In the matter of Sirrah Pty Ltd [2024] NSWSC 953

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: In the matter of Sirrah Pty Ltd [2024] NSWSC 953 Hearing dates: 29 July 2024, 2 August 2024 Date of orders: 5 August 2024 Decision date: 05 August 2024 Jurisdiction: Equity - Corporations List Before: Black J Decision: Interlocutory Process and oral application to file Amended Interlocutory Process is dismissed. Catchwords: CORPORATIONS – receivers, controllers and managers – whether receiver was validly appointed – where appointment was purportedly effected by novation of previous agreement which did not validly appoint receiver. Legislation Cited: - Business Names Registration Act 2011 (NSW), s 18 - Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), s 56 - Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW), s 212 - Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 12.10 Cases Cited: - ALH Group Property Holdings Pty Ltd v Chief Cmr of State Revenue (2012) 245 CLR 338; [2012] HCA 6 - Davison v Vickery's Motors Ltd (in liq) (1925) 37 CLR 1 - Dennis Pethybridge v Stedikas Holdings Pty Ltd (2007) Aust Contract R 90-263; [2007] NSWCA 154 - Harris v Harris [2021] NSWCA 329 - Harris & Lewin Pty Ltd (in liq) v Harris & Lewin Agents Pty Ltd (1975-76) CLC 40-216 - Hughes v NM Superannuation Pty Ltd (1993) 29 NSWLR 653; (1993) 11 ACLC 923 - Idoport v National Australia Bank Ltd [2006] NSWCA 202 - Kai Ling (Australia) Pty Ltd v Rosengreen [2019] NSWCA 3 - NM Superannuation Pty Ltd v Hughes (1992) 27 NSWLR 26; (1992) 7 ACSR 105 - NZI Securities Australia Ltd v Poignand (1994) 51 FCR 584; (1994) 123 ALR 11; (1994) 14 ACSR 1 - Pethybridge v Stedikas Holdings Pty Ltd [2007] NSWCA 154 - Pi v Zhou [2016] NSWCA 148 - R A Cripps and Son v Wickenden (1973) 1 WLR 944 - Re Sirrah Pty Ltd (in prov liq) (2021) 152 ACSR 212; [2021] NSWSC 413 - Re Sirrah Pty Ltd (in prov liq) [2021] NSWSC 492 - Sheridan v Colin Biggers & Paisley [2019] NSWSC 621 - Webster v Super Smart Strategies Pty Ltd [2017] NSWSC 531 Texts Cited: - JD Heydon, Heydon on Contract: The General Part, 2019, [13.480] - Kerr and Hunter on Receivers and Administrators, 21st ed, 2020 - Lightman & Moss on the Law of Administrators and Receivers of Companies, 6th ed, 2017 - O'Donovan, Company Receivers and Administrators, [7.9910]ff Category: Procedural rulings Parties: Domenic Calabretta as purported receiver of the assets of Michelle Harris (Applicant on the Interlocutory Process) Gregory Thomas Harris and Monica Mary Brown as executors of the estate of the late Aileen Joyce Harris (Plaintiffs/Respondents on the Interlocutory Process) Sirrah Pty Ltd (in liq) (First Defendant) The Bankrupt Estate of William Francis Harris (Second Defendant) Michelle Joy Harris (Third Defendant) Harris Health Care Pty Ltd (receivers and managers appointed) (in liquidation) (Fourth Defendant) Representation: Counsel: B Nolan (Applicant on the Interlocutory Process) R Zahra SC/J Anderson (Plaintiffs/Respondents on the Interlocutory Process)