Knowledge (XXG)

Farley v Skinner

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28: 167:‘If the cause is no more than disappointment that the contractual obligation has been broken, damages are not recoverable even if the disappointment has led to a complete mental breakdown. But, if the cause of the inconvenience or discomfort is a sensory (sight, touch, hearing, smell, taste) experience, damages can, subject to the remoteness rules, be recovered.’ 121:. It had a croquet lawn, a tennis court, an orchard, a paddock and a swimming pool. It cost £420,000 and after the purchase was complete on 28 February 1991, he spent £125,000 improving it. He also had a flat in London, a house in Brighton and one overseas. He hired Mr Skinner to survey the house, particularly to determine levels of 171:
Referring to the departure of this case from "an ordinary surveyor's contract", Lord Clyde said it was 'the specific provision relating to peacefulness of the property in respect of the aircraft noise which makes the present case out of the ordinary'. The predominant object test was dispensed with,
358: 172:
so it was enough that the term broken was known by both parties to have been important (it did not matter whether the purpose of the contract was to provide peace of mind). So it seems surveyors will not ordinarily be liable when a house is defective and causes distress.
125:. Skinner reported that the noise was of acceptable level, whereas in reality, at 6 am the noise was intolerable. Holding patterns formed right above the house. This distressed Mr Farley as he often spent early mornings in his garden. 163:). He added that if there had been an appreciable reduction in the house’s market value, he could not recover both, which would have been double recovery. Although £10,000 was ‘on the high side’, the value was within the right range. 189: 151:
Lord Scott held that if Mr Farley had known about the aircraft noise he would not have bought the property. He could either claim for being deprived of the contractual benefit (
140:
agreed with the defendant's challenge to this ruling, stating that no damages could be awarded for mere inconvenience, and physical discomfort was required to justify damages.
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The trial judge held that Mr Farley had paid no more than someone who knew of the noise, so there was no financial loss, but awarded £10,000 for distress and discomfort.
267: 560: 238: 418: 440: 532:) it was said contract breaking is an ‘incident of commercial life which players in the game are expected to meet with mental fortitude’ 137: 545: 550: 279: 153: 475: 190:
Benchmarks -- matching the damages to the distress -- the law that usually leaves distress and inconvenience to go uncompensated
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The House of Lords restored the trial judge’s award, because not being put at such inconvenience was an important term.
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QB 233, 1 All ER 71, where purpose of contract to obtain some mental satisfaction
406: 114: 157:), or he could claim as having consequential loss on breach of contract ( 83:
Lord Steyn, Lord Scott, Lord Browne-Wilkinson, Lord Clyde and Lord Hutton
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UKHL 49 (11 October 2001), paragraph 42, accessed 31 March 2022
113:
Mr Farley bought a large estate, Riverside House, in
79: 74: 64: 53: 45: 37: 20: 101:case, concerning the measure and availability of 192:, published 5 July 2001, accessed 23 March 2022 232: 8: 268:Peevyhouse v. Garland Coal & Mining Co. 477:Dies v British Mining and Finance Corp Ltd 360:British Westinghouse Ltd v Underground Ltd 239: 225: 217: 26: 17: 524:2 AC 1, 49, (a case actually concerning " 181: 419:Cooperative Insurance Ltd v Argyll Ltd 32:An aircraft landing at Gatwick in 1997 441:Wrotham Park Ltd v Parkside Homes Ltd 7: 14: 280:Ruxley Electronics Ltd v Forsyth 154:Ruxley Electronics Ltd v Forsyth 561:2001 in United Kingdom case law 513:Jackson v Horizon Holidays Ltd 1: 453:Surrey CC v Bredero