CL-2024-000457, 000458, 000459 - [2025] EWHC 1803 (Comm)

Fecha: 17-Jul-2025

In reasoning to the conclusion that, had it mattered, Caterpillar would have been overruled on the exclusivity of s.49 for claims to the price in sale of goods contracts, at [45], Lord Mance, JSC, ref

B59.

In reasoning to the conclusion that, had it mattered, Caterpillar would have been overruled on the exclusivity of s.49 for claims to the price in sale of goods contracts, at [45], Lord Mance, JSC, referred to Dunlop v Grote as establishing a common law exception to the general rule that a seller cannot sue for the price where property had not passed, “where the price is payable on a day certain, in which case the seller may enforce its payment, provided that he is ready and able at the same time to deliver to the buyer the goods and the property in them: the Otis Vehicle Rentals case [2002] EWCA Civ 1064 at [16] per Potter LJ.”

Heading
Introduction
Facts and Issues
A Procedural Objection
Flawed Appeal (Wrong Remedy)?
Error of Law?
Day Certain
Irrespective of Delivery
Case Law on s.49(2)
The Seller’s Arguments
Readie Construction & CE Energy
Conclusions
Appendix A – The Procedural Objection In Vitol SA v Norelf Ltd [1996] AC 800, a case under the Arbitration Act 1979 , at 814B Lord Steyn explained, in holding that a respondent did not require leave to argue on appeal that an award should
The permissibility in principle of arguing, substantially in line with a case advanced in the arbitration, that on the facts set out in an award, a result reached by the arbitrators is correct in law
On that question, in Ramburs Inc v Agrifert SA [2015] EWHC 3548 (Comm) at [10], Andrew Smith J considered that
That view was not decisive in Ramburs Inc , because “ the argument that the [respondent] buyers seek to raise … was not argued in the arbitration, and certainly not distinctly argued … . More importan
MRI Trading (paragraph 27 above) was not referred to in Ramburs Inc , and according to the report at [2016] Bus. L. R. 135, Andrew Smith J was not referred in argument to any cases not mentioned in th
Where a respondent does oppose a leave to appeal application under s.69 , so that CPR PD62 para 12.6 requires a respondent’s notice to be filed and served, the requirement in sub-paragraph (2) to stat
That leads me not to agree with the view that a respondent’s notice filed and served under CPR 62 para 12.6 is in every respect ‘spent’, as Andrew Smith J expressed it in Ramburs Inc , once the leave
In MRI Trading , Eder J indeed stated in unqualified terms, at [39], that “ a party who wishes to contend that an award should be upheld for reasons not expressed (or not fully expressed) in the award
Furthermore, although the present case disproves, with respect, Jacobs J’s claim in MUR Shipping v RTI (paragraph 22 above), at [49], that it is “ invariably the case ” that the respondent to an appli
I therefore do not consider that either MRI Trading or Cottonex Anstalt is authority for the proposition that CPR 62 para 12.6 requires a respondent who does not oppose the leave to appeal application
Jacobs J’s view, for the case where a respondent does oppose the leave to appeal application, is in my view consistent with what I have said in paragraph A8 above. The careful way in which Jacobs J ex
Stepping back, there might perhaps be room to consider that it would be better to require a respondent that opposes the leave to appeal application to file and serve a document setting out the grounds
In MRI Trading , Eder J cited, as do Russell on Arbitration , 24 th Ed. (2015) at 8-167, and Ambrose et al. at 22.29, the decision of Moore-Bick J (as he was then) in Icon Navigation Corp v Sinochem I
Moore-Bick J concluded that a contention of that kind was not a contention that the award should be upheld for a reason not expressed within the award, but an argument that it was not just and proper
In his reasoning, Moore-Bick J observed ( ibid , at [22]) that s.69(7) of the 1996 Act “ must be read in the context of s.69 as a whole. The intention of the legislation is that the powers of the cour
That was also the applicable provision when Field J decided The Mary Nour (No.2) . At that time, therefore, a respondent was required, whatever their stance in relation to the grant of leave to appeal
