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