Homes Ltd 395:Sky Petroleum v VIP Petroleum 521:Johnson v Gore Wood & Co 373:Banco de Portugal v Waterlow 291:Anglia Television Ltd v Reed 577: 384:Saamco v York Montague Ltd 546:English contract case law 497:Addis v Gramophone Co Ltd 472: 460: 449: 437: 426: 415: 403: 391: 380: 369: 355: 344: 333: 322: 311: 299: 287: 276: 264: 252: 25: 505:Jarvis v Swans Tours Ltd 430:Attorney General v Blake 315:Jarvis v Swans Tours Ltd 203:Farley v. Skinner (2001) 551:English remedy case law 117:, Sussex, not far from 169: 271:, 382 P 2d 109 (1962) 165: 69:Full text of judgment 556:House of Lords cases 491:English contract law 99:English contract law 337:Hadley v Baxendale 486: 485: 259:(1848) 1 Exch 850 256:Robinson v Harman 87: 86: 568: 478: 464:Rowland v Divall 361: 326:Farley v Skinner 241: 234: 227: 218: 206: 199: 193: 186: 91:Farley v Skinner 75:Court membership 30: 21:Farley v Skinner 18: 576: 575: 571: 570: 569: 567: 566: 565: 536: 535: 526:reflective loss 487: 482: 476: 468: 456: 445: 433: 422: 411: 399: 387: 376: 365: 359: 351: 340: 329: 318: 307: 303:Chaplin v Hicks 295: 283: 272: 260: 248: 245: 215: 210: 209: 200: 196: 187: 183: 178: 146: 138:Court of Appeal 134: 132:Court of Appeal 119:Gatwick Airport 111: 60:, 4 All ER 801 49:11 October 2001 33: 12: 11: 5: 574: 572: 564: 563: 558: 553: 548: 538: 537: 534: 533: 530:UK company law 517: 516:, 3 All ER 92 509: 501: 493: 484: 483: 473: 470: 469: 461: 458: 457: 450: 447: 446: 438: 435: 434: 427: 424: 423: 416: 413: 412: 404: 401: 400: 392: 389: 388: 381: 378: 377: 370: 367: 366: 356: 353: 352: 345: 342: 341: 334: 331: 330: 323: 320: 319: 312: 309: 308: 300: 297: 296: 288: 285: 284: 277: 274: 273: 265: 262: 261: 253: 250: 249: 247:Remedies cases 246: 244: 243: 236: 229: 221: 214: 211: 208: 207: 194: 180: 179: 177: 174: 160:Watts v Morrow 145: 144:House of Lords 142: 133: 130: 123:aircraft noise 110: 107: 105:for distress. 85: 84: 81: 80:Judges sitting 77: 76: 72: 71: 66: 62: 61: 55: 51: 50: 47: 43: 42: 41:House of Lords 39: 35: 34: 31: 23: 22: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 573: 562: 559: 557: 554: 552: 549: 547: 544: 543: 541: 531: 527: 523: 522: 518: 515: 514: 510: 507: 506: 502: 499: 498: 494: 492: 489: 488: 480: 479: 471: 466: 465: 459: 455: 454: 448: 443: 442: 436: 432: 431: 425: 421: 420: 414: 409: 408: 402: 397: 396: 390: 386: 385: 379: 375: 374: 368: 363: 362: 354: 350: 349: 348:The Achilleas 343: 339: 338: 332: 328: 327: 321: 317: 316: 310: 305: 304: 298: 293: 292: 286: 282: 281: 275: 270: 269: 263: 258: 257: 251: 242: 237: 235: 230: 228: 223: 222: 219: 212: 204: 198: 195: 191: 188:Law Gazette, 185: 182: 175: 173: 168: 164: 162: 161: 156: 155: 149: 143: 141: 139: 131: 129: 126: 124: 120: 116: 108: 106: 104: 100: 96: 93: 92: 82: 78: 73: 70: 67: 63: 59: 56: 52: 48: 44: 40: 36: 29: 24: 19: 16: 519: 511: 503: 495: 474: 462: 451: 439: 428: 417: 405: 393: 382: 371: 357: 346: 335: 325: 324: 313: 301: 289: 278: 266: 254: 201:Lord Clyde, 197: 184: 170: 166: 158: 152: 150: 147: 135: 127: 112: 90: 89: 88: 15: 407:Patel v Ali 540:Categories 176:References 65:Transcript 444:1 WLR 798 398:1 WLR 576 115:Blackboys 54:Citations 481:1 KB 724 467:2 KB 500 306:2 KB 786 213:See also 294:1 QB 60 103:damages 95:UKHL 49 58:UKHL 49 46:Decided 500:AC 488 410:Ch 283 364:AC 673 97:is an 528:" in 109:Facts 38:Court 136:The 542:: 240:e 233:t 226:v

Index


UKHL 49
Full text of judgment
UKHL 49
English contract law
damages
Blackboys
Gatwick Airport
aircraft noise
Court of Appeal
Ruxley Electronics Ltd v Forsyth
Watts v Morrow
Benchmarks -- matching the damages to the distress -- the law that usually leaves distress and inconvenience to go uncompensated
Farley v. Skinner (2001)
v
t
e
Robinson v Harman
Peevyhouse v. Garland Coal & Mining Co.
Ruxley Electronics Ltd v Forsyth
Anglia Television Ltd v Reed
Chaplin v Hicks
Jarvis v Swans Tours Ltd
Farley v Skinner
Hadley v Baxendale
The Achilleas
British Westinghouse Ltd v Underground Ltd
Banco de Portugal v Waterlow
Saamco v York Montague Ltd
Sky Petroleum v VIP Petroleum

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