CONSIDERATION
20 As mentioned already, on 30 June 2020, the 5th to 240th defendants were sent an email (the 30 June email) containing a hyperlink to the originating documents. That email requested that each defendant confirm their account details and asked for confirmation that the email had been read, in the form of a "read receipt". With the exception of the defendants mentioned at [28] below, the lawyer for the Receivers, Mr Jess Owen, deposed that he received confirmation that the 30 June email had been delivered to the 5th to 240th defendants. He also deposed that he had been informed that a number of the defendants spoke Mandarin. Consequently, he arranged for a translator certified by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters to translate the correspondence into Mandarin, a copy of which was attached to the 30 June email. In another affidavit, Mr Owen deposed that, as various international email servers and websites could not be accessed from within the PRC due to government restrictions, he had made arrangements with a lawyer in the PRC who confirmed she was able to access and download the documents from the hyperlink provided in the 30 June email. The Receivers relied on these facts in asserting that the documents had been provided to, and were accessible by, the defendants by way of the 30 June email.
21 The email addresses for the defendants were drawn from the following sources:
(a) For the 5th to 200th defendants (the apartment owners) - a communications schedule recording the email addresses for owners of apartments in the Surfers Paradise property;
(b) For the 201st to 235th defendants (the guests) - a schedule prepared by the Receivers based on refund requests completed by those defendants; and
(c) For the 236th to 240th defendants (the tenants) - a schedule prepared by the Receivers based on tenancy forms received from those defendants.
22 The Receivers contended that service ought to be deemed to have been effected on the 55th, 85th, 151st, 152nd, 202nd, 204th, 205th, 212th, 213th, 214th, 217th, 222nd, 227th, 229th, 231st, 235th, 238th, 239th and 240th defendants because, between 30 June 2020 and 21 July 2020, those defendants confirmed their account details as requested. Accordingly, they contended it should therefore be inferred that those defendants received the 30 June email.
23 With respect to the 85th, 128th, 206th and 232nd defendants, the Receivers submitted that, between 30 June 2020 and 2 August 2020, those defendants variously sent emails to the Receivers' legal representatives seeking further information. That being so, they contended it should be inferred that those defendants also received the 30 June email.
24 Between 30 June 2020 and 2 July 2020, the 68th, 75th, 76th, 77th, 79th, 80th, 85th, 111th, 167th, 201st, 208th, 219th and 221st defendants sent "read receipts" in response to the 30 June email confirming it had been received. The Receivers contended it should be inferred that those defendants sent the read receipts because they had received the 30 June email.
25 On 8 July 2020, the lawyer for the Receivers received two emails, purportedly on behalf of 37 of the defendants who are also apartment owners. The defendants mentioned in each of those emails included the 10th, 18th, 19th, 26th, 27th, 38th, 52nd, 87th, 104th 134th, 172nd, 174th, 175th, 182nd and 189th defendants. Those emails were responsive to the 30 June email and the Receivers therefore contended it should be inferred those defendants had received the originating documents.
26 With respect to the 104th defendant, William Roberts Lawyers, who were ultimately instructed by those defendants who filed the notices of appearance at [10] and [11] above, informed the Receivers that it had previously been instructed by the 104th defendant but those instructions had since been withdrawn. As a result, the 104th defendant was not included in either notice of appearance. Nonetheless, the Receivers contended it could be inferred that he had received the 30 June email as he had initially provided instructions to William Roberts Lawyers.
27 The 11th, 17th, 23rd, 24th, 25th, 28th, 30th, 31st, 32nd, 34th, 39th, 40th, 45th, 46th, 47th, 48th, 53rd, 54th, 61st, 62nd, 63rd, 64th, 65th, 66th, 70th, 72nd, 73rd, 74th, 78th, 83rd, 84th, 88th, 91st, 92nd, 93rd, 94th, 95th, 103rd, 105th, 109th, 110th, 112th, 113th, 114th, 115th, 117th, 120th, 121st, 123rd, 124th, 127th, 130th, 131st, 135th, 137th, 140th, 141st, 142nd, 143rd, 144th, 147th, 150th, 153rd, 155th, 156th, 157th, 159th, 160th, 161st, 163rd, 164th, 165th, 166th, 168th, 170th, 173rd, 176th, 177th, 178th, 179th, 180th, 181st, 183rd, 185th, 186th, 187th, 188th, 190th, 191st, 192nd, 194th, 195th, 196th, 197th, 200th, 203rd, 207th, 210th, 211th, 215th, 216th, 218th, 220th, 223rd, 224th, 225th, 226th, 228th, 230th, 233rd, 234th, 236th and 237th defendants are variously apartment owners, guests and tenants of Ruby Apartments (see at [21] above). The Receivers contended it should be inferred that those defendants received the 30 June email because:
(a) for those defendants who were apartment owners, the 30 June email was sent to the email address which those apartment owners had previously used to correspond with the Receivers;
(b) for those defendants who were guests, the 30 June email was sent to the email address each guest provided in a refund request form issued by the Receivers;
(c) for those defendants who were tenants, the 30 June email was sent to the email address each tenant provided in a tenancy form issued by Ruby Apartments.
