RELIEF FROM COMPLIANCE WITH RULES 7.5.5(A) AND (B), AND RULE 7.5(6)
47 On 27 February 2023, I made orders granting the Receiver relief from complying with:
(a) rules 7.5(5)(a) and (6) in respect of all of the Relevant Entities; and
(b) rule 7.5(5)(b) in respect of the 3rd, 6th, 7th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 21st and 29th defendants.
48 Rule 7.5 sets out various requirements applicable where a liquidator applies for release and deregistration of companies under s 480(c) or (d) of the Corporations Act.
49 Relief from compliance with r 7.5(6) was appropriate as the only potentially relevant persons, so far as the interlocutory application was concerned, were:
(a) the Secured Lenders, being financiers who held security over property of a scheme or corporate defendant;
(b) Mr Letten;
(c) ASIC; and
(d) investors in the schemes (the Investors).
50 The Receiver sought, and the Court granted, orders for an alternate service regime so far as the Investors were concerned, and to relieve the Receiver, in his capacity as liquidator, from compliance with the service requirements of r 7.5(6). The Court was informed that the Secured Lenders, ASIC and Mr Letten had been served with the Receiver's interlocutory application in the ordinary course. Accordingly, no specific orders for service were made concerning them.
51 It was appropriate that the Receiver, in his capacity as liquidator, be released from complying with r 7.5(5)(a) in respect of his application to be released as liquidator of the Relevant Entities.
52 Rule 7.5(5)(a) provides that a liquidator must file with, or annex to, the affidavit supporting an application under (relevantly) s 480(d) of the Corporations Act, a statement of the financial position of the company at the date when the Interlocutory Process seeking release was filed.
53 Mr Templeton deposed, in respect of the 2nd and 10th defendants (which were not trustees of any schemes), that the lists of receipts and payments he exhibited to his 67th affidavit set out the financial position of those entities. I accept that that is the case, and that there is no further information that could relevantly be provided by a statement of the financial position of those two companies.
54 In respect of the balance of the Relevant Entities, Mr Templeton has deposed that there would be no utility in preparing a statement of financial position as the 3rd, 6th, 7th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 21st, and 29th defendants held no property (other than scheme property held on trust). I accept that this is the case and that the Receiver ought to be excused from compliance in respect of these companies.
55 In relation to the 18th and 20th defendants, Mr Templeton deposed in his 67th affidavit that, at the time of his appointment, those defendants had unpaid liabilities which had been incurred in the performance of their functions as trustee and manager of some of the schemes. In Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Letten (No 17) (2011) 286 ALR 346, Gordon J held that those entities did not have a realisable right of indemnity in respect of those debts as the right of indemnity was offset by their liability to compensate the schemes in question for breaches of trust. The issue arose because the Court was asked whether or not the Receivers (then there were two appointees) would be justified in paying over funds to the liquidators of the 18th and 20th defendants from the proceeds of the sale of trust property, in order to meet those (and some other) claims. The basis on which that dispute was before Gordon J was that those entities held their property as trustees (cf having non-trust assets). Accordingly, it appears that the 18th and 20th defendants also had no property in their non-trustee capacity that was capable of being realised on the winding up. This was later expressly confirmed by a further affidavit of Mr Templeton, being his 68th affidavit sworn on 4 April 2023. Mr Templeton further deposed in his 68th affidavit that no moneys had been received or paid in the course of the winding up of those entities (amongst others). For these reasons, I accept that there would be no utility in the Receiver having prepared a statement of financial position.
56 It was also appropriate that the Receiver, in his capacity as liquidator, be released from complying with r 7.5(5)(b) in respect of the 3rd, 6th, 7th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 21st and 29th defendants.
57 Rule 7.5(5)(b) would otherwise require that the Receiver file with his application, or annex, a summary of the liquidator's receipts and payments in winding up each of those companies. Mr Templeton has deposed that, for each of these entities, any summary of receipts and payments would show "nil" receipts or payments. Accordingly, there is no utility in such a summary being prepared and the orders made on 27 February 2023 excused the Receiver from compliance with that requirement.
58 While the 18th and 20th defendants were not initially included in the application for relief from compliance with r 7.5(5)(b), an order relieving the Receiver from compliance with that rule was sought along with final orders disposing of the Interlocutory Process. As noted, the 18th and 20th defendants did not hold any property other than property as trustee. The Receiver deposed that, for the 18th and 20th defendants, he has not prepared a summary of his receipts and payments in the winding up, as such a summary would show "nil" receipts or payments. Accordingly, there is no utility in such a summary being prepared, and it is appropriate that an order be made relieving the Receiver, nunc pro tunc, from compliance with r 7.5(5)(b) in respect of the 18th and 20th defendants.
59 Investors were, in any event, served with Mr Templeton's 67th affidavit and so were apprised of the position so far as each of the Relevant Entities is concerned. For those of the Relevant Entities which were trustees of schemes, Mr Templeton's affidavit annexes lists of payments and receipts for each such entity in its trustee capacity.