Thurn v Ireland

In *Thurn v Ireland*, the New South Wales Court of Appeal considered a dispute between a vendor and a purchaser concerning the sale of a property. The purchaser sought to terminate the contract of sale, alleging that the vendor had failed to provide a notice of the existence of a registered easement over the property, as required by section 88B of the *Conveyancing Act 1919* (NSW). The vendor contended that the purchaser had waived any right to terminate by proceeding with the transaction after becoming aware of the easement.

The primary legal issue before the Court of Appeal was whether the vendor's failure to provide the required notice of the registered easement constituted a breach of a condition precedent to the purchaser's obligation to complete the contract, thereby entitling the purchaser to terminate. A secondary issue was whether, even if a breach occurred, the purchaser had waived that right by their subsequent conduct.

The Court of Appeal held that the notice requirement under section 88B of the *Conveyancing Act 1919* was a condition precedent to the purchaser's obligation to complete. The failure to provide this notice meant that the vendor had not fulfilled their contractual obligations, and the purchaser was therefore entitled to terminate the contract. The Court found that the purchaser's actions, such as requesting a transfer of title and paying part of the deposit, did not amount to a waiver of their right to terminate, as they had not yet been fully apprised of the nature and implications of the easement at the time of those actions.

The Court of Appeal dismissed the vendor's appeal and affirmed the primary judge's decision, which had found in favour of the purchaser.