Moore v Macks

[2007] FCA 10

Federal Court of Australia|2007-01-15|Before: Besanko J

View original source

At a glance

Source facts

Court

Federal Court of Australia

Decision date

2007-01-15

Before

Besanko J

Source

Original judgment source is linked above.

Judgment (41 paragraphs)

[1]

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT 1 This is an application by a bankrupt for orders against his trustee in bankruptcy. The application is brought under s 179 of the Bankruptcy Act 1966 (Cth) ('the Act'). 2 The bankrupt is Mr David Gerald Moore. A sequestration order was made against his estate on 21 January 2005 and Mr Peter Macks was appointed his trustee in bankruptcy. The sequestration order was made on a creditor's petition presented by Mr Wayne Stephen Wilson and Ms Gayle Lawton. 3 The bankrupt challenged the sequestration order which had been made by a Registrar of the Federal Magistrates Court. On 1 July 2005 a Federal Magistrate dismissed the bankrupt's application for review (Moore v Wilson [2005] FMCA 870). The bankrupt appealed to this Court against the Federal Magistrate's order. On 10 February 2006 a Judge of this Court, exercising the appellate jurisdiction of the Court, dismissed the bankrupt's appeal (Moore v Wilson [2006] FCA 79). The bankrupt then applied to the High Court for special leave to appeal from the Judge's decision. It seems that the bankrupt did not comply with those rules of the High Court which require documents to be filed by a certain date and, as a result, his application was deemed to be abandoned. At a prior hearing before me, the bankrupt told me that there were good reasons why he did not file the necessary documents and that they related to his health. He told me that he would be applying for a reinstatement of his application for special leave to appeal. Whether he has done so, or will do so, is not relevant to the issues raised by the application before me. 4 On 16 March 2005 the bankrupt issued an application in the Federal Magistrates Court seeking an order that the trustee in bankruptcy be removed. There is power to make an order removing a trustee: s 179 of the Act. The bankrupt challenged the trustee's conduct on a number of grounds. A Federal Magistrate heard and determined part of the application. He did so adversely to the bankrupt. He transferred what was left of the proceeding to this Court and that is what is presently before me. The application before me concerns the trustee's decision in relation to an appeal and an application for leave to appeal filed and served by the bankrupt in August 2004. 5 It is necessary to say something about the appeal and the application for leave to appeal before proceeding further.

[2]

The appeal and the application for leave to appeal 6 Mr Wilson and Ms Lawton instituted proceedings in this Court against Manna Hill Mining Company Pty Ltd ('Manna Hill Mining Company'), the bankrupt and six other parties. The proceedings came on for hearing before Lander J in February and April 2004. It is not necessary to describe the nature of the proceedings in detail. The following description of the three issues in the proceedings taken from the reasons for judgment of Lander J (Wilson v Manna Hill Mining Co Pty Ltd [2004] FCA 912 at [1]-[6]) will suffice: 'The applicants were directors of the first respondent, Manna Hill Mining Company Pty Ltd (Manna Hill Mining). The first question in these proceedings is to determine whether they are still directors of Manna Hill Mining. The second respondent, Mr Moore, was, and is, a director of Manna Hill Mining and the seventh respondent, Hodgemore Pty Ltd. The third respondent, Mr Hagger, was appointed a director of Manna Hill Mining on 12 June 2003 and resigned as a director of that company on 7 July 2003. He is a director of, and effectively controls, the fourth respondent, East Adelaide Company Pty Ltd. The fifth respondent, Mr Spratt, and the sixth respondent, Mr Ewen, claim to be directors of Manna Hill Mining. They also claim to hold shares in Manna Hill Mining. The second question in this case is to determine whether those shares were validly issued and allotted on 12 June 2003 and 19 January 2004, and whether Mr Ewen and Mr Spratt were validly appointed as directors on 19 and 20 January 2004. Mr Hagger and East Adelaide Company Pty Ltd have advised the Court that they will abide by any decision of the Court. The applicants called Mr Hagger as a witness. Manna Hill Mining may or may not be in administration. That depends on the answers to the first two questions and is the third matter to be determined in these proceedings.' 7 The applicants in the proceedings were successful and a number of orders were made by Lander J on 16 July 2004 and 30 July 2004 respectively. The orders made on 30 July 2004 were orders as to the costs of the proceedings and included an order that the bankrupt pay the applicant's costs on an indemnity basis. His Honour delivered reasons for his costs orders: Wilson v Manna Hill Mining Company Pty Ltd [2004] FCA 1035. 8 The bankrupt represented himself at the hearing of the proceedings as he did before me. Lander J found that he was an unsatisfactory witness. In his judgment dealing with the substantive issues his Honour said (at [94]-[98]): 'I have had the opportunity of observing Mr Moore whilst he was giving his evidence, cross-examining witnesses and putting his arguments during the trial of these proceedings.

