Vidyagauri Hiralal v Nitin Hiralal & Ors [2013] NSWSC 984

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Vidyagauri Hiralal v Nitin Hiralal & Ors [2013] NSWSC 984 Hearing dates: 23 & 24 August 2012 Decision date: 29 July 2013 Jurisdiction: Equity Division Before: Slattery J Decision: Motion dismissed Catchwords: EQUITY - trusts and trustees - removal of trustees - recovery of trust assets - proceedings commenced in New South Wales by one of three trustees of a testamentary trust created under will admitted to probate in Fiji - whether New South Wales Supreme Court has jurisdiction to determine the proceedings - whether defendants have been served personally within jurisdiction - whether defendants have been served outside jurisdiction in accordance with UCPR Pt 11 - whether leave to proceed should be given under UCPR Pt 11 - defendants issued subpoenas and filed an unconditional appearance - application for leave to withdraw appearance - whether defendants have submitted to jurisdiction - whether New South Wales is a clearly inappropriate forum for their determination. Legislation Cited: Administration and Probate Act 1958 (Vic) s 33 Civil Procedure Act 2001, s 63 Corporations Act 2001 ss 169, 178, 1070A(4) Probate and Administration Act 1898 (NSW) ss 40, 107 Supreme Court Rules 1970 Pt 10 r 2A, s 81 The Hague Convention on the Law Applicable to Trusts and on their Recognition 1984, Articles 6, 7, 21 Trusts (Hague Convention) Act 1991 (Cth) s 6 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2001 r 6.19, r 11.2, 11.3, 11.4, 11.6, 11.7, 12.11, 13.4, Schedule 6 (a), (i), (j), (m), (n), (o), (p) and (u), Part 25 Cases Cited: Australian Olympic Committee Inc v The Big Fights Inc [1999] FCA 1042 Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) v Sweeney (No 2) [2000] NSWSC 1211 Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Sweeney (No 2) (2001) 38 ACSR 743; [2001] NSWSC 477 Baldry v Jackson [1976] 1 NSWLR 19 Brealey v Board of Management Royal Perth Hospital [1999] WASCA 158 Brookfield v Davey Products Pty Ltd 25 September 1998, Mansfield J, Federal Court of Australia, unreported Brougham v Poulett (1855) 19 Beav 119; 52 ER 294 Brown v Holt [1961] VR 435 Burke v Dawes [1938] HCA 6, (1938) 59 CLR 1 Cambridge Credit Corporation Ltd v Lissenden (1987) 8 NSWLR 411 Carrick v Hancock (1895) 12 TLR 59 Cash v Nominal Defendant (1969) 90 WN (Pt 1) (NSW) 77 Chellaram v Chellaram [1985] Ch 409 CSR Ltd v Cigna Insurance Australia Ltd (1997) 189 CLR 345 Damberg v Damberg (2001) 52 NSWLR 492 Dawson v Perpetual Trustee Co (Ltd) (1953) 89 CLR 138 Easterbrook v Young (1977) 136 CLR 308 Easterbrook v Young [1974] 1 NSWLR 676 Electronic Industries Imports Pty Ltd v Public Curator of Queensland [1960] VR 10 Ex parte The Public Trustee; Re Birch (1951) 52 SR (NSW) 345 Garsec v His Majesty Sultan of Brunei (2007) 213 FLR 331; [2007] NSWSC 882 George Attenborough & Son v Solomon [1913] AC 76 Haque v Haque [No 2] (1965) 114 CLR 98 Hartigan Nominees Pty Ltd v Rydge (1992) 29 NSWLR 405 Henry v Henry (1995) 185 CLR 571 Hooper v Summersett (1810) Wight 16 Howard