Staatz v Berry, in the matter of Wollumbin Horizons Pty Ltd (in liq) (No 3)

JurisdictionAustralia Federal only
CourtFederal Court
JudgeDERRINGTON J
Judgment Date20 June 2019
Neutral Citation[2019] FCA 924
Date20 June 2019
Staatz v Berry, in the matter of Wollumbin Horizons Pty Ltd (in liq) (No 3) [2019] FCA 924

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA


Staatz v Berry, in the matter of Wollumbin Horizons Pty Ltd (in liq) (No 3) [2019] FCA 924


File number:

QUD 32 of 2018



Judge:

DERRINGTON J



Date of judgment:

20 June 2019



Catchwords:

CORPORATIONS – liquidation – court orders or directions in winding up as to manner in which trust property is to be applied – company holding land on constructive trust


TRUSTS – constructive trusts – company promoted scheme to establish commune – subscribers to have beneficial interest in land by unit in unit trust – unit trust fails and commune fails – directions as to beneficial interest in land – more subscribers in value than value in land


CORPORATIONS – winding up – costs expenses and remuneration of liquidator of corporate trustee where trust not sole activity of company – where limited right of indemnity



Legislation:

Corporations Act 2001 (Cth)

Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth)

Trustee Act 1925 (NSW)

Federal Court Rules 2011 (Cth)



Cases cited:

13 Coromandel Place Pty Ltd v CL Custodians Pty Ltd (in liq) (1999) 30 ACSR 377

Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Letten (No 17) (2011) 286 ALR 346

Bannister v Bannister [1948] 2 All ER 133

Bathurst City Council v PWC Properties Pty Ltd (1998) 195 CLR 566

Baumgartner v Baumgartner (1987) 164 CLR 137

Bennett v Horgan (unreported, Supreme Court of New South Wales, Bryson J, 4056 of 1991, 3 June 1994)

Bishopsgate Investment Management Ltd v Homan [1995] Ch 211

Black Uhlans Incorporated v Crime Commission [2002] NSWSC 1060

Bloch v Bloch (1981) 180 CLR 390

Boyce v Boyce (1849) 16 Sim 476

Brown v Heffer (1967) 116 CLR 344

Bryson v Bryant (1992) 29 NSWLR 188

Burgess v Rawnsley [1975] Ch 429

Calverley v Green (1984) 155 CLR 242

Carson v Wood (1994) 34 NSWLR 9

Carter Holt Harvey Woodproducts Australia Pty Ltd v The Commonwealth [2019] HCA 20

Central Trust and Safe Deposit Co v Snider [1916] 1 AC 266

CGU Insurance Limited v One.Tel Limited (In Liquidation) (2010) 242 CLR 174

Dean v Aylward [2017] NSWSC 972

Drake v Whipp [1996] 1 FLR 826

Dyer v Dyer (1788) 30 ER 42 (Ch)

Farah Constructions Pty Ltd v Say-Dee Pty Ltd (2007) 230 CLR 89

Foskett v McKeown [1998] Ch 265

Foskett v McKeown [2001] 1 AC 102

Giumelli v Giumelli (1999) 196 CLR 101

Goodfriend v Goodfriend [1972] SCR 640

Halloran v Minister Administering National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 (2006) 229 CLR 545

Helou v Nguyen [2014] NSWSC 22

Howard v Miller [1915] AC 318

Imam Ali Islamic Centre v Imam Ali Islamic Centre [2018] VSC 413

John Alexander’s Clubs Pty Ltd v White City Tennis Club Ltd (2010) 241 CLR 1

Jones (Liquidator) v Matrix Partners Pty Ltd, in the matter of Killarnee Civil & Concrete Contractors Pty Ltd (in liq) (2018) 354 ALR 436

Jones v Kernott [2010] 1 WLR 2401

Korda v Australian Executor Trustees (SA) Ltd (2015) 255 CLR 62

Krejci (liquidator), in the matter of Community Work Pty Ltd (in liq) [2018] FCA 425

Lane (trustee), in the matter of Lee (bankrupt) v Deputy Commissioner of Taxation [2017] 253 FCR 46

Legal Services Board v Gillespie-Jones (2013) 249 CLR 493

Lucas v Lucas [2018] NSWSC 962

Macedonian Orthodox Community Church v His Eminence Petar the Diocesan Bishop of Macedonian Orthodox Diocese (2008) 237 CLR 66

