Avery v Saree Holdings Ltd; Lava Ltd v Avery
[2012] NSWSC 938
At a glance
Source factsCourt
Supreme Court of NSW
Decision date
2012-05-25
Before
Slattery J, Price J
Source
Original judgment source is linked above.
Judgment (8 paragraphs)
Judgment 1This is my second judgment in these related proceeding, the Lava proceedings and the Saree proceedings. The issues and findings in both proceedings are set out in the Court's 9 May 2012 principal judgment: Avery v Saree Holdings Ltd; Lava Ltd v Avery [2012] NSWSC 463. Events, matters and things are referred to in this judgment in the same way as they are in the principal judgment. This judgment should be read together with the principal judgement. 2After the principal judgment he Court has made consequential orders in the Lava proceedings and has provided for the taking of an account in the Saree proceedings. This judgment deals with some supplementary findings in relation to the taking of the account in the Saree proceedings. But first it is necessary to record the finalisation of the Lava proceedings and the post judgment orders made in the Saree proceedings. Orders after the Principal Judgement 3In the Lava proceedings Ms Avery has failed in her attempt to set aside the judgment for possession entered by Price J in March 2009. On 25 May 2012 the Court made orders in the Lava proceedings consequential upon the findings and conclusions in the principal judgment. On that date the Court: (1) dismissed Ms Avery's motion seeking to set aside Price J's judgment; (2) ordered a stay of execution on Lava's writ of possession until 22 June 2012, reserving further consideration of the terms of that stay; (3) ordered Ms Avery to pay the Lava's costs of the Lava proceedings from 2 April 2009 on an indemnity basis; and (4) reserved for further consideration the questions: (a) whether Ms Avery should pay Lava's costs of the Lava proceedings on an indemnity basis, and (b) whether, interest should be calculated on those costs in accordance with clause 2.2 of the Lava mortgage. 4On 25 May the Court directed further submissions on the two questions, (4)(a) and (b), reserved for further consideration. On 1 June 2012 the Court made orders in Chambers fixing the terms of the stay. The terms so fixed required Ms Avery to pay an occupation fee of $1250 per week, to allow reasonable inspection of Apartment 901 for the purposes of its preparation for sale prior to 22 June 2012, and to vacate the apartment by 5 pm on 22 June 2012. 5Although granted an opportunity to advance submissions in relation to the matters, (4)(a) and (b) above, reserved for further consideration, Ms Avery did not seek further to be heard on Lava's claimed orders for indemnity costs and for interest on costs. Accordingly the court will make orders 4 and 5 in the short minutes of order proposed by Lava on 25 May 2012. These orders are included in the orders made at the end of these reasons. 6In the principal judgment's consideration of the Saree proceedings the Court was not prepared to grant the declaration the plaintiff sought that there was nothing owing on the Saree loan and the associated Saree mortgage. The Court rejected Ms Avery's contention that the Saree mortgage was the result of her and Mr Sorensen colluding to create a sham second mortgage over Apartment 901 for submission in her Family Court of Australia proceedings. But the Court found that Saree mortgage was likely to secure something and that accordingly there was no basis for its removal from the register: Avery v Saree Holdings Ltd; Lava Ltd v Avery [2012] NSWSC 463, at [265]. But the Court did not determine what was owing on the Saree mortgage in the principal judgment. Saree argued that the proceeding should be dismissed as they were not properly framed as a redemption suit but the Court rejected that argument, and deferred the redemption suit until after an accounting had taken place. 7The Court therefore gave directions on 25 May 2012 to ensure that the remainder of the proceedings were to be conducted as an account within a redemption suit; and, that all remaining findings would be made in that context. The directions made on 25 May were: (1) that an account be taken to determine the amount owing by Ms Avery to Saree on the Saree mortgage; (2) question of the redemption of the Saree mortgage is reserved for further consideration after the account has been taken; (3) directions were then made for calculations of the amount said to be owing to be served between the parties. 8The parties made further submissions about a final accounting. This judgment deals with some of the remaining issues in the Saree proceedings relevant to determining what is due on the Saree mortgage. The plaintiff's redemption suit will be further adjourned with liberty to apply once the remaining matters are resolved. 