Is Mr Khalid an occupier of the property?
40Mr Khalid relied on UCPR 7.8 and s 65 of the Supreme Court Act . UCPR 7.8 provides that the court may give the conduct of the whole or any part of any proceedings to such person as it thinks fit. Section 65 reads:
"65 Order to fulfil duty
(1) The Court may order any person to fulfil any duty in the fulfilment of which the person seeking the order is personally interested.
(2) The Court may, on terms, make an interlocutory order under subsection (1) in any case where it appears to the Court just or convenient so to do.
(3) The powers of the Court under this section are in addition to any other powers of the Court."
41In Secure Funding Pty Ltd v Coughlin [2009] NSWSC 384, Schmidt AJ (as she then was) stated at [10] to [12]:
"[10] The term "occupier" is not defined in the Rules. Various authorities have however, considered the position of family members of tenants and other occupiers. In National Commercial Banking Corp of Australia Ltd v MRM Holdings Ltd 3 BPR 9339, it was observed at 9341-9342:
...
Mr Jacobson of counsel, who appeared for the bank, submitted that "occupier" in this context means a person with some contractual right to possession. At the same time he fairly conceded that it was not easy to give an exhaustive definition of the word "occupier".
Reference was made to R v Assessment Committee of St Pancras (1877) 2 QBD 581 at 588, where Lush J said, in relation to a rating statute: "It is not easy to give an accurate and exhaustive definition of the word 'occupier'. Occupation includes possession as its primary element, but it also includes something more. Legal possession does not of itself constitute an occupation. The owner of a vacant house is in possession, and may maintain trespass against anyone who invades it, but as long as he leaves it vacant he is not rateable for it as an occupier. If, however, he furnishes it, and keeps it ready for habitation whenever he pleases to go to it, he is an occupier, though he may well reside in it one day in a year."
It was submitted by Mr Jacobson that Mr Munnoch Jnr had a bare licence from the owner or from Mr Munnoch Snr to reside in the premises and was not an occupier.
Miss Merkel, who appeared for the owner, submitted that the precise meaning of the word "occupier" must depend on the purpose for which, and the context in which, it was used. Sometimes occupation denotes legal possession in the technical sense, sometimes mere physical presence: Pro-Campo Ltd v Cmr of Land Tax (NSW) (1981) 81 ATC 4270 at 4276. Reference was also made to Stroud's Judicial Dictionary , 4th ed Vol 3 p 1812 et seq (and second supplement p 131), as illustrative of the various meanings of which may be attributed to the term "occupier", depending upon the context.
She submitted that occupation may be shared with others and relied upon Strand Securities Ltd v Caswell [1965] 1 Ch 959 at 980, and the various cases there cited. She sought to distinguish the judgment in Hodgson v Marks [1970] 3 All ER 513, in particular a passage in the judgment of Ungoed-Thomas J at 523, where his Honour said in relation to the Land Registration Act 1925: "Actual occupation requires physical presence. It was suggested at one stage of the argument that the occupation had to be exclusive. But it has been established that "actual occupation may be shared with others or had on behalf of others" (see Strand Securities Ltd v Caswell ). If occupation can be shared, then in the present case there was no advantage in maintaining that it nevertheless had to be exclusive; and this was not pressed. But it requires more than physical presence - a guest to dinner in not an occupier of the house or room in which he dines. Indeed the defendant submitted that mere personal residence does not constitute occupation; and I agree. The observations in the Strand Securities case, which were referred to, clearly do not in my view establish the contrary."
It was further submitted that the purpose of Pt 7 r 8 is that the persons in occupation of land should have opportunity of being joined as defendants in proceedings of possession of land. The question whether the occupants have a defensible right against the person seeking possession is irrelevant.
If the benefit of the rule were limited to persons who must in any case be joined as defendants, it would be superfluous.
An effect of requiring that notice be given is to allow the opportunity for exercise by the occupants of legal or contractual rights against some third party, of which the person seeking possession may to have notice.
...
[11] In Kerr v Sheriff (NSW) (1996) 9 BPR 16,215, it was observed at 16,216:
The purpose of the "notification to occupier" is to make sure that it is received by the persons who have the right to defend their possession of the property, so that person can intervene in the proceedings. It is not intended that every person whose fate must depend on the fate of the tenant must receive a notice.
[12] In Bankstown Airport Ltd v Noor Al Houda Islamic College Pty Ltd [2002] NSWSC 193, Young CJ in Eq said at [64]-[69]:
[64] There is little discussion in the authorities as to who is an occupier under the Rule. The most extensive discussion is in the judgment of Carruthers J in National Commercial Banking Corp of Australia Ltd v MRM Holdings Pty Ltd (1983) 3 BPR 9339 at 9341-3. See also my decision in Kerr v Sheriff (NSW) (1996) 9 BPR 16,215.