Munro v Munro [2018] VSC 747

Muschinski v Dodds (1985) 160 CLR 583

Oughtred v Inland Revenue Commissioners [1960] AC 206; [1958] Ch 383

Papas v Co [2018] NSWSC 1404

Re Amerind Pty Ltd; Commonwealth v Byrnes and Hewitt (2018) 54 VR 230

Re Berkeley Applegate (Investment Consultants) Ltd (in liq) [1989] Ch 32

Re Hallett’s Estate; Knatchbull v Hallett (1879) 13 Ch D 696

Re Mackie Group Pty Ltd (in liq) (2017) 122 ACSR 537

Re Universal Distributing Co (in liq) (1933) 48 CLR 171

RWG Management Ltd v Commissioner for Corporate Affairs (Vic) [1984] VR 385

Scott v Scott (1963) 109 CLR 649

Shalson v Russo [2005] Ch 281

Silvia (Trustee) v Williams, in the matter of Williams (Bankrupt) [2018] FCA 189

Sivritas v Sivritas [2008] VSC 374

Smith, in the matter of Buddy Management Pty Ltd (in liq) v Buddy Management Pty Ltd (in liq) [2019] FCA 566

Stack v Dowden [2007] 2 AC 432

Stavrianakos v Western Australia [2016] WASC 64

Widmer v Imagination Enterprises Pty Ltd (unreported, Supreme Court of Western Australia, Bredmeyer M, CIV 1126 of 1999, 9 April 1999)

Woodgate, in the matter of Bell Hire Services Pty Ltd (in liq) [2016] FCA 1583

Youyang Pty Ltd v Minter Ellison Morris Fletcher (2003) 212 CLR 484



Date of hearing:

3 December 2018, 4 December 2018, 5 December 2018 and 25 February 2019



Registry:

Queensland



Division:

General Division



National Practice Area:

Commercial and Corporations



Sub-area:

Corporations and Corporate Insolvency



Category:

Catchwords



Number of paragraphs:

225



Counsel for the Plaintiff:

Mr C Jennings



Solicitor for the Plaintiff:

Patane Lawyers



Counsel for the First Defendant:

The first defendant appeared in person



Counsel for the Second Defendant:

The second defendant did not appear



Counsel for the Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Defendants:

Mr JM Manner



Solicitor for the Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Defendants:

Mark Swivel Legal



Counsel for the Seventh Defendant:

The seventh defendant appeared in person



Counsel for the Eighth Defendant:

The eighth defendant appeared in person



Counsel for the Ninth Defendant:

The ninth defendant appeared in person



ORDERS


QUD 32 of 2018

IN THE MATTER OF WOLLUMBIN HORIZONS PTY LTD (IN LIQUIDATION) ACN 606 581 364

BETWEEN:

STEVEN NEVILLE STAATZ AS...

Get this document and AI-powered insights with a free trial of vLex and Vincent AI

Get Started for Free

Unlock full access with a free 7-day trial

Transform your legal research with vLex

  • Complete access to the largest collection of common law case law on one platform

  • Generate AI case summaries that instantly highlight key legal issues

  • Advanced search capabilities with precise filtering and sorting options

  • Comprehensive legal content with documents across 100+ jurisdictions

  • Trusted by 2 million professionals including top global firms

  • Access AI-Powered Research with Vincent AI: Natural language queries with verified citations

vLex

Unlock full access with a free 7-day trial

Transform your legal research with vLex

  • Complete access to the largest collection of common law case law on one platform

  • Generate AI case summaries that instantly highlight key legal issues

  • Advanced search capabilities with precise filtering and sorting options

  • Comprehensive legal content with documents across 100+ jurisdictions

  • Trusted by 2 million professionals including top global firms

  • Access AI-Powered Research with Vincent AI: Natural language queries with verified citations

vLex

Unlock full access with a free 7-day trial

Transform your legal research with vLex

  • Complete access to the largest collection of common law case law on one platform

  • Generate AI case summaries that instantly highlight key legal issues

  • Advanced search capabilities with precise filtering and sorting options

  • Comprehensive legal content with documents across 100+ jurisdictions

  • Trusted by 2 million professionals including top global firms

  • Access AI-Powered Research with Vincent AI: Natural language queries with verified citations

vLex

Unlock full access with a free 7-day trial

Transform your legal research with vLex

  • Complete access to the largest collection of common law case law on one platform