In Cottonex Anstalt , supra , at [41], having stated in seemingly unqualified terms that a respondent wishing to contend that the award should be upheld on other grounds had to do so at the leave to a
Acadia Chemicals , to which Hamblen J referred, a decision of Colman J under the 1979 Act , concerned what was then RSC Order 73, rule 5(9). That rule, like CPR PD62 para 12.3(3) that followed, but un
It is fair to expect a respondent to be limited, as in Cottonex Anstalt itself, to points it took before the arbitrators that, if sound, would defeat or avoid a point which the appellant has brought t
Appendix B – Case Law on s.49(2) Sale of Goods Act 1893 / 1979 Chalmers, “ The Sale of Goods Act 1893 ”, took the form of a commentary on the Act by its draftsman, Sir Mackenzie Chalmers. On p.91, Chalmers explained the understanding of the law that
The references to “ goods sold ” are to goods the property in which has passed to the buyer pursuant to the sale contract. That historical account of the indebitatus counts for recovery of the price o
The last edition of Chalmers is the 18 th Ed. (1981). The footnote citing Dunlop v Grote remains (p.222); and the paragraph quoted above is retained as a statement of the “ History ” of s.49 (p.223)
The view expressed in Chalmers , that in some circumstances a claim for a sale contract price might lie outside s.49 , is the view expressed 35 years later by the Supreme Court, obiter , in The Res Co
In Dunlop v Grote , a contract for 1,000 tons of No.1 Clyde or Dundyvan pig-iron, at 95s. cash per ton, stipulated that payment was to be made on 30 April for any balance of the contract quantity not
The defendant argued that the case was like Laird v Pim (1841) 7 M & W 474, in which Parke B. had said, at 478, that “ a party cannot recover the full value of a chattel, unless under circumstances wh
In Laird v Pim , a purchaser had been let into possession of land it had contracted to buy, but the sale was not completed. The vendor’s claim for payment of the price failed, but at trial it was awar
For its part, the purchaser sought to overturn the award of damages inter alia on the basis that under the law as to dependent and independent covenants set out in the notes to Pordage v Cole , a vend
Properly understood, therefore, Laird v Pim and Dunlop v Grote concerned the distinction elaborated in the notes to the report of Pordage v Cole , between dependent and independent covenants. In Dunlo
Polenghi Bros v Dried Milk Co, Ltd (1904) 10 Com Cas 42 Polenghi Bros concerned a contract for the sale of dried milk powder by sample, where the delivery might be either c.i.f. London or f.o.b. Genoa. It provided that: “ Payment is to be made in cas
The seller’s claim for the price seems to have been treated as standing or falling with its claim for a declaration, and s.49 was not mentioned either in argument or in the very short judgment. The se
Kennedy J was not asked to decide, and did not purport to decide, anything about the meaning or effect of s.49(2) , and Polenghi Bros therefore does not assist either side in the present case. Benjami
Workman Clark & Co, Ltd v Lloyd Brazileño [1908] 1 KB 968 The Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal against a decision of Walton J upholding a summary judgment granted by a Master (strictly, his order granting leave to sign judgment for the amount clai
Order xiv , rule 1, required the plaintiff’s claim to have been for a “ debt or liquidated demand in money ” within what was then Order iii , rule 6. The ground of appeal was that, since no property h
There was no issue before the Court of Appeal, therefore, as to the meaning of “ a day certain irrespective of delivery ”, and Workman Clark is no authority on that. In any event, the relevant instalm
The ground of decision ( per Lord Alverstone CJ at 974-975, per Farwell LJ at 978, per Kennedy LJ at 979-981), was that whatever the rules had been concerning the old, distinct common law actions of d
Farwell LJ, at 978-979, considered that “ any action falling under any of the eight common indebitatus counts, which is brought on an executed consideration for a fixed sum to be paid for such executi
Benjamin , at 19-375, n.1686, says that there is doubt as to whether Workman Clark is any authority on the interpretation of s.49(2) because there are several reports of the case and, “ In the Law Rep
