The appellant dealer appealed a trial judgment holding a vehicle purchase and conditional sales arrangement unenforceable because of statutory illegality arising from non-compliance with registration requirements.
The Court of Appeal declined to endorse the trial judge's full analysis of statutory illegality but upheld the result, emphasizing that the illegality was not trivial, was left uncured, and implicated a public-protection regime intended to protect the respondent purchaser.
The court also relied on findings that the respondent received little benefit from the vehicle and that the appellant altered signed documents to satisfy the bank.
A motion for leave to appeal the no-costs order was also refused.
