MARONIS HOLDINGS LTD & ANOR v. NIPPON CREDIT AUSTRALIA LTD & ORS [2000] NSWSC 507

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : MARONIS HOLDINGS LTD & ANOR v. NIPPON CREDIT AUSTRALIA LTD & ORS [2000] NSWSC 507 CURRENT JURISDICTION: EQUITY FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 1946/94 HEARING DATE(S) : 22/05/2000 JUDGMENT DATE : 9 June 2000

Maronis Holdings Limited (First Plaintiff) Girvan Corporation (New Zealand) Ltd (In Liq.) (Second Plaintiff) Nippon Credit Australia Ltd (First Defendant) PARTIES : Paul Francis Petersen (Second Defendant) Warren Alexander Duncan (Third Defendant, Fifth Cross-claimant) Alan Raymond Ambler (Fourth Defendant, Fourth Cross-claimant) Brian Wilson & 46 Ors t/as Clayton Utz (Seventh Defendant, Third Cross-claimant) John Spencer Boscawen (Cross-defendant) JUDGMENT OF : Bryson J at 1

J.E. Marshall for Plaintiffs COUNSEL : P. Durack for Seventh Defendant W. Muddle for Cross-defendant Henry Davis York for Plaintiff Minter Ellison for Third Cross-claimant SOLICITORS : Thompson Eslick for Fourth Cross-claimant Peter Hopkins for Fifth Cross-claimant Deacons Graham & James for Cross-defendant CATCHWORDS : PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE - service outside of Australia - application to set aside service under Pt 10 r 6A - cross-claim for contribution in tort claim - breach of duty of company officer - discretion to set aside - appearance filed by cross-defendant - circumstances affecting capacity of cross-defendant to defend claims - PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE - notice of appearance filed by cross-defendant served outside Australia - whether submitting defendant - whether right to apply to set aside service waived - PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE - whether joinder of cross-defendant afforded double protection to cross-claimant - PRIVATE INTERNATIONAL LAW - jurisdictional nexus - acts and omissions of company officer in New Zealand - transactions entered into by company in Australia - LIMITATION OF ACTIONS - whether joinder of party as cross-defendant in tort claim statute barred - accrual of cause action in negligence where contingent liability under mortgage - TORT - effect of release on co-sureties - co-ordinate liability - construction of document of general release Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1946 (NSW) s 5 LEGISLATION CITED : Limitation Act 1969 (NSW) ss 14, 26, 74 Supreme Court Rules 1970 (NSW) Pt 7 r 5, Pt 10 rr 1A, 6A, Pt 11 r 8, Form 13A Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) ss 52, 82 Allison v. KPMG Peat Marwick [2000] 1 NZLR 560 Astley v. Austrust Ltd (1999) 73 ALJR 403 Brooks . New Zealand Garden Trust [1994] 2 NZLR 134 Christopoulos v. Angelos (1996) 41 NSWLR 700Daniels v. Anderson (1995) 37 NSWLR 438 Esanda Finance Corp Ltd v. Wordplex Information Systems Ltd (1990) 19 NSWLR 146 Forster v. Outred & Co [1982] 1 WLR 86 Gye v. Davies (1995) 37 NSWLR 421 Hyde v. Agar (1998) 45 NSWLR 487 CASES CITED : Kenny & Good Pty Ltd v. MGICA (1992) Ltd (1999) 73 ALJR 901 McKain v. R W Miller & Co (South Australia) Pty Ltd (1991) 174 CLR 1 News Corporation Ltd v. Lenfest Communications Inc (1996) 40 NSWLR 250 Official Trustee in Bankruptcy v. Citibank Savings Ltd (1995) 38 NSWLR 116 Registrar General v. Cleaver (1996) 41 NSWLR 713 Tanna v. Deutsche Bank (Asia AG) (unreported, SC(NSW), Hodgson J, 5 September 1996) Thompson v. Australian Capital Television Pty Ltd (1996) 186 CLR 574 Voth v. Manildra Flour Mills Pty Ltd (1990) 171 CLR 538 Wardley Australia Ltd v. Western Australia (1992) 175 CLR 514 Wood v. Wood (1997) 149 ALR 301 DECISION : Service of cross-claims set aside.