A-Civil Aust Pty Ltd v Ceerose Pty Ltd [2023] NSWCA 144

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: A-Civil Aust Pty Ltd v Ceerose Pty Ltd [2023] NSWCA 144 Hearing dates: 20 June 2023 Date of orders: 29 June 2023 Decision date: 29 June 2023 Before: Payne JA; Simpson AJA; Basten AJA Decision: (1) Grant the applicant leave to appeal. (2) Direct that the applicant file within 7 days a notice of appeal in the form of the draft amended notice of appeal dated 18 June 2023. (3) Refuse leave to rely on the affidavit of Ms Saad sworn 9 June 2023. (4) Allow the appeal and: (a) Set aside the order made by the primary judge on 15 May 2023 that "the first defendant produce to the plaintiff's solicitors a copy of the whole of the first defendant's current MYOB file in the form of a .myox file". (b) Set aside par 22 of the Notice to Produce dated 20 April 2023. (5) Order the respondent pay the applicant's costs of the summons for leave to appeal and the appeal. Catchwords: APPEALS – interlocutory appeal – leave to appeal – procedural order – notice to produce financial records – whether error demonstrated – whether issue of principle raised – purpose for which records sought not pursued – failure of judge to advert to lack of purpose – production otherwise not justified – practice of interlocutory stays likely to undermine statutory scheme BUILDING and CONSTRUCTION – adjudication of payment claim – payment of amount of adjudicator's determination – injunction pending determination of contractual dispute – policy of Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW) – risk of insolvency of claimant – onus of proof – production of financial records of claimant Legislation Cited: Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW) ss 13-15, 17, 20-25, 32, 32B Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) ss 14, 61, 68, Pt 6 Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW) s 75A Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) rr 34.1, 51.51 Cases Cited: Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Schlaepfer [2017] NSWCA 247 Avon Downs Pty Ltd v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1949) 78 CLR 353; [1949] HCA 26 Be Financial Pty Ltd as trustee for Be Financial Operations Trust v Das [2012] NSWCA 164 Brodyn Pty Ltd t/as Time Cost & Quality v Davenport (2004) 61 NSWLR 421; [2004] NSWCA 294 Ceerose Pty Ltd v A-Civil Aust Pty Ltd [2023] NSWSC 239 Ceerose Pty Ltd v A-Civil Aust Pty Ltd (No 2) [2023] NSWSC 401 Colbran, in the matter of PBS Building Pty Limited (Administrators Appointed) [2023] FCA 276 Grosvenor Constructions (NSW) Pty Ltd (in administration) v Musico [2004] NSWSC 344 Jaycar Pty Ltd v Lombardo [2011] NSWCA 284 Kennedy Civil Contracting Pty Ltd (Administrators Appointed) v Richard Crookes Construction Pty Ltd; In the matter of Kennedy Civil Contracting Pty Ltd [2023] NSWSC 99 Lithgow City Council v Jackson (2011) 244 CLR 352; [2011] HCA 36 Probuild Constructions (Aust) Pty Ltd v Shade Systems Pty Ltd (2018) 264 CLR 1; [2018] HCA 4 R J Neller Building Pty Ltd v Ainsworth [2009] 1 Qd R 390; [2008] QCA 397 Shade Systems Pty Ltd v Probuild Constructions (Aust) Pty Ltd [2018] NSWCA 33 TFM Epping Land Pty Ltd v Decon Australia Pty Ltd [2020] NSWCA 118 Veolia Water Solutions v Kruger Engineering [No 3] [2007] NSWSC 459 Category: Principal judgment Parties: A-Civil Aust Pty Ltd (Applicant) Ceerose Pty Ltd (First Respondent) John Tuhtan (Second Respondent) ABC Dispute Resolution Service (Third Respondent) Representation: Counsel: F Hicks SC with L Gor (Applicant) S Robertson SC with J Wright (First Respondent)