Mooi Holdings Pty Ltd v SFN Constructions Pty Ltd [2023] NSWSC 573

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Mooi Holdings Pty Ltd v SFN Constructions Pty Ltd [2023] NSWSC 573 Hearing dates: 22 – 23 May 2023 Date of orders: 29 May 2023 Decision date: 29 May 2023 Jurisdiction: Equity - Technology and Construction List Before: Stevenson J Decision: Freezing order extended but with monetary limit reduced to $10 million Catchwords: CIVIL PROCEDURE – interim proceedings – freezing order – against defendant and directors of defendant and against related companies – whether interim freezing order should be extended – good arguable case – whether permissible to take into account issues that will arise at final hearing when determining monetary limit of order – where monetary limit of interim freezing order set at level of maximum of plaintiff's claim – third party respondents exercising power of disposition over defendant's assets – third party respondents may be liable to disgorge property – relevance of fact that defendant insured and insurer admitted liability to indemnify with usual reservations – relevance of impact of interim freezing order on defendant and respondents Legislation Cited: Building and Construction Industry Security of Payments Act 1999 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) Cases Cited: Cardile v LED Builders Pty Limited (1999) 198 CLR 380; [1999] HCA 18 Frigo v Culhaci [1998] NSWCA 88 Jackson v Sterling Industries Limited (1987) 162 CLR 612; [1987] HCA 23 Ninemia Maritime Corporation v Trave Schiffahrtsgesellschaft mbH & Co KG 'The Niedersachsen' [1983] 1 WLR 1412; [1984] 1 All ER 398 Patterson v BTR Engineering (Aust) Ltd (1989) 18 NSWLR 319 Rema Tip Top Asia Pacific Pty Ltd v Grüterich [2018] NSWSC 591 Samimi v Seyedabadi [2013] NSWCA 279 Category: Procedural rulings Parties: Mooi Holdings Pty Ltd (Plaintiff/Applicant) SFN Constructions Pty Ltd (Defendant) Francesco Sciacca (First Respondent) Maria Sciacca (Second Respondent) Salvatore Sciacca (Third Respondent) Venerando Sciacca (Fourth Respondent) SFN Build Group Pty Ltd ACN 647 293 356 (Fifth Respondent) CharlesLily Pty Ltd ACN 644 665 565 (Sixth Respondent) Representation: Counsel: F Ashworth (Plaintiff/Applicant) L Shipway with A Carr (Defendant/Respondents)