Terms contracts for sale of land are regulated by Credit Code

In Geeveekay Pty Ltd & Ors v Director of Consumer Affairs Victoria [2008] VSC 50 , the Victorian Supreme Court decided that a terms contract of sale for land was regulated by the Consumer Credit Code.

The Director of Consumer Affairs Victoria applied for civil penalties relating to 46 contracts of sale including the sale to Rand.

The
main features of the transaction between Mr and Mrs Keogh and Ms Rand were:

  • Mr
    and Mrs Keogh were the registered proprietors of the property and would
    remain so until final settlement, probably in 30 years
    (2032)
  • Mr and
    Mrs Keogh had mortgaged the property to Westpac
  • by the terms
    contract of sale, Mr and Mrs Keogh sold the property to Ms Rand for a
    price plus interest payable by 360 monthly instalments
    unless additional
    payments were made
  • Ms Rand was
    entitled to possession of the property (which was to be her home) shortly after
    signing the contract
  • under the terms
    contract, Mr and Mrs Keogh agreed to use the instalments in the first
    instance to meet their payments under the Westpac
    mortgage and to discharge the
    mortgage before final settlement, and Ms Rand agreed to be bound by the
    terms of that mortgage

The vendors argued that they did not provide "credit". The court decided the contract provided credit because Ms
Rand’s obligation to pay instalments
was a present obligation to pay a
future debt which came within the concept of “incurs a deferred
debt” in the
definition of “credit”
in s 4(1)(b) of the Code. It also concluded the terms contract between the parties is a
credit contract under the Code on the additional basis of Ms
Rand’s
assumption of Mr and Mrs Keogh’s mortgage and loan obligations.

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