28 The Receivers initially received a "failed delivery" notification with respect to the 30 June email that was sent to the 162nd, 209th and 232nd defendants. Alternative email addresses were subsequently obtained for those defendants and a second email containing a link to the originating documents was sent on 21 July 2020. The Receivers received confirmation in the form of a delivery receipt that the second email had been delivered to the newly obtained email addresses and contended that it could therefore be inferred those defendants had in fact received the second email. They submitted that service on those defendants therefore ought to be deemed to have occurred on 21 July 2020. As already mentioned at [23] above, the 232nd defendant has also since communicated with the Receivers.
29 A failed delivery notification was also received with respect to the 13th defendant. On 22 July 2020, that defendant contacted the Receivers and requested that material in relation to these proceedings be mailed to an address in New South Wales. The Receivers did so and, according to the Australia Post website, printed copies of the 30 June email and originating documents were delivered to the defendant on 29 July 2020. The Receivers therefore contended that service ought to be deemed to have been effected on that defendant on that date.
30 As already mentioned above (see at [12]), a hard copy of the 30 June email was also posted to the 81st and 82nd defendants at specified addresses in the PRC. The Australia Post website records that delivery to those defendants had occurred by 11 August 2020 and the Receivers contended an inference ought to be drawn that those defendants received the documents on that date.
31 There are, as mentioned above, 240 named defendants to this proceeding, at least some of whom reside in the PRC. Mr Owen deposed in his affidavit that, based on previous experience, he estimated the cost of service on those defendants in the PRC would be approximately $700 per person. Accordingly, the Receivers claimed that significant costs would be incurred in effecting personal service on each of those defendants, which costs would necessarily be deducted from the fund held by the Receivers thereby reducing the distributions available to the defendants.
32 In this respect, I interpose to note that, due to the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, personal service on those defendants located in the PRC, or in Hong Kong and, to a lesser extent, some parts of Australia, is likely to be difficult.
33 For these reasons, I am satisfied that there are costs and logistical impediments to effecting personal service on many, if not all, of the defendants. While those impediments do not make it impossible to effect service, I am satisfied that, in the circumstances outlined above, it would not be sensible or practicable for the Receivers to continue attempting to effect personal service as required under the Rules.
34 The key issue for consideration is, therefore, whether I am satisfied that the Receivers have provided sufficient evidence that the originating documents have been brought to the attention of each of the defendants to which this application relates.
35 Without repeating the assertions made above, I agree with the Receivers' contentions regarding the inferences that can be drawn with respect to those defendants mentioned at [22] to [24] and [27] and [28] above. That is, I am satisfied that the Receivers have taken appropriate steps to bring the originating documents to the attention of those defendants and I will make proposed Order 3 above in respect of them.
36 I am also satisfied that the Receivers have brought the originating documents to the attention of those defendants to whom they posted the originating documents, both in Australia and the PRC (see at [29] and [30]). Accordingly, I will make proposed Order 3 above with respect to those defendants.
37 With respect to those defendants mentioned at [25] above, I do not accept the Receivers' contention that it can be inferred those defendants received the 30 June email because they were included in group correspondence purporting to have been sent on their behalf. The same applies with respect to the 104th defendant (see at [26] above). I am, however, satisfied that the 30 June email was delivered to individual email addresses previously used by each of those defendants (see at [21(a)]), and that the delivery confirmation mentioned at [20] above evidences that the Receivers have taken reasonable steps to bring the originating documents to the attention of those defendants. I will therefore make proposed Order 3 above with respect to each of them.
38 To sum up, for the reasons set out above, I will make orders that:
- The 158th defendant cease to be a party.
- The 204th defendant's name be amended to "Louise Joy McKinnon".
- The originating application, supporting affidavit of Timothy Heenan and affidavit of Tony Rossiter are deemed to have been served on the following defendants on the following dates:
(a) for the 162nd, 209th and 232nd defendants, on 21 July 2020.
(b) for the 13th defendant, on 29 July 2020.
(c) for the 81st and 82nd defendants, 11 August 2020.
(d) for all other defendants (apart from the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 12th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 29th, 33rd, 35th, 36th, 37th, 41st, 42nd, 43rd, 44th, 49th, 50th, 51st, 56th, 57th, 58th, 59th, 60th, 67th, 69th, 71st, 86th, 89th, 90th, 96th, 97th, 98th, 99th, 100th, 101st, 102nd, 106th, 107th, 108th, 116th, 118th, 119th, 122nd, 125th, 126th, 129th, 132nd, 133rd, 136th, 138th, 139th, 145th, 146th, 148th, 149th, 154th, 169th, 171st, 184th, 193rd, 198th and 199th defendants), 30 June 2020.
- The interlocutory application filed 4 June 2020 is dismissed.
- Costs are reserved.
I certify that the preceding thirty-eight (38) numbered paragraphs are a true copy of the Reasons for Judgment of the Honourable Justice Reeves.