[13]

(c) extend before its expiration or, if this Act does not expressly provide to the contrary, after its expiration, any time limited by this Act, or any time fixed by the Court or the Registrar under this Act (other than the time fixed for compliance with the requirements of a bankruptcy notice), for doing an act or thing or abridge any such time.' 16 There are authorities of this Court to the effect that s 60(3) 'does not expressly provide to the contrary' within s 33(1)(c) of the Act and in those circumstances an application for an extension of time within which to elect under s 60(3) may be made by a trustee in bankruptcy even if the time limit of 28 days has expired: Re Faulkner; Ex parte Official Receiver (1981) 52 FLR 109; Abeyratne v Trkulja (1998) 90 FCR 253. For the purposes of this application, I will proceed on the assumption that the time can be extended even if the time for election has expired at the time the application is made. 17 To summarise to this point: the appeals are deemed abandoned by operation of law. The trustee may apply for an extension of time within which to elect to prosecute the appeals and, if successful, he may elect to prosecute the appeals. 18 The appeals have not been listed for hearing before the Full Court. The listing of the appeals has come before single Judges of this Court and the listing has been adjourned from time to time, particularly during the period when the bankrupt was pursuing his challenge to the making of the sequestration order. In more recent times, the following developments have occurred: 1. The respondents to the appeals (Mr Wilson and Ms Lawton) have applied to have the appeals dismissed on the ground that they have been abandoned (s 60(3) of the Act) or on the ground that there has been want of prosecution of the appeals; and 2. Although the trustee has decided that he does not wish to elect to prosecute the appeals, he has applied for an extension of the time within which to elect on the ground that this application of the bankrupt should be determined before orders dismissing the appeals are made. 19 I have heard submissions on both these applications, but I have not yet made a decision on either of them. After giving the matter anxious consideration I have decided that it is appropriate to make my decision on the present application first.

[16]

That the interim application filed on 10 April 2006 do stand dismissed.' 21 Those orders made by the Magistrate are the subject of an appeal to this Court which has not yet been heard and determined. 22 It seems that because the appeals had been called over before me, the Federal Magistrate considered that it may be appropriate for me to deal with what was then left of the application and on 13 June 2006 he made the following order: '1. Further hearing of these proceedings be transferred to the Federal Court of Australia before His Honour Justice Besanko on 22 June 2006 at 2.15 pm.' 23 The power to transfer a 'proceeding' to this Court is contained in s 39 of the Federal Magistrates Act 1999 (Cth). 24 The application before me relates to the trustee's decision that he will not seek to prosecute the appeals. More accurately, in view of the events which have occurred, the decision is the trustee's decision that he will not seek an extension of time to elect for the purpose of prosecuting the appeals. I have considered the application under both s 179 and s 178 of the Act and I have concluded that there are no grounds under either section to impugn the trustee's decision. 25 In the circumstances it is not necessary for me to consider if an order under either section can override the deemed abandonment under s 60(3) of the Act, whether an appropriate order can be made under either section and, assuming these difficulties can be overcome, the formulation of the order and the stage at which (if at all) it would be appropriate to hear from the respondents to the appeals. It is unfortunate that these important issues were not the subject of submissions but the bankrupt was unable to articulate the orders he sought beyond what is set out in his application and the trustee was content to argue the application on the basis that under either s 178 or s 179 of the Act there was simply no reason to interfere with the trustee's decision. As I have said, I think that the trustee's submission is correct and I am able to determine the application on that basis. 26 It seems that there was some debate before the Federal Magistrate as to whether the bankrupt's challenge was more appropriately considered as an application under s 178 rather than an application under s 179 of the Act. As I have said, I propose to consider the application under both sections.