  • Generate AI case summaries that instantly highlight key legal issues

  • Advanced search capabilities with precise filtering and sorting options

  • Comprehensive legal content with documents across 100+ jurisdictions

  • Trusted by 2 million professionals including top global firms

  • Access AI-Powered Research with Vincent AI: Natural language queries with verified citations

vLex

Unlock full access with a free 7-day trial

Transform your legal research with vLex

  • Complete access to the largest collection of common law case law on one platform

  • Generate AI case summaries that instantly highlight key legal issues

  • Advanced search capabilities with precise filtering and sorting options

  • Comprehensive legal content with documents across 100+ jurisdictions

  • Trusted by 2 million professionals including top global firms

  • Access AI-Powered Research with Vincent AI: Natural language queries with verified citations

vLex

Unlock full access with a free 7-day trial

Transform your legal research with vLex

  • Complete access to the largest collection of common law case law on one platform

  • Generate AI case summaries that instantly highlight key legal issues

  • Advanced search capabilities with precise filtering and sorting options

  • Comprehensive legal content with documents across 100+ jurisdictions

  • Trusted by 2 million professionals including top global firms

  • Access AI-Powered Research with Vincent AI: Natural language queries with verified citations

vLex
11 cases
  • Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Marco (No 9)
    • Australia
    • Federal Court
    • 26 October 2021
    ...99 Re Sutherland [2004] NSWSC 798; (2004) 50 ACSR 297 Shiu Shing Sze Tu v Lowe [2014] NSWCA 462; (2014) NSWLR 317 Staatz v Berry (No 3) [2019] FCA 924; (2019) 138 ACSR 231 Tang v Wright (No 3) [2020] FCA 1122 Trio Capital Limited (Admin App) v ACT Superannuation Management Pty Ltd [2010] NS......
  • Lawrence, in the matter of Ozifin Tech Pty Ltd (in liq) v AGM Markets Pty Ltd (in liq)
    • Australia
    • Federal Court
    • 9 December 2022
    ...Caledonia Travel Service Pty Ltd (in liq) (2003) 59 NSWLR 361 Shannon v JMA Accounting Pty Ltd [2005] QSC 240 Staatz v Berry (No 3) (2019) 138 ACSR 231 Templeton v Australian Securities and Investments Commission (2015) 108 ACSR 545 Westdeutsche Landesbank Girozentrale v Islington London Bo......
  • Micheletto (Trustee), in the matter of the El-Debel (Bankrupt) v El-Debel
    • Australia
    • Federal Court
    • 23 July 2020
    ...HCA 11; (2011) 243 CLR 361 Lucas v Lucas [2018] NSWSC 962 Staatz v Berry, in the matter of Wollumbin Horizons Pty Ltd (in liq) (No 3) [2019] FCA 924; 138 ACSR 231 Tonna v Mendonca [2019] NSWSC 1849 Trkulja v Markovic [2015] VSCA 298; (2015) 49 VR 402 Varma v Varma [2010] NSWSC 786 Date of h......
  • Carrello, in the matter of Gembrook Investments Pty Ltd (in liq)
    • Australia
    • Federal Court
    • 26 July 2019
    ...Distributing Co Ltd (in liq) [1933] HCA 2; (1933) 48 CLR 171 Staatz v Berry, in the matter of Wollumbin Horizons Pty Ltd (in liq) (No 3) [2019] FCA 924 Taylor (Liquidator) v CJ & KL Bond Super Pty Ltd (Trustee), in the matter of CJ & KL Bond Pty Ltd (in liq) [2018] FCA 1430 Walley, in the m......
  • Get Started for Free
1 books & journal articles
  • CONSTRUCTIVE TRUSTS AND DISCRETION IN AUSTRALIA: TAKING STOCK.
    • Australia
    • Melbourne University Law Review Vol. 44 No. 3, April 2021
    • 1 April 2021
    ...parties', the plaintiff was entitled to relief: at 617 (emphasis added). (49) Trajkoski (n 48) [28]. See also Staatz v Berry [No 3] (2019) 138 ACSR 231, 276 [166] (Derrington J) ('Staatz'), citing Imam AH Islamic Centre v Imam AH Islamic Centre Inc [2018] VSC 413, [402]-[405] (McMillan J) (......