal to make specific findings (such as those set out in s 185(4)) when making an order, in an appeal, for revocation or dismissal.
34 Thus, if the Tribunal dismisses an application under s 185(4)(a) it is required to state that it is doing so because it finds that the application is "frivolous, vexatious, misconceived or lacking in substance". On the other hand, no such provision applies to an order revoking an order appealed against or an order dismissing an appeal. This is a further ground for inferring that the legislature intended that the Tribunal, when considering whether it should order the payment of costs under s 192 (following the dismissal of an appeal), could consider afresh whether a finding falling within the category of those set out in sub-paras (a) and (b) of s 192 should be made.
35 This reading is literally available but it is not the ordinary and natural reading of s.192. There is in my view, no such close tie because it may well be the case that deciding whether or not the application or appeal should be dismissed did not require the question whether the application or appeal was frivolous etc (as in (a)) or the question of jurisdiction (as in (b)) to be considered. In my reading, "because" and subparas (a) and (b) state the cases for which an order for payment of costs may be within the exception, and do not state characteristics which the order dismissing the application or appeal must have if an order for costs is to be made within the exception. I see no legislative purpose for limiting the exception to cases where the matters in (a) or (b) state the cases for which an order for payment of costs may be within the exception, and do not state characteristics which the order dismissing the application or appeal must have if an order for costs is to be made within the exception. I see no legislative purpose for limiting the exception to cases where the matters in (a) or (b) were considered and articulated when the dismissal order was made. My reading is assisted by the contrast between s.185(4)(a) which expressly empowers dismissal of applications on the ground that they are frivolous etc and s.185(5) which relates to appeals and does not expressly refer to that ground. The question whether an application, appeal or decision fell within subpara (a) or subpara (b) arises for consideration when the Tribunal is asked to make a costs order and it may well be that it is only when the reasons for the dismissal order are known that it could be known that there are reasons to consider the application of subpara (a) or subpara (b).
36 In my opinion, the Tribunal is empowered by s 192 - at least within a reasonable time after dismissing an appeal - to make an order for the payment of costs. Its powers are not limited to making such an order when dismissing the appeal.
37 Further, the Tribunal may make an order for costs under s 192 even though, in its judgment dismissing the appeal, it has not said expressly that the appeal is dismissed because of one of the grounds set out in sub-paras (a) or (b) of s 192.
38 In determining whether to make an order for the payment of costs, the Tribunal must consider (and make a finding) whether the appeal was frivolous, vexatious, misconceived or lacking in substance, or whether a decision in favour of the appellant was not within its jurisdiction. On general principle, that finding cannot be inconsistent with the reasons given by the Tribunal for the dismissal of the appeal. The law would not tolerate inconsistent findings by the same tribunal relating to the same subject matter in dispute.
39 I leave open the question whether the adducing of fresh evidence on the costs application would entitle the Tribunal to make findings inconsistent with its reasons dismissing an appeal. That is not this case and there is no reason to speculate on what - in those circumstances - might be the position.
40 Counsel for Ms Zouk sought to uphold the decision of Malpass AsJ on the ground that the Tribunal's finding that the appeal was lacking in substance was indeed inconsistent with the Tribunal's findings contained in its judgment dismissing the appeal.
41 I do not think that other decisions construing the phrase "lacking in substance" (or similar phrases) in other statutes (or generally) are of assistance in determining its meaning. The words must be construed in the context of the Act, not other legislation.
42 The wording of s 192(a) and (b) is the same as that of s 185(4)(a) and (b). The use of the phrase "lacking in substance" in s 185 (concerning applications) is significant and bears on the meaning of the same phrase in s 192.
43 Section 185 is closely connected to s 186 and cannot properly be understood without reference to that section. Section 186(1) provides that before making an order (except an order for a stay of proceedings), the Tribunal must investigate the application for the order. By s 186(2), in any such investigation the Tribunal is not bound by the rules of evidence, may inform itself on any matter in such manner as it thinks fit, and must act according to equity, good conscience and the substantial merits of the case without regard to technicalities or legal forms. By s 186(3), the Tribunal need not hold a hearing in order to decide an application unless there is an appearance by a person entitled or required to appear before it. By s 186(4), a hearing need not be formal.
44 Section 185 provides that, having conducted an investigation under s 186, the Tribunal may on various grounds dismiss an application. Amongst those grounds are the grounds set out in s 185(4)(a) and (b) which - as I have noted - are essentially in the same words as s 192(a) and (b).
45 The powers of the Tribunal to dismiss an application by way of an informal investigation are far-reaching. It is in this context that the phrase "lacking in substance" must be understood. It would be inappropriate, given the extraordinary powers triggered by a finding that an application is lacking in substance, to attribute to the phrase a meaning other than "not reasonably arguable". That is, a meaning not dissimilar to "frivolous, vexatious, misconceived", the words which precede the phrase.
46 I now turn to the question whether Ms Zouk's appeal was lacking in substance in that sense.
47 The Tribunal, in its costs judgment, accepted that Ms Zouk's arguments that Dr Hasham's proposal should be preferred to that of Boynton and Partners did not lack substance. The Tribunal, however, focused on Ms Zouk's failure "to present evidence which covered the costings and methodology of the alternative repair". It said:
"This information would have been essential to arrive at a decision that the method of repair by the applicant was unreasonable in the circumstance. The failure to present any such evidence in my view is sufficient to show that the appeal was lacking in substance. Therefore the respondent is entitled to an order for costs."
48 Counsel for Ms Zouk submitted that this reasoning was impermissibly inconsistent with the Tribunal's reasoning in its judgment dismissing the appeal. He drew attention to the fact that the Tribunal had given six reasons for dismissing the appeal and the absence of "costings" was the last of these six. He submitted that, when five of the six points raised by Ms Zouk were reasonably arguable, the last point considered by the Tribunal should not be regarded as determinative of costs. In my opinion, there is force in this submission.
49 There are two other matters that are relevant to this issue.
50 Firstly, in its judgment dismissing the appeal, the Tribunal said that the absence of costings made it "difficult" (but not impossible) to compare Dr Hasham's proposal to those relied upon by the Corporation. In other words, the matter was arguable.
51 Secondly, I have drawn attention to the fact that there were two issues that the Tribunal had to resolve. The first was whether the Corporation should be prevented from implementing the Boyden and Partners' proposal. The second was whether the Council should implement Dr Hasham's proposal. The costings evidence had no bearing on the first issue, and this was an important question in the appeal.
52 In all the circumstances, I am of the opinion that, on the reasoning of the Tribunal as contained in its judgment dismissing the appeal, it was not open to the Tribunal to find that it dismissed the appeal on the ground that it was lacking in substance. Its finding to this effect in the costs judgment was inconsistent with its reasoning in the substantive judgment dismissing the appeal.
53 Accordingly, I would dismiss the appeal with costs.