[25]

Ultimately the question is what result would be 'just and equitable' in the circumstances of the case. 29 Section 179 is governed by similar, but not identical, considerations to those which are relevant to s 178. Unlike s 178, which relates to the review of specific acts, omissions or decisions of a trustee in bankruptcy in the administration of a bankrupt's estate, s 179 reflects the more general aspect of the court's supervisory role and allows it to carry out an inquiry into the 'conduct' of a trustee in relation to a bankrupt's estate or affairs (s 179(1)). As with s 178 the section is to be understood in the context of the role of the trustee in bankruptcy as an officer of the court. The section is typically employed where an allegation of misconduct or error by a trustee in bankruptcy arises (Macchia at 120 per French J). 30 Section 179 requires the court to engage in a process which may involve two stages. First, the court must consider whether there is a basis to inquire into the conduct of a trustee in bankruptcy. Secondly, if an inquiry is undertaken, the court must consider what, if any, order should be made as a result of the inquiry. I note the following salient points with respect to the operation of the section in the case of the first stage. It is not necessary for me to consider the second stage because I do not think that there is a basis to inquire into the conduct of the trustee in bankruptcy.
1. The question of whether to order an inquiry is in the broad discretion of the court, and the court should be reluctant to do so unless there are "substantial grounds for believing that the trustee erred in his administration" (Re Gault, Gault v Law (1981) 57 FLR 165 ('Re Gault') at 173 per Ellicott J, cited in Macchia at 120 per French J). This requirement has also been put in terms of 'sufficient grounds' (Re Gault at 173 per Ellicott J), and 'a proper cause to believe that a trustee may have failed to act in relation to a bankruptcy in the manner required by the Act or the general law' (Wilson v Commonwealth of Australia [1999] FCA 219 at [44] per Branson J). The onus is on the applicant to establish the grounds or case for an inquiry.
2. As with s 178, the exercise of the court's discretion to order an inquiry is subject to the principle that the court will not unduly interfere with the day-to-day administration of a bankrupt's estate by a trustee in bankruptcy: Re Tyndall at 120 per French J.
3. As with s 178, s 179 is not a vehicle for a bankrupt or other person to seek damages which go beyond the making good of any loss to the bankrupt's estate caused by improper administration by the trustee in bankruptcy: Re Tyndall at 121 per French J.

[26]

The trustee's decision in relation to the appeals 31 The bankrupt's application proceeded by way of affidavit evidence from him and from the trustee. I received the bankrupt's affidavits subject to arguments as to relevance. A good deal of his affidavit evidence is irrelevant. The bankrupt was not cross-examined on his affidavits by counsel for the trustee. The trustee was cross-examined at some length by the bankrupt, who, as I said, represented himself. A number of his questions were of questionable relevance. 32 The trustee was an honest and straightforward witness and I accept his evidence. 33 The bankrupt's submissions were at times difficult to follow and he seemed quite prepared to make serious allegations about the conduct of other persons when there was no basis in the evidence for such allegations. 34 Late in the cross-examination of the trustee, the bankrupt made an oral application for an order that the trustee make discovery and production of three classes of documents. The first class of documents was all minutes of meetings of creditors of the bankrupt estate and all minutes of meetings of the committee of inspection of the bankrupt estate. I refused to make an order in relation to that class of documents. I accept the trustee's sworn evidence that there has been only one meeting of creditors and minutes of that meeting have been discovered and produced. In fact, the minutes are an exhibit before me. I accept the trustee's sworn evidence that there have been no meetings of the committee of inspection. The second class of documents was all documents relating to a transaction whereby a caveat lodged by the bankrupt to secure a claim by him for consulting fees was withdrawn and in lieu thereof a bank guarantee was given. This transaction is discussed in more detail below. I refused to make an order in relation to that class of documents because the relevance of the documents was not established. The third class of documents was all documents relating to the financial position of the bankrupt estate. On the material before me, that request, which was made in the course of the respondent's case, was no more than a fishing expedition by the bankrupt. Furthermore, the application was made at a very late stage in the hearing of the application. For those reasons, I refused to make an order in relation to that class of documents. 35 Before identifying the relevant evidence and issues raised by the bankrupt it is convenient to identify the trustee's reasons for deciding that the appeals should not be pursued. In his affidavit sworn on 9 May 2006, the trustee states that he had formed 'the view that it would not be prudent to prosecute the appeals and thereby incur costs and a possible liability for adverse costs for little prospect of a return to unsecured creditors'. In paragraph 46 of that affidavit he sets out the matters he took into account in forming that view. '46. I have taken the following matters into consideration when determining whether to prosecute the Manna Hill Mining Appeals:

[35]

Assets and liabilities in the bankrupt estate 41 A good deal of time was spent on one particular transaction. The bankrupt claimed that Manna Hill Mining Company owed him certain consulting fees. He lodged a caveat over property owned by the company. That was done after the sequestration was made. The trustee negotiated an agreement whereby the caveat was removed and in its place a bank guarantee in favour of the trustee was given. The trustee said, and I have no reason to doubt his evidence, that the bank guarantee was given to him in his capacity as trustee and that the transaction was effected for good commercial reasons. The caveatee was threatening to have the caveat removed and the trustee was concerned about the bankrupt's right to lodge the caveat after a sequestration order had been made against his estate. 42 The bankrupt suggested that the trustee had in effect misappropriated property belonging to him or, in the alternative, the transaction showed bias on the part of the trustee. I reject those contentions. The transaction was not unusual and I accept the trustee's evidence that it was appropriate in the circumstances. The trustee's actions have not affected the claim or, should it be successful, the ability to recover on the claim. 43 A good deal of time was also spent on whether the bankrupt or a family trust owned a shareholding of about 20 per cent in Manna Hill Mining Company. The bankrupt seemed to suggest that the family trust owned the shares; the trustee was not prepared to concede that that was the case. It also seems to be the case that the bankrupt is the primary beneficiary under the family trust. The exact significance to the applicant's case on the ownership issue was never made clear. The issue of ownership might be important if there was evidence of the value of the shares. If the shares had been owned by the bankrupt and were valuable, they might be an asset which could be used to fund the appeals. However, there is no evidence as to the value of the shares and a relatively old valuation of mining interests of the company does not establish the value of the shares in the absence of evidence of the assets and liabilities of the company. 44 The bankrupt asserted that he was owed moneys by various persons. The details are as follows:
Mr Iles $19,834
Ms Lawton $20,683
Manna Hill Mining Company $68,000

[38]

General conduct and conflict of interest 47 The bankrupt asserts that the trustee is biased against him and that he has and will do everything in his power to bring the appeals to an end. 48 The bankrupt submitted that the respondents to the appeals had stolen certain ore samples belonging to Manna Hill Mining Company, that they and others had acted illegally in breaking into his office and that Mr Iles, solicitor for the respondents, had given incorrect evidence before Lander J and acted improperly and illegally in a number of ways. The bankrupt sought to characterise the conduct of certain persons involved in events as illegal and improper but there is no evidence which would substantiate that conclusion. I take by way of example the alleged theft of certain ore samples by Mr Wilson and Ms Lawton. This allegation was the subject of findings by Lander J. His Honour found that Mr Wilson and Ms Lawton did what they did in order to preserve the company's assets. Nothing has been put before me to suggest that that conclusion is wrong. In any event, I am satisfied on all the evidence that the trustee has been independent and has considered in an objective and appropriate fashion the question of whether he should prosecute the appeals. 49 The bankrupt submitted that the appeals should proceed because he should be given the opportunity to restore his reputation. He referred to the comments Lander J made about him when considering his credibility as a witness. Those comments were certainly adverse to the bankrupt. I am prepared to assume for the purposes of argument and without deciding that restoration of reputation includes reputation damaged as a result of findings as to the credibility of the bankrupt in the proceedings. There is no suggestion in this case of the trustee being asked to assign any rights in relation to the appeals or of an indemnity for the costs of the appeals being offered to the trustee. Even if there were moneys in the estate a court 'would be unlikely to permit the bankrupt to pursue his personal interests in so far as they are not coincident with the due administration of the estate by the trustee, at the expense of the creditors': Cummings v Claremont Petroleum NL (supra) at 139 per Brennan CJ, Gaudron and McHugh JJ. This case is even stronger because there are no undisputed funds to pay for the prosecution of the appeals. 50 In my opinion, there is no reason to interfere with the trustee's decision and there is no basis for an order under s 178 and no ground to order an inquiry under s 179 of the Act.