LLB102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: All England Law Reports, Hallelujah, Contributory Negligence
WEEK$3!LECTURE:(PRIVATE(NUISANCE!
Torts&Law:&
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Exercise:!Trespass!or!Nuisance?!!
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(1) I&throw&rubbish&onto&your&land&and&leave&it&there&
Trespass&
(2) I&build&an&extension&onto&my&house&and&part&of&the&roof&protrudes&into&your&airspace&
Trespass&
(3) I&play&really&loud&music,&24&hours&a&day,&so&that&you&have&to&keep&your&windows&shut,&and&your&
air&conditioning&on,&and&even&then,&you&cannot&sleep.&
Nuisance&&
(4) I&build&a&tunnel&underground&that&crosses&the&boundary&onto&your&property&and&it&causes&your&
land&to&subside.&
Trespass&&
(5) I&tunnel&under&my&land,&and&I&don’t&cross&the&boundary,&but&I&go&so&close&to&your&property&that&I&
cause&your&land&to&subside.&
Nuisance&&
- Trespass&=&Direct,&Nuisance&=&Indirect&
Nuisance&
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Two&types&of&nuisance&at&common&law:&
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1. Public&nuisance&
- Share&a&right&with&the&rest&of&the&community&e.g.&right&of&passage&on&the&road&
2. Private!nuisance&
- Protects&a&plaintiff’s&private&rights&and&interests&to&the&use&and&enjoyment&of&their&possession&of&
land&free&from&unlawful&interference&
- Protects&against&indirect&inferences&
- Balances&competing&uses&of&land&&
Elements:&
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(1) Plaintiff&must&have&title!to!sue!
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(2) There&must&be&an&interference!with!a!legally!recognised!right!attached&to&land&
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(3) Plaintiff&must&have&suffered&damage&
- Material&damage;&and/or&
- Substantial&and&unreasonable&interference&with&use&and&enjoyment&
Title!to!Sue!
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Plaintiff& must& have& a& legally& recognised& interest& in& the& land& and& be& in& possession& at& the& time& of& the&
interference&
- Must&have&the&right&to&exclusive&possession&
- Example:&Owner&in&possession,&Legal&tenant&in&possession&
This&does¬&extend&to&those&who&do¬&have&a&legally&recognised&interest&e.g.&a&mere&licensee&
!
In&*Hunter!v!Canary!Wharf!Ltd,&
&Plaintiffs&were&alleging&in&part,&that&their&use&and&enjoyment&of&land&was&being&interfered&with&
by&the&defendant&who&was&building&a&road;&causing&a&lot&of&dust.&This&affected&a&large&population&of&
people,&the&homeowners,&neighbours&and&guests.&House&of&Lords&held,&that&while&the&homeowners&and&
tenants&had&title&to&sue&for&the&nuisance&the&mere&licensees&or&guests&staying&with&those&people&did&tot.&
A&person&who&does¬&have&the&right&to&land,&they&do¬&have&the&title&to&sue.&&
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Who&is&The&Proper&Defendant?&&
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If&an&alleged&nuisance&derives&from&land,&the&person&in&occupation&of&that&land&can&be&sued&for&it.&If&you&
are&an&owner&of&land&in&occupation&and&create&a&nuisance,&you&can&be&sued&for&it.&Similarly,&a&tenant&
can&also&be&sued&for&nuisance&they&create.&&
- Occupier&of&land&from&where&the&nuisance&derives&
o Occupier&creates&the&nuisance&
• Eg:&owner&occupier;&or&tenant&
– Landlord&may&be&sued&if&they&authorised&the&conduct&of&the&tenant&
• They&can&reasonable&foresee&that&the&purpose&for&which&they&lease&
the&place&for&would&create&nuisance&
o Occupier&may&be&liable&even&if&the&nuisance&has&been&created&by&someone&else&
§ If&the&activity&is&done&with&the&occupier’s&authority/consent&
– Whoever&created&the&nuisance&may&also&be&sued&
§ If& the& occupier& knows& or& ought& to& know& of& the& nuisance& and& does& nothing& to&
prevent&it,&such&that&they&continue&/&adopt&the&nuisance&
&
In!Challen!v!The!McLeod!Country!Golf!Club,!&
&Concerned&20&golf&balls&per&week&landing&onto&plaintiff’s&property,&which&caused&damage,&e.g.&
break& windows,& chipping& tiles.& The& golf& balls& were& coming& from& their&neighbour’s&golf& course.& The&
court&held& that&if& an&occupier& of&the&land& commits&nuisance& to& be& conducted& on& their& land&of& which&
they& know& or& ought& to& know,& then& they& could& become& liable& for& it.& They& authorised& the& activity&for&
