Macchia v Nilant [2001] FCA 7

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Macchia v Nilant [2001] FCA 7 BANKRUPTCY – trustee – duties – control of trustee – supervisory jurisdiction of court – application for inquiry and claim for damages by discharged bankrupt – whether discharged bankrupt has standing under ss 178 and 179 – whether claim for damages under general law available under those sections – invalid notices of objection by trustee – apparent extension of bankruptcy – objections based on pre-December 1996 contribution assessments – assessments invalid as retrospective – insufficient time for payment – notice of objection relying on non-payment of contribution assessments expressed in the alternative – subsequent notices of objection based on failure to provide information – whether issued for improper purposes – duty of trustee in assessing contributions and issuing objections to discharge – National Standards – relief claimed essentially damages to support setting aside of bankruptcy notice based on earlier costs order in favour of trustee – relief unavailable under ss 178 and 179 – no utility in inquiry.

Bankruptcy Act 1966 (Cth) ss 30, 139W, 139ZG, 139ZI, 149, 149A, 149D, 176, 178, 179 Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth) s 39B(1A) Macchia v Nilant (Lee J, 11 April 1997, unreported) cited Nilant v Macchia (1997) 78 FCR 419 cited Challen v Bendeich [1999] FCA 845 cited Re Macchia; Ex parte Macchia v Nilant (2000) 172 ALR 158 cited Nilant v Macchia [2000] FCA 1528 cited Motion v Moojen (1872) LR 14 Eq 2020 cited Payne v Dicker (1871) 24 LT 492 cited Re Peters; Ex parte Lloyd (1882) 47 LT 64 discussed Re A Debtor; Ex parte The Debtor v Dodwell (The Trustee) [1949] 1 Ch 236 discussed Leon v York-O-Matic Ltd (1966) 1 WLR 1450 discussed Re Sidebotham (1880) 14 Ch D 458 cited In Re Hall (1957) 20 ABC 21 cited Re Carson; Ex parte Carson (1960) 19 ABC 108 cited In Re Chirnside; Digby v Union Trustee Co of Australia Ltd [1929] VLR 217 cited Re Hawkesford (1937) 10 ABC 26 discussed Willoughby v Official Trustee in Bankruptcy (WA) [2000] FCA 757 cited Re Teller Home Furnishings Pty Ltd (In Liq) [1967] VR 313 cited Re Mineral Securities Australia Ltd (In Liq) [1973] 2 NSWLR 207 discussed Re Tyndall (1977) 30 FLR 6 discussed Re Alafaci; Registrar in Bankruptcy v Hardwick (1976) 9 ALR 262 discussed Re Stelnicki (1982) 62 FLR 430 cited Re Dingle; Westpac Banking Corporation v Worrell (1993) 47 FCR 478 discussed McGoldrick v Official Trustee in Bankruptcy (1993) 47 FCR 547 discussed Cummings v Claremont Petroleum NL (1996) 185 CLR 124 cited Re Wheeler; Ex parte Wheeler v Halse (1994) 54 FCR 166 cited State of Western Australia v Strickland (2000) 99 FCR 33 cited Federal Commissioner of Taxation v Munro (1926) 38 CLR 153 cited R v Trade Practices Tribunal; Ex parte Tasmanian Breweries Pty Ltd (1971) 123 CLR 361 cited Cominos v Cominos (1972) 127 CLR 588 cited Gray v Clout (1990) 27 FCR 141 cited Healey v Prentice (No 2) [2000] FCA 1598 cited Haskins v Insolvency and Trustee Service Australia (Full Court, 3 October 1996, unreported) cited Adsett v Berlouis (1992) 37 FCR 201 cited Madden v Madden (1995) 58 FCR 590 discussed Madden v Madden (1996) 65 FCR 354 discussed Official Receiver in Bankruptcy v Todd (1986) 70 ALR 119 followed Watson v Healey (1996) 64 FCR 301 discussed Cheesman v Waters (1997) 143 ALR 78 discussed Bellin v Pattison (Trustee) [1999] FCA 51 cited Cheesman v Waters (1997) 77 FCR 221 discussed Re Gault; Gault v Law (1982) 57 FLR 165 discussed Muir v Bradley (1984) 57 ALR 155 cited Wilson v Commonwealth [1999] FCA 219 followed Turner v Official Trustee in Bankruptcy (Full Court, 27 November 1998, unreported) applied Re Challen (A Bankrupt) Ex parte Brown (Beaumont J, 23 April 1996, unreported) cited Van Reesema v Official Trustee in Bankruptcy (1983) 69 FLR 424 cited