v National Bank of New Zealand Ltd (2002) 121 FCR 366, [2002] FCA 1257 Hutchinson & Anor v Bank of Scotland Plc [2012] QSC 28 In the Estate of Constantinou [2012] QSC 332 In the Estate of Dunn (decd) [1963] VR 165 Jabbour v Custodian of Israeli Absentee Property [1954] 1 All ER 145 Jaques v Public Trustee of Qld as Executor and Trustee of the Estate of Jaques decd [2008] QSC 108 Juul v Northey [2010] NSWCA 211 Laurie v Carroll (1958) 98 CLR 310 Martin v Martin (1903) 3 SR (NSW) 156. Mccorquodale v Guth [2008] NSWSC 1420 Murakami v Wiryadi (2010) 268 ALR 377; [2010] NSWCA 7 Nagel v Hough (1927) 27 SR (NSW) 418 National Commercial Bank v Wimborne (1978) 5 BPR 11,958 National Commercial Bank v Wimborne (1979) 11 NSWLR 156 Nicholls v Michael Wilson and Partners Limited [2010] NSWCA 222 Nolan v Nolan [2004] VSCA 109 Nudd v Taylor [2000] QSC 344 Oceanic Sun Line Special Shipping Co Inc v Fay (1988) 165 CLR 197 Pagels v MacDonald (1936) 54 CLR 519 Paramasivam v Flynn (1998) 90 FCR 489 Permanent Trustee Co (Canberra) Ltd v Finlayson (1968) 122 CLR 338 Piatek v Piatek (2010) 245 FLR 137; [2010] QSC 412 Puttick v Tenon Ltd [2008] HCA 54 (2008) 238 CLR 265 Re Claremont [1923] 2 KB 718 Re McPhail (decd) [1971] VR 534 Re Mustang Marine Australia Services Pty Ltd (in liq) [2013] NSWSC 360 Re O'Sullivan; Ex parte O'Sullivan v Commonwealth Bank of Australia (1995) 57 FCR 145; (1995) 129 ALR 295 Re Pratt (decd) [1964] NSWR 105; (1963) 80 WN (NSW) 1416 Rein v Stein (1892) 66 LT 469 Saliba v Falzon 1 July 1998, Supreme Court of NSW, Young J, unreported Sigma Coachair Group Pty Ltd v Bock Australia Pty Ltd [2009] NSWSC 684 Somportex Ltd v Philadelphia Chewing Gum Corp [1968] 3 All ER 26 Spiliada Maritime Corp v Cansulex Ltd [1987] AC 460 Stokes v Churchill; Estate of Fryer (1994) NSW ConvR 55-694 Studorp Ltd v Robinson [2012] NSWSC 148 Studorp Ltd v Robinson Robinson v Studorp Ltd [2012] NSWCA 382 Tory v Megna [2012] NSWCA 41 Voth v Manildra Flour Mills Pty Ltd (1990) 171 CLR 538 Walker v Newmont Australia Ltd [2010] FCA 298 Webb (decd), In the Estate of; Webb v Rogers (1992) 57 SASR 193 Webb v Webb [1992] 1 All ER 17 Weinstock v Sarnat [2005] NSWSC 744 Wood v Inglis [2008] NSWSC 1427 Texts Cited: J D Heydon, M J Leeming, Jacobs' Law of Trusts in Australia LexisNexis Butterworths, Australia, 2006 J Harris, The Hague Convention, Hart Publishing 2002 F.C.Hutley, "The Executor De Son Tort in the Law of New South Wales", 25 ALJ 716 Mason and Handler Succession Law and Practice NSW LexisNexis Nygh's Conflict of Laws in Australia, Lexis Nexis Australia 2010 Williams, Mortimer and Sunnucks, Executors Administrators and Probate, 16th Edition, Sweet and Maxwell, p93 Category: Interlocutory applications Parties: Plaintiff:- Vidyagauri Hiralal First Defendant:- Nitin Hiralal Second Defendant:-Vinod Gokal Third Defendant:- Vibha Hiralal Representation: Counsel: Plaintiff:- N. Allan Defendants:- S.J.Stanton; T. Flaherty Solicitors: Plaintiff:- Harish Prasad & Associates First and Second Defendants:- Gateway Legal Third Defendant:- File Number(s): 2012/82834 Publication restriction: No