It is doubtful nonetheless that Workman Clark decides anything about s.49(2) , but that is because it is arguable that what all three judges said about it is obiter . I do not need to take a final vie
Stein Forbes & Co v County Tailoring Co (1916) 115 L.T. 215 That brings me to Stein Forbes , a decision of Atkin J (as he was then). Benjamin , at 19-379, n.1702, suggests that a difference in the sellers’ respective abilities readily to resell the g
Stein Forbes was not about instalment prices, so I think it no surprise that Workman Clark is not mentioned, although Atkin J can be taken to have been familiar with it having been counsel for the suc
Various defences raised by the defendant failed, leading Atkin J to conclude that it had broken the contract by not taking up the documents, and paying, for the Den of Glamis sheepskins, and then (at
The first argument for the plaintiff was that it was entitled to the price although property had not passed on the ground that “ here was a sum certain payable at a fixed time and that, as the defenda
Stein Forbes is, therefore, authority that a contract for the sale of goods for delivery c.i.f., payment “ cash against documents on arrival of the steamer ”, is not a contract falling within s.49(2)
Although Stein Forbes concerned a c.i.f. sale, there is no basis for a different analysis of an f.o.b. sale where the price is payable against shipping documents through which the seller retains const
Martin et al. v Hogan (1917) 24 CLR 234 Martin v Hogan is an unusual decision in the High Court of Australia. It is unusual because the Court sat as a constitution of six judges (Barton, Isaacs, Higgins, Gavan Duffy, Powers and Rich JJ) and
Colley v Overseas Exporters [1921] 3 KB 302 A quantity of leather belting was contracted to be sold f.o.b. Liverpool. The goods to be sold under the contract were not ascertained when the contract was concluded, but leather belting was prepared
McCardie J gave judgment for the buyer, dismissing the claim for the price. At 306, he said that s.49(2) of the Act “ does not apply, as it apparently did in Workman, Clark & Co. v Lloyd Brazileño , w
Muller Maclean & Co v Leslie & Anderson (1921) 9 Ll. L. Rep. 328 In Muller Maclean , there was a contract for the sale of steel padlocks, prompt shipment with payment cash against documents in London, the price being £90 4s 3d and described in the he
The seller’s claim for the price failed ( ibid , at 330 lhc-331 lhc). The seller said that s.49(2) applied. Roche J dismissed that claim, following and applying Stein Forbes . He rejected a submission
A.A. Nortier & Co v Wm. Maclean, Sons & Co (1921) 9 Ll. L. Rep. 192 It is not clear from the report of Nortier v Maclean that any claim for the price was made, as opposed to claims for damages. The case concerned two separate contracts between the sa
Shell-Mex, Ltd v Elton Cop Dyeing Co, Ltd (1928) 34 Com Cas 39 That brings me to Shell-Mex , under which a contract for the sale of 1,000 tons of fuel oil, for delivery by instalments, gave the seller (by Clause 15): “ the right at any time to invoic
It is not easy to see that Clause 15, the special payment clause, did not provide for a price payable ‘irrespective of delivery’ as much as, and on that point in the same way as, the clause in Dunlop
However, Wright J concluded that any price invoiced under Clause 15 “ still remains the price as of goods sold and delivered ”, or was “ still the price payable under the contract, which includes the
The real ground on which Wright J decided Shell-Mex was that Dunlop v Grote could be distinguished, and s.49(2) did not apply, because Clause 15 of the sale contract did not provide for a ‘day certain
White and Carter (Councils) Ltd v McGregor [1962] AC 413 This well-known case concerns the circumstances in which a contracting party that can complete performance of its obligations without any input from its counterparty is entitled to do so, and c
Tradax v Goldschmidt [1977] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 604 In this case, decided by Slynn J (as he was then), the buyer under a contract for the sale of White Syrian barley f.o.b. stowed trimmed Lattakia, payment “ Cash against documents on presentation ”, re
