Busby v Cooper; Busby v Abbey National plc; Busby v Lumby: CA 2 Apr 1996

The claimant sought damages after having bought a house after receiving an allegedly negligent report on the concrete. She had asked to be allowed to add a third party (the local authority who had passed the building) as a defendant, but the request was outside the primary limitation period and was refused and again on appeal. She now sought to appeal.
Held: Her appeal was allowed. It was within the court’s jurisdiction to try issues relationg to the primary facts which would decide how the limitation rules would be applied. Section 14(10(b) operated to extend the time limit provided in 14(4)(a), and therefore it was not necessary to issue a new set of proceedings. The joining of a third party after the initial limitation period had expired, remained possible. The claim was justiciable.

Citations:

Times 15-Apr-1996

Statutes:

Limitation Act 1980 14A(4)(a) 14A(4)(b)

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Citing:

FollowedDavies v Reed Stock and Co Ltd 1984
. .
DistinguishedWelsh Development Agency v Redpath Dorman Long Ltd CA 4-Apr-1994
A new claim was not deemed to have been made until the pleading was actually amended for limitation purposes, and should not be allowed after the limitation period had expired. The date of the application for leave to amend was not at issue. The . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Limitation, Litigation Practice

Updated: 19 May 2022; Ref: scu.78778