people&to&come&to&their&course&and&play&golf.&They&knew&in&that&case&that&the&golf-balls&were&coming&
into&the&defendants&land&and&was&held&that&they&did¬&take&sufficient&reasonable&steps&to&prevent&it.&
Rearranging&the&golf&course&was¬&sufficient,&should&have&put&up&a&net&to&prevent&it&from&going&onto&
their&property.&Therefore,&they&are&said&to&have&adopted&the&nuisance&and&are&liable.&&
&
- Occupiers&can&be&liable&for&a&naturally&occurring&nuisance&if&they:&
o Knew&or&ought&to&have&known&about⁢&and&
o They&did¬hing&to&end&it,&or&did¬&take&reasonable&steps&to&end&it&
In&Hargrave!v!Goldman,!&
& A&tree&was&struck&by&lightning,&setting&the&tree&on&fire.&The&defendant&brought&in&water&tanks&to&
damped&the&area&and&the&next&day&they&got&authorities&to&cut&down&the&tree.&When&the&tree&was&cut&
down,&the&tee&was&still&burning&causing&the&fire&to&spread&onto&the&neighbours&property.&Although&the&
defendant&did¬&create&the&nuisance&(start&the&fire),&he&had&continued&it&by&failing&to&take&reasonable&
steps&to&end&the&nuisance.&They&were&still&liable.&&
- Nuisance&can&be&naturally&occurring&but&you&can&still&be&liable&
- If&it&derives&from&your&land,&if&you&knew&about&it&or&ought&to&know&about&it&and&did¬&take&
reasonable,&steps&to&prevent/&end&it&then&you&can&still&be&held&liable.&&
Interference!with!a!Legally!Recognised!Right!
!
Legally&Recognised&Right&
- Rights&attached&to&land&as&recognised&by&the&law&
o See:&*Munro!v!Southern!Dairies!Ltd;!*Hunter!v!Canary!Wharf&
Examples:&
- Right&to&support&of&land&(lateral&support&from&adjoining&properties)&
- Right&of&access&to&land&(to&and&from&the&highway)&
- Right&to&use&and&enjoy&land&without&undue&interference&
o So&free&from&excessive:&&Smells,&fumes,&dust,&noise&and&vibration&
- But¬:&
o Right&to&light&or&to&a&view&(neighbours&tree&planted&obstructing&view,&shadowing&solar&
panels&is¬&actionable&under&nuisance&law)&
o Right&to&privacy&/&freedom&from&the&view&and&inspection&of&neighbours&
&
In&Victoria!Park!Racing!&!Recreation!Grounds!Co!Ltd!v!Taylor,!!
!
!They& build& a& platform& in& backyard& to& get& a& view& of& the& neighbouring& racecourse& and&
broadcasted&the&results.&The&plaintiff&then&stated&that&it&was&affecting&the&profitability.&The&court&held&
you& do& not& have& the& right& for& freedom& of& view& from& neighbours.& It& is& not& interfering& with& rights&
attached&to&land,&therefore&action&failed.&&
&
Interference&
- Can&be&an&isolated&or&a&continuing&interference&
o Hosting&a&big&part&one&time&or&paying&music&loudly&every&morning&at&4am&
&
Interference&depends&on&the&legally&recognised&right&interfered&with:&
Examples:&
- Right&of&support&of&land&–>&interference&would&be&removal&of&that&support&
- Right& to& use& and& enjoyment& of& land& –>& interference& may& be& the& excessive& fumes,& noise,&
vibrations&&
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Damage&
&
- Action&on&the&case&
o Damage&is&an&essential&element&
- May&take&the&form&of:&
&
A. Material&damage! (or&actual&physical&damage)&to&the&plaintiff's&land&or&things&on&the&
land&
§ E.g.:&damaged&crops,&broken&windows,&smutted&washing&
&
B. A& substantial! and! unreasonable! interference! with! the! plaintiff’s! use! and!
enjoyment!of!land!/!rights!&
§ E.g.:&cannot&use&driveway&because&neighbours&keep&blocking⁢&neighbour&plays&
loud&music&late&at&night.&No&physical&damage&to&land,&house&or&things&in&home&but&
presents&an&unreasonable&interference&with&enjoyment.&&
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Document Summary
Exercise: trespass or nuisance? (1) i throw rubbish onto your land and leave it there. Trespass (2) i build an extension onto my house and part of the roof protrudes into your airspace. Trespass (3) i play really loud music, 24 hours a day, so that you have to keep your windows shut, and your air conditioning on, and even then, you cannot sleep. Nuisance (4) i build a tunnel underground that crosses the boundary onto your property and it causes your land to subside. Trespass (5) i tunnel under my land, and i don"t cross the boundary, but i go so close to your property that i cause your land to subside. Two types of nuisance at common law: public nuisance. Share a right with the rest of the community e. g. right of passage on the road: private nuisance.