9Saree or Ms Avery ask the court to determine four matters in relation to what might be owing on the Saree mortgage and to whom it might be owing based on submissions advanced prior to the principal judgment. These four matters are: (1) the legal effect of certain directions to Saree to conclude these proceedings; (2) for whom Saree holds the benefit of the Saree mortgage; (3) whether there was an overpayment by Saree to Ms Avery of its own money, in addition to the moneys Saree intended to advance on behalf of other parties; and (4) subject to the determination of the other matters, what is the correct arithmetical calculation of the sum due under the Saree mortgage by way of principal, interest and costs. This judgment deals with issues (1) and (4). Issues (2) and (3) will be the subject of a further judgment. 10But first it is necessary to examine the relevant terms of the Saree mortgage which are not fully set out in the principal judgment. The Saree Mortgage 11The Saree loan agreement is set out in the principal judgment: Avery v Saree Holdings Ltd; Lava Ltd v Avery [2012] NSWSC 463 at [244]. The Saree Mortgage is not set out in the principal judgment. Saree relies upon provisions of the Saree Mortgage and the Saree loan agreement to found what is said now to be due to it under the Saree Mortgage. For completeness the relevant provisions of the Saree Mortgage are set out in this section. 12The mortgagor's principal obligation to pay under the Saree Mortgage is an obligation in clause 2.1 to pay what is defined as "Monies Owing" under clause 2.1 which provides as follows:- "2.Payment of Principal and Interest 2.1Payments The Mortgagor agrees to pay to the Mortgagee the Moneys Owing: (a)if no Event of Default has occurred, then: (i)in accordance with this Mortgage or any Relevant Agreement which imposes the obligation to pay it; or (ii)in the absence of such a provision, on demand and in the manner notified by the Mortgagee to the Mortgagor; or (b)after an Event of Default has occurred on demand subject to clause 19.2, (despite any delay or previous waiver of the exercise of the Mortgagee's option to make demand) in the manner notified by the Mortgagee to the Mortgagor." 13The Saree Mortgage also provides for the payment of interest in clause 2.2, a provision which is subject to the operation of a "Relevant Agreement": "unless otherwise provided in a Relevant Agreement, the Mortgagor agrees to pay interest at the Higher Rate...". The calculation of interest here is governed by a "Relevant Agreement". The Saree Mortgage defines the Saree loan agreement as a "Relevant Agreement". The definition of "Relevant Agreement" in Saree Mortgage clause 1.1, includes "any document described as a Relevant Agreement in the Schedule [to the Saree Mortgage]". 14The Schedule to the Saree Mortgage provides for an acknowledgement on the part of the Mortgagor of having received financial accommodation and refers to the Saree loan agreement dated 1 March 2006, in the following terms:- "1.The Mortgagor acknowledges giving this Mortgage and incurring obligations and giving rights under this Mortgage for valuable consideration received from the Mortgagee whereby the Mortgagee, at the request of the Mortgagor (testified to and by the execution by the Mortgagor of this Mortgage) has provided or agreed to provide loans, advances or other financial accommodation to the Mortgagor or to any person at the request or on behalf of or for the accommodation of the Mortgagor whether at the discretion of the Mortgagee or otherwise. 2.The Mortgagor agrees with the Mortgagee that: ()the Mortgagor will pay to the Mortgagee the Principal Sum, or so much of it that remains unpaid, on 1 March 2006; ()each provision of this Mortgage is deemed to be a covenant and the Mortgagor agrees to comply with and observe each provision as it if was expressed to be and was a covenant between the Mortgagor and the Mortgagee; ()for the purpose of this Mortgage, the following descriptions apply: ()"Borrower" means LEANNE MAREE AVERY. ()"Principal Sum" means AU$2,700,000.00. ()"Relevant Agreement" includes Loan Agreement between the Borrower and the Mortgagee dated 1 March 2006. ()"Relevant Jurisdiction" means New South Wales, Australia." 15The Schedule also declares that "Relevant Agreement" includes the Saree Loan Agreement. Thus, the combined operation of Saree Mortgage clause 2.2 and the Schedule, clause 2 means that the calculation of interest due under the Saree Mortgage is controlled by the terms of the Saree Loan Agreement. I conclude below that Saree's advances to Ms Avery fall within a number of parts of this definition of "Moneys Owing". 