[65] The general rule is that "wives, children, servants, friends and visitors of tenants or under tenants" (see Cole on Ejectment, (H Sweet, London, 1857) at p 84) are not considered occupiers. In particular, the occupation rights of employees are considered the occupation of the employer; see eg Mayhew v Suttle (1854) 4 E & B 347; 119 ER 133.
[66] It must be remembered that the present action for possession under s 79 of the Supreme Court Act 1970 replaced the action for ejectment under the Common Law Procedure Act 1899. Although that action replaced the fictitious Doe v Roe action (see Oxford Meat Co Pty Ltd v McDonald (1963) 63 SR (NSW) 423 at 426), it still carried with it some of the attributes of the still earlier action. Under the former procedure, the person named as defendant might not be the person principally interested in defending possession against the plaintiff. Indeed, the action might be a wholly collusive one between the named plaintiff and the named defendant.
[67] The procedure was thus devised for a judge to grant the real defendant leave to defend which was taken up into the NSW Common Law Procedure Act 1899, s 214. The section gave a right to any person who "was in possession of the land by himself or his tenant." A person was in possession if he or she claimed de facto possession against the plaintiff: Oxford Meat Co Pty Ltd v McDonald (1963) 63 SR (NSW) 423 at 428.
[68] The authorities on the section and the corresponding English provision showed that the section was liberally construed. As long as an affidavit was filed that showed the applicant claimed possession, the leave was given. However, a person claiming under the defendant was not a person claiming possession. Thus, wives, licensees etc were excluded. However, sub-tenants, people in adverse possession and beneficiaries under a trust in actual possession were entitled to defend. As to this last category see Longbourne v Fisher (1878) 47 LJ Ch 379.
[69] In my view, the term "occupier" in Pt 7 r 8 carries the same connotation. An occupier is a person who claims to be in possession and who would have been the sort of person to receive leave to defend under the old practice. This conclusion fits in well with the conclusion reached in National Commercial Banking Corp of Australia Ltd v MRM Holdings Pty Ltd (above)."
42On 24 May 2011, in these proceedings, McCallum J in her judgment Perpetual Limited v Dilati [2011] NSWSC 548 stated at [27] and [28]:
"[27] The jurisprudence as to the reason an occupier is entitled to be made aware of the proceedings and to be joined as a defendant if he so wishes does not reveal a clear statement of principle to inform that issue. In ANZ Banking Group v Wright (unreported) 3 July 1997 Giles CJ Comm D (as his Honour then was) said:
The provisions of the Rules to which I have referred are referred (sic) are protective of the occupier of land of which a plaintiff claims possession from a defendant. The occupier may have rights good against the plaintiff which the defendant is not concerned to uphold, and if the plaintiff seeks to disturb his occupation is given the opportunity to assert his rights. A case such as Minet v Johnson (1890) 63 LT (NS) 507 illustrates the mischief addressed: although the note to Pt 7 r 8 in Ritchies' Supreme Court Procedure states that the purpose of the rule is "to prevent collusive ejectment actions", the occupier is protected even in the absence of collusion between the plaintiff and the defendant.
[28] As his Honour there noted, the decision in Minet v Johnson (1890) 63 LT (NS) 507 stands as authority for the proposition that even in the absence of collusion between the plaintiff and the defendant, the occupier "is protected". A close examination of the judgment in Minet v Johnson , however, discloses that there is a limit to the extent of the protection. In that decision Lord Esher MR expressed the view that even where an occupier was let in to defend his entitlement to possession after the entry of default judgment, the judgment "must not be set aside as between the plaintiff and [the mortgagor]; it can only be set aside so far as it concerns [the occupier]" (at 508)."
43Towards the end of 2005, Mr Khalid's wife was given the keys to the house. He did not move in immediately but his wife commenced living in the premises. At that time he had paid to Mr Dilati the sum of $415,000. It was agreed between Mrs Dilati and Kr Khalid that when the house was paid off in full then the ownership would be transferred to Mr Khalid. From June 2008 to mid 2009 the house was uninhabitable due to a fire in the house. After that Mr Khalid and his family moved back into occupation of the premises. It is my view that Mr Khalid falls within the definition of occupier.
44I order that Mr Khalid is to be joined as second defendant to these proceedings. The default judgment for possession of the land contained in folio identifier X/XXXXXX situated and known as XX XXXXX XXXX XXXXXX in the State of New South Wales be set aside. Mr Khalid is to file and serve a defence within 14 days.
45Costs are reserved.