Arjunan v Neighbourhood Association DP No 285853 [2024] NSWCA 123

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Arjunan v Neighbourhood Association DP No 285853 [2024] NSWCA 123 Hearing dates: 15 May 2024 Date of orders: 24 May 2024 Decision date: 24 May 2024 Before: Bell CJ, Kirk JA and Griffiths AJA Decision: 1. Pursuant to s 8(7) of the Vexatious Proceedings Act 2008 (NSW), order that Mr Kannapiran Chinna Arjunan and Ms Thangam Kannapiran are prohibited from instituting proceedings in the Supreme Court of New South Wales including in the Court of Appeal against the Neighbourhood Association DP No 285853 or its managing agent, O'Connors Strata & Property Specialists Pty Ltd, in respect of the matters litigated in Arjunan v Neighbourhood Association DP No 285853 (No 3) [2022] NSWSC 1524, the interlocutory decisions related to that decision (Arjunan v Neighbourhood Association No DP 285853 [2022] NSWSC 691, Arjunan v Neighbourhood Association No DP 285853 [2022] NSWSC 746 and Arjunan v Neighbourhood Association No DP 285853 [2022] NSWSC 1663), the following decisions (Arjunan v Neighbourhood Association DP No 285853 [2023] NSWCA 103, Arjunan v Neighbourhood Association DP No 285853 (No 2) [2023] NSWCA 176, Arjunan v Neighbourhood Association DP No 285853 (No 3) [2023] NSWCA 266 and Arjunan v Neighbourhood Association DP No 285853 (No 4) [2023] NSWCA 329) and Arjunan v Neighbourhood Association DP No 285853 [2024] NSWCA 123. 2. Order that Mr Kannapiran Chinna Arjunan and Ms Thangam Kannapiran pay the costs of the Neighbourhood Association DP No 285853 of and incidental to the hearing of 15 May 2024. 3. Pursuant to s 8(7) of the Vexatious Proceedings Act 2008 (NSW), order that the Notice of Motion dated 5 January 2024 that had been stood over for directions to 27 May 2024 be dismissed. Catchwords: PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – whether the Court should make a vexatious proceedings order of its own motion – s 8(1) of the Vexatious Proceedings Act 2008 (NSW) – whether sufficient frequency of institution of vexatious proceedings – where litigants reagitated the same points on multiple occasions in the Common Law Division of the Supreme Court and in the Court of Appeal Legislation Cited: Community Land Management Act 1989 (NSW) ss 14, 20A, 120 Community Land Management Act 2021 (NSW) s 89 Local Court Act 2007 (NSW) ss 39 and 40 Property, Stock and Business Agents Regulation 2014 (NSW) reg 4C Strata Schemes Management Act 1996 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) rr 7.3, 36.15-36.17 Vexatious Proceedings Act 2008 (NSW) ss 4, 6, 8 Cases Cited: Arjunan v Neighbourhood Association DP No 285853 [2022] NSWSC 746 Arjunan v Neighbourhood Association DP No 285853 [2023] NSWCA 103 Arjunan v Neighbourhood Association DP No 285853 (No 2) [2023] NSWCA 176 Arjunan v Neighbourhood Association DP No 285853 (No 3) [2022] NSWSC 1524 Arjunan v Neighbourhood Association DP No 285853 (No 3) [2023] NSWCA 266 Arjunan v Neighbourhood Association DP No 285853 (No 4) [2023] NSWCA 329 Arjunan v Neighbourhood Association No DP 285853 [2022] NSWSC 1663 Arjunan v Neighbourhood Association No DP 285853 [2022] NSWSC 691 Macatangay v New South Wales [2012] NSWCA 374 Owners of Strata Plan 36131 v Dimitriou (2009) 74 NSWLR 370; [2009] NSWCA 27 Potier v Attorney General in and for the State of New South Wales (2015) 89 NSWLR 284; [2015] NSWCA 129 Proietti v Proietti [2024] NSWCA 48 State of New South Wales v Hollingsworth (No 2) [2023] NSWCA 283 Teoh v Hunters Hill Council (No 4) (2011) 81 NSWLR 771; [2011] NSWCA 324 Teoh v Hunters Hill Council (No 8) [2014] NSWCA 125 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Mr Kannapiran Chinna Arjunan Ms Thangam Kannapiran Neighbourhood Association DP No 285853 Representation: Counsel: