Cennzeal Pty Ltd v Dawson Property Ventures Pty Ltd [2018] NSWSC 690

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Cennzeal Pty Ltd v Dawson Property Ventures Pty Ltd [2018] NSWSC 690 Hearing dates: 26 March 2018 Date of orders: 20 April 2018 Decision date: 18 April 2018 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Rein J Decision: See [48] – [49] Catchwords: EQUITY – Equitable Assignment – Preliminary determination of separate questions – Whether either of two deeds were effective to assign claimed rights of the purported assignor against the Defendants – Issues of authority to execute documents on behalf of the assignor – Consideration of the effect of a prohibition on assignment clause – Construction of the wording of the deeds and whether the deeds, if otherwise valid, involved assignment of a bare right of action. Legislation Cited: Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW) Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) Cases Cited: Bondi Beach Astra Retirement Village Pty Ltd v Gora [2011] NSWCA 396 Campbells Cash and Carry Pty Limited v Fostif Pty Limited (2006) 229 CLR 386 Hall v Busst (1960) 104 CLR 206 In the matter of Idoport Pty Ltd ACN 075 318 106; In the matter of Idoport Pty Ltd (In Liq) (Receivers Appointed) [2012] NSWSC 524 In the Matter of Maiden Civil Pty Ltd [2012] NSWSC 1618 In the matter of Wollongong Coal Limited (formerly known as Gujarat NRE Coking Coal Limited) [2014] NSWSC 1952 Jones v Dunkel and Another (1959) 101 CLR 298 Linden Gardens Trust Ltd v Lenesta Sludge Disposals Ltd [1994] 1 AC 85 Manly Council v Byrne and Anor [2004] NSWCA 123 McDowell v Baker (1979) 144 CLR 413 McLaughlin v Daily Telegraph Newspaper Co Ltd (No 2) (1904) 1 CLR 243 Moraitis Fresh Packaging (NSW) Pty Ltd v Fresh Express (Australia) Pty Ltd [2008] NSWCA 327 MYT Engineering Pty Limited and Others v Mulcon Pty Limited (1999) 195 CLR 636 MYT Engineering Pty Ltd and Others v Mulcon Pty Ltd (1997) 140 FLR 247 National Mutual Property Services (Australia) Pty Ltd and Others v Citibank Savings Ltd and Others (1995) 132 ALR 514 Northside Developments Pty Ltd v Registrar-General and Others (1990) 170 CLR 146 Project 28 Pty Ltd (Formerly Narui Gold Coast Pty Ltd) v Barr; Project 28 Pty Ltd (Formerly Narui Gold Coast Pty Ltd ) v Tim Barr Pty Ltd & Ors [2005] NSWCA 240 Reuthlinger v MacDonald and Others; MacDonald and Others v Reuthlinger [1976] 1 NSWLR 88 Reuthlinger v MacDonald (Court of Appeal, 20 October 1976, unreported) Rowe v B & R Nominees Pty Ltd [1964] VR 477 The Glendarroch [1894] P 226 The Royal British Bank v. Turquand (1856) 6 El & Bl 327; 119 ER 886 Trendtex Trading Corporation and Another v Credit Suisse [1982] AC 679 Texts Cited: Ford, Austin and Ramsay's Principles of Corporations Law (Austin and Ramsay, LexisNexis Butterworths, 16th ed, 2015) On Equity (Young, Croft and Smith, 2009) Seddon on Deeds (Seddon, The Federation Press, 2015) The Assignment of Contractual Rights (Tolhurst, Hart Publishing, 2nd ed, 2016) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Cennzeal Pty Ltd (First Plaintiff) Leonardus Gerardus Smits (Second Plaintiff) First Debenture Limited (ACN 105 577 017) (Third Plaintiff) Dawson Property Ventures Pty Ltd (First Defendant) Dawson Properties Pty Limited (Second Defendant) Jeffrey Douglas Dawson (Third Defendant) Benitch Investment Co Pty Ltd (ACN 122 923 273) (Fourth Defendant) Randolph Rossi (Fifth Defendant) Kent Attorneys (Interested Party) Representation: Counsel: Mr L. Smits (Solicitor for First Plaintiff) Mr D. Cook SC and Mr B. Green (First, Second, Third and Fourth Defendants)