Roupell v Zhang [2020] NSWSC 1362

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Roupell v Zhang [2020] NSWSC 1362 Hearing dates: 6 October 2020 Date of orders: 6 October 2020 Decision date: 06 October 2020 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Schmidt AJ Decision: 1. The plaintiff's motion is dismissed and they must bear Mr Zhang's costs, as agreed or assessed. Catchwords: CIVIL PROCEDURE – Freezing orders – Where plaintiff engaged defendant to install air conditioner – Where fire ignited and destroyed plaintiff's home –Whether risk of dissipation established – Where prospect of impending insolvency not alone a reason to grant freezing order – Where no evidence that defendant would take steps to make himself proof against an order to pay judgment against him – Whether plaintiff demonstrated defendant's lack of probity - Risk of dissipation of assets not established Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) ss 56, 58 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 25.11, 25.12 Cases Cited: Australian Broadcasting Corporation v O'Neill (2006) 227 CLR 57; [2006] HCA 46 Beecham Group Ltd v Bristol Laboratories Pty Ltd (1968) 118 CLR 618 at 622; [1968] HCA 1 Frigo v Culhaci [1998] NSWCA 88 Hortico (Australia) Pty Ltd v Energy Equipment Co (Australia) Pty Ltd (1985) 1 NSWLR 545 Patterson v BTR Engineering (Aust) Ltd (1989) 18 NSWLR 319 Ross v Internet Wines Pty Ltd (2004) 60 NSWLR 436; [2004] NSWCA 195 Samimi v Seyedabadi; Seyedabadi v Samimi [2013] NSWCA 279 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Saroj Amy Roupell (First Plaintiff) Darko Roupell (Second Plaintiff) Zhi Lian Zhang (Defendant) Insurance Australia Ltd T/as CGU Insurance (Cross Defendant) Representation: Counsel: C Hickey (Plaintiffs) J Lee (Defendant) Solicitors: Boyd House & Partners (Plaintiffs) Veracity Legal (Defendants) McCabe Curwood (Cross Defendants) File Number(s): 2020/219819