Stevens v Russell

Land and Environment Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Stevens v Russell & anor [2016] NSWLEC 1233 Hearing dates:31 May 2016Date of orders: 08 June 2016 Decision date: 08 June 2016 Jurisdiction:Class 2Before: Fakes C Decision: See [66] Catchwords: TREES [NEIGHBOURS] Damage to property, potential injury, compensation and rectification; adequacy of evidence; extent of damage before respondents owned their property Legislation Cited: Trees (Disputes Between Neighbours) Act 2006 Limitation Act 1969 Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 Cases Cited: Cincotta v Huang & ors [2011] NSWLEC 1086 Hinde v Anderson & anor [2009] NSWLEC 1148 McCallum v Riodan & anor [2011] NSWLEC 1009 Moroney v John [2008] NSWLEC 32 Robson v Leischke [2008] NSWLEC 152 Smith & Hannaford v Zhang & Zhou [2011] NSWLEC 29 Thornberry & anor v Packer & anor [2010] NSWLEC 1069 Wazrin Pty Ltd v Pearson [2009] NSWLEC 1420 Yang v Scerri [2007] NSWLEC 592 Category:Principal judgmentParties: Lita Stephens (Applicant) Damien Russell and Naomi Curtin (Respondents) Representation: Applicant: Ms B Dunleavy (Solicitor) Respondents: Mr D Russell and Ms N Curtin (Litigants in person)     Solicitors: Applicant: Penmans Solicitors File Number(s):153945 of 2016Judgment COMMISSIONER: The owner of a property in Newtown has applied under s 7 Part 2 of the Trees (Disputes Between Neighbours) Act 2006 (Trees Act) for orders seeking the removal of a mature Lillypilly (Acmena smithii) growing on the respondents’ property. The applicant, Ms Stevens, is also seeking a payment of $32,383 from the respondents in order to rectify...