16The Saree Mortgage clause 1.1 definition of "Monies Owing" is comprehensive and captures monies or amounts owing to the mortgagee on any account, including under a Relevant Agreement. The definition of "monies owing" is relevantly as follows:- "'Moneys Owing' means all moneys and amounts which at any time for whatever reason or circumstance (whether or not within the contemplation of the parties at the date of this Mortgage) fall within 1 or more of the following descriptions: (a)moneys and amounts owing or remaining unpaid to the Mortgagee in any manner and on any account whatever by the Mortgagor; (b)moneys and amounts which the Mortgagee, whether or not at the Mortgagor's express or implied request, or for the accommodation of the Mortgagor, has advanced or paid or become liable to advance or pay to or for or on the Mortgagor's account or in exercise of any of the Mortgagee's Powers; ... (d)moneys and amounts which are: (i)presently owing and payable; (ii)owing but not presently payable; (iii)contingently owing; or (iv)prospectively owing, by the Mortgagor to the Mortgagee; (e)moneys and amounts which may: (i)becoming owing or for which the Mortgagee may become liable by reason wholly or partly of past events or by reason of anything done or omitted by the Mortgagee or the Mortgagor; or (ii)be reasonably foreseeable as likely to become owing on any account or in any manner whatever by reason of the relationship between banker and customer or lender and borrower or by operation of law or equity or otherwise by reason of anything done by the Mortgagee with the consent or at the express or implied request of the Mortgagor; (f)moneys and amounts referred to in other clauses of this Mortgage or any Relevant Agreement (or both) as being owing by the Mortgagor to the Mortgagee or referred to as being added to or forming part of the Moneys Owing whether or not so expressed; (g)interest due or accruing as provided for in this Mortgage or any Relevant Agreement or converted into principal; and ... " 17The Saree Mortgage defines a comprehensive range of events of default. The clause 1.1 definition of "Event of Default" incorporates various events of default listed in Saree Mortgage, clause 18. Many of those Events of Default are of no relevance to the present proceedings. But the clause 18 Events of Default include, in sub-paragraph (a), a failure to punctually repay any of the moneys owing "in accordance with this Mortgage or any Relevant Agreement, which imposes the obligation to pay the Monies Owing". Thus default under the Saree Mortgage may be triggered by default under the Saree Loan Agreement, a "Relevant Agreement". 18Saree and Ms Avery are also at issue about Saree's costs recoverable under the Saree Mortgage and as to the extent of the indemnity available to Saree out of the mortgaged property. The Mortgagor's right of reimbursement of costs and right of indemnity against the Mortgagor are provided for in clauses 21.1 and 21.2 of the Saree Mortgage as follows:- "21.Costs, Charges, Expenses and Indemnities 21.1Pay on demand The Mortgagor agrees to pay or reimburse the Mortgagee on demand for the following amounts all of which form part of the Moneys Owing: (a)costs, charges, expenses and liabilities of any description incurred by the Mortgagee in relation to: (i)the negotiation, preparation, execution, stamping, registration and completion of this Mortgage, any Relevant Agreement or any document in relation to this Mortgage or any Relevant Agreement; (ii)any enforcement, protection or non-exercise or attempted enforcement or protection of any of the Mortgagee's Powers or in relation to the Mortgaged Land; (iii)any enquiry by any authority involving the Mortgagor; (iv)any independent consultant or other person appointed to evaluate any matter of concern, any agent of the Mortgagee, any Receiver or any attorney appointed under this Mortgage; (b)Taxes, fees, fines and penalties in respect of fees, payable or determined to be payable in relation to this Mortgage or any Relevant Agreement or a payment, receipt or any other transaction of document contemplated by this Mortgage or any Relevant Agreement; and (c)costs, charges, expenses and liabilities incurring, but not limited to, the Mortgagee's administration costs whatever and however called incurred by the Mortgagee under this Mortgage or any document executed by the Mortgagor under this Mortgage or any Relevant Agreement, and in each case, but not limited to, legal costs and expenses on a full indemnity basis or solicitor and own client basis, whichever is the higher. 21.2Indemnity The Mortgagor indemnifies and keeps indemnified the Mortgagee, any Receiver, any attorney appointed under this Mortgage and any employee, officer, agent or contractor of the Mortgagee, any Receiver or attorney appointed under this Mortgage, against any liability or loss arising from, and any costs, charges, expenses and liabilities in relation to: (a)the payment, omission to make payment or delay in making payment of an amount referred to in clause 21.1; (b)the occurrence of an Event of Default; and (c)all actions, proceedings, costs, claims and demands in relation to the Mortgaged Land including, but not limited to, those arising from the use or occupation of or presence of any person on the Mortgaged Land, and in each case, including but not limited to, legal costs and expenses on a full indemnity basis or solicitor and own client basis, whichever is the higher." 19There was dispute between the parties as to the scope of these provisions.