That decision was upheld on an appeal by way of case stated under the Arbitration Act 1950 . The first question stated for the court was whether the seller was entitled to recover US$26,728.24 (or any
Otis Vehicle Rentals Ltd [2002] EWCA Civ 1064
The claimant had pleaded readiness and willingness to deliver the tractor units pursuant to the repurchase contract created by the exercise of its option, but by the time the case came to trial the cl
There were two grounds for the Court of Appeal’s decision ( per Potter LJ at [14]-[16])
Caterpillar (NI) Ltd [2013] EWCA Civ 1232 , [2014] 1 WLR 2365 In Caterpillar , s.49 of the Act was relevant because the defendant buyer claimed to set off against claims for unpaid invoices two larger claims it asserted against the claimant, and cont
The claim for the price in Caterpillar , then, like the claim for the price in Tradax v Goldschmidt , supra , was not a claim for goods sold and delivered, nor for goods bargained and sold, but a clai
For summary judgment purposes, the payment clause in Caterpillar was taken to have required payment on the twenty-fifth day of the fifth month after the month in which the invoice was dated, meaning t
In the section of his judgment concluding that there could be no claim for the price outside s.49 of the Act (which forms part of the ratio in Caterpillar as to which the court was unanimous), Longmor
I have laboured that slightly because it makes clear, I think, that Longmore LJ took it to be settled law that ‘irrespective of delivery’ in s.49(2) required the obligation to pay the price not to be
On the orthodox view of English law recognised and otherwise adopted by Longmore LJ, the payment clause in FG Wilson’s terms and conditions did not provide for the price to be payable irrespective of
The Res Cogitans , [2015] EWHC 2022 (Comm) , [2016] UKSC 23 , [2016] AC 1034 In The Res Cogitans , arbitrators decided that the bunker supply contract at issue was not a contract for the sale of goods to which s.49 applied. That decision was upheld b
At first instance, Males J said (at [71]-[73]) that if s.49 had applied, he would have held that a price payable within a fixed period after delivery was a price payable “ on a day certain irrespectiv
I respectfully disagree with the reasons Males J gave for his ‘doubly obiter ” view, to the extent that it concerned the meaning of ‘irrespective of delivery’
In the Supreme Court, as I noted at paragraph 61 above, it was said, obiter , that Caterpillar should be overruled on whether a claim for the price under a sale contract may lie outside s.49 of the Ac
In reasoning to the conclusion that, had it mattered, Caterpillar would have been overruled on the exclusivity of s.49 for claims to the price in sale of goods contracts, at [45], Lord Mance, JSC, ref
Lord Mance continued ( ibid ) by mentioning Longmore LJ’s obiter dictum in Caterpillar to the effect that a price payable within 30 days of an invoice date would be a price payable on a ‘day certain’
I do not find it easy to identify the meaning of s.49(2) that Lord Mance had in mind. The reference to s.49(2) possibly having a ‘main focus’ on cases where there has not been delivery might suggest a
However, the sentence which follows (“ Section 49 does not focus … ”) might suggest a view that a claim for the price of goods delivered but not sold is within s.49(2) , if the price is payable on a ‘
Garmin Australasia Pty Ltd v B & K Holdings (Qld) Pty Ltd [2018] QCA 353 By contractual arrangements enabling the defendant to operate as a dealer in Garmin products, the defendant was obliged to pay for products ordered 45 days from invoice, the pla
The New South Wales Sale of Goods Act 1923 applied, s.51(1)-(2) of which (quoted at [20]) are identical to s.49(1) -(2) of the Act s of 1893 and 1979. On the appeal, it was held that s.51(2) did not j
Mitsubishi Corp RTM International Pte Ltd v Kyen Resources Pte Ltd [2019] SGHCR 6 This is a decision of Asst. Registrar Tan Xue Yang (Elton) (‘Tan AR’) in the High Court of Singapore. It concerned a contract for the sale of aluminium ingots by the pl
The seller sought judgment on admissions for the total unpaid price amounts, arguing that the buyer’s pleaded admissions that it entered into the contract, that the goods were delivered to and receive
Conclusions