Amir Ashrafinia v Mohammad Reza Ashrafinia; Parvaneh Karami Fakhrabadi v Mohammad Reza Ashrafinia (No. 4) [2014] NSWSC 676

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Amir Ashrafinia v Mohammad Reza Ashrafinia; Parvaneh Karami Fakhrabadi v Mohammad Reza Ashrafinia (No. 4) [2014] NSWSC 676 Hearing dates: 6 and 20 May 2014 Decision date: 28 May 2014 Jurisdiction: Equity Division Before: Slattery J Decision: The plaintiff in the 2011 proceedings is appointed trustee of the Ashrafi Investment Trust. Professional costs and legal fees of the trustee for sale of the Marsfield property are approved by consent. Decline to vary the Court's order of 27 February 2014 that the plaintiff pay the defendant's costs of the 2008 proceedings on the ordinary basis. Catchwords: EQUITY - trusts and trustees - appointment and dismissal of trustees - discretionary family trust - extensive litigation - small trust estate - new trustee to be appointed - objects of discretionary trust disagree about identity of new trustee - whether independent professional trustee should be appointed - who is the least inappropriate person to be appointed trustee.

Trustee for sale - trustee seeks approval for trustee's professional and legal costs - beneficiary objects - issues resolved by consent.

COSTS - indemnity costs - offer of compromise served in the 2008 proceedings in May 2011 - whether indemnity costs should be awarded on the basis of the offer of compromise - whether offer of compromise related to the subject-matter of the hearing. Legislation Cited: Trustee Act 1925 (NSW), ss 59(4), 70 and 71 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005, rr 42.13, 42.14 Cases Cited: Amir Ashrafinia v Mohammad Reza Ashrafinia; Parvaneh Karami Fakhrabadi v Mohammad Reza Ashrafinia [2013] NSWSC 1442 Amir Ashrafinia v Mohammad Reza Ashrafinia; Parvaneh Karami Fakhrabadi v Mohammad Reza Ashrafinia (No. 2) [2014] NSWSC 145 Amir Ashrafinia v Mohammad Reza Ashrafinia; Parvaneh Karami Fakhrabadi v Mohammad Reza Ashrafinia (No. 3) [2014] NSWSC 385 Re Gulbenkian's Settlement Trust [1970] AC 508 Horvarth Corporate Pty Limited v Huie [1999] NSWSC 583 McPhail v Doulton [1971] AC 424 Re J. Bibby & Sons Ltd Pensions Trust Deed [1952] 2 All Eng R 483 Re Denley's Trust Deed (1969) 1 Ch 373 Schmidt v Rosewood Trust Limited [2003] 2 AC 709 Category: Consequential orders Parties: First Plaintiff:- Amir Hossain Ashrafinia First Defendant:- Mohammad Reza Ashrafinia; Second Defendant:- Ashrafi Persian Trading Company Pty Limited