Westpac Banking Corporation v Kekatos [2015] NSWSC 1629

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Westpac Banking Corporation v Kekatos [2015] NSWSC 1629 Hearing dates: 26 October 2015 and 3 November 2015 Decision date: 05 November 2015 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Adamson J Decision: Orders as set out in [96] of these reasons. Catchwords: PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – plaintiff's consent to default judgment being set aside given on the basis of defendant's sworn evidence which she subsequently admitted was false – application by plaintiff to have default judgment reinstated – circumstances in which a court sets aside orders entered by consent – whether plaintiff entitled to summary judgment – whether bona fide defence on the merits – effect of defendant's failure to give sworn evidence in opposition to plaintiff's application

PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – motion to set aside interlocutory consent order to be brought in the original proceedings to avoid multiplicity of proceedings

CONTRACT – consent orders handed up to resolve interlocutory notice of motion not enforceable contract

CONTRACTS REVIEW ACT – relevance of benefit to borrower from discharge of earlier mortgage to secure loans admitted to be owing – no evidence to displace lender's entitlement to possession and judgment based on portion of advance that conferred incontrovertible benefit on borrower Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), ss 56, 57, 58, 59 Contracts Review Act 1980 (NSW) Real Property Act 1900 (NSW), s 57(2)(b) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) (UCPR), rr 13.1, 14.3, 16.2, 16.3, 16.8, 36.15, 36.16, Cases Cited: Collier v Morlend Finance Corp (1989) NSW ConvR 55-473 Commercial Banking Co of Sydney Limited v Pollard [1983] 1 NSWLR 74 Dai v Zhu [2013] NSWCA 412 Dunwoodie v Teachers Mutual Bank Ltd [2014] NSWCA 24 First Mortgage Managed Investments Pty Ltd v Pittman [2014] NSWCA 110 Garcia v National Australia Bank (1998) 194 CLR 395 Gould v Vaggelas (1985) 157 CLR 215 Magnate Projects Pty Ltd v Youma Constructions (No 2) Pty Ltd [2005] NSWCA 331 Paino v Hofbrauer (1988) 13 NSWLR 193 Permanent Trustee Co (Canberra) Ltd (Executor estate of Andrews) v Stocks & Holdings (Canberra) Pty Ltd (1976) 15 ACTR 45 Perpetual Trustee Co Ltd v Khoshaba [2006] NSWCA 41 Roach v B & W Steel Pty Ltd (1991) 23 NSWLR 110 Romeo v Papalia [2012] NSWCA 221 Westpac Banking Corporation v Kekatos [2014] NSWSC 1802 Yerkey v Jones (1939) 63 CLR 649 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Westpac Banking Corporation Limited (Plaintiff/Applicant) Vicki Kekatos (First Defendant/Respondent) Bronte Properties Pty Limited ACN 127 369 359 (receivers and managers appointed)(Second Defendant) Jerry Kekatos (Third Defendant) Representation: Counsel: T D Castle / D Moujalli (Plaintiff) D Allen (First Defendant)