30 Applying these deductions Mrs Stolyar submits that the net sale proceeds for the Rose Bay Property are $5,020,509.74.
31 Mrs Stolyar also submits that, in any event, the Trustee is only entitled to 11.7%, rather than 38.1% as found by the Court, of the net sale proceeds of the Rose Bay Property. In support of that submission Mrs Stolyar refers to Scott (Trustee), in the matter of Stolyar (Bankrupt) v Stolyar (No 6) [2024] FCA 379 at [40], [44] and [37]. Mrs Stolyar submits that it follows from Stolyar (No 6) that $3,210,000 (referred to at [37]) belonged to her and refers to the facts she relies on in support of that contention.
32 Mrs Stolyar submits that the sum of $3,029,000 which was a part of the $3,600,000 drawn down from the Campbell Parade mortgage, was for her benefit and allowed her to complete the purchase of the Rose Bay Property, and only the balance, $507,100, which was applied to purchase of the Rose Bay Property belonged to the Bankrupts. Mrs Stolyar contends that therefore the percentage of the Rose Bay Property that was held on resulting trust by her for the bankrupts was 5.1% plus 6.6% for the May Deposits (as defined in Stolyar (No 1)). On that basis Mrs Stolyar submits that she holds 11.7% of the net sale proceeds on trust for the Bankrupts which amounts to $587,399.64 (11.7% x $5,020,509.74).
33 When considered in isolation, as the Trustee accepted, the meaning of the term "net sale proceeds" is somewhat ambiguous. It is clear based on the authorities that where orders are ambiguous a court may have regard to the judgment to which those orders are intended to give effect in resolving the ambiguity: see Athens v Randwick City Council (2005) 64 NSWLR 58 at [129]-[140]; Lim v Comcare [2019] FCAFC 104; (2019) 165 ALD 217 at [40]-[42]. Where that is so, the judgment to which the orders are intended to give effect is the primary point of reference for the court: see Athens at [140].
34 There is also ample authority for the proposition that where a court construes orders that are ambiguous, it may have regard to surrounding circumstances in doing so: see Shout Rocks Cafes Pty Ltd v City of Port Philip [2018] VSC 120 at [14]; Nokia Corporation v Liu (2009) 179 FCR 422 at [30]-[31]. Relevantly, a court may have regard to the proceedings giving rise to the judgment and in particular the pleadings which defined the issues to be resolved: Athens at [140]; Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd v National Competition Council [2008] FCA 598; (2008) 247 ALR 385 at [85]-[86].
35 Thus in construing the term "net sale proceeds' as used in Order 31, it is appropriate first to refer to the findings in Stolyar (No 1). Relevantly:
(1) the Rose Bay Property was purchased for a total of $11,405,627.06: Stolyar (No 1) at [503];
(2) the Bankrupts contributed $3.6 million to the purchase of the Rose Bay Property. That amount came from the "Point Piper Repayment Amount": Stolyar (No 1) at [512];
(3) the May Deposits, being the amount of $760,002.97 described by Mrs Stolyar as a private loan (see [29] above) were funds advanced to the Bankrupts or to Ms Nguyen alone: see Stolyar (No 1) at [558]-[565]; and
(4) as the Bankrupts contributed the sum of $3.6 million and the May Deposits to the purchase of the Rose Bay Property, it follows that Mrs Stolyar holds 38.1% of that property on trust for them.
36 The relevant transactions in relation to the Campbell Parade mortgage were explained by the Trustee in his affidavit affirmed on 29 January 2024. The Trustee explained that there were two accounts: one which he describes as the Campbell Parade Mortgage Account, which was the loan associated with the Campbell Parade mortgage, and one which he describes as the Campbell Parade Mortgage Offset Account, which was an offset account associated with the Campbell Parade Mortgage Account. He explained the transactions on these accounts insofar as they are relevant and were the subject of findings in Stolyar (No 1). Among other things the Trustee explains that:
(1) on 20 May 2009 the Bankrupts repaid $2.2 million of the amount drawn down from the Campbell Parade Mortgage Account: Stolyar (No 1) at [480];
(2) on 29 October 2010 a payment of $1.1 million was made into the Campbell Parade Mortgage Account. That payment was made by the Bankrupts: Stolyar (No 1) at [498];
(3) on 5 November 2010 and 31 March 2011 there were redraws of $1.3 million and $1,732,000 respectively from the Campbell Parade Mortgage Account;
(4) the amounts referred to in the preceding subparagraph were applied towards the purchase of a property by the Bankrupts at 5/6 Buckhurst Avenue, Point Piper (Point Piper Property): Stolyar (No 1) at [449];
(5) those amounts were in part payment of the moneys Mrs Stolyar owed to the Bankrupts by reason of their deposits into the Campbell Parade Mortgage Account referred to at subparas (1)-(2) above: Stolyar (No 1) at [499];
(6) on 19 December 2013 $3,932,500 (referred to as the Point Piper Repayment Amount) was paid into the Campbell Parade Offset Account from the sale proceeds of the Point Piper Property. The Point Piper Repayment Amount was received and held by Mrs Stolyar on trust for the Bankrupts: Stolyar (No 1) at [464], [500];
(7) there were then the following transactions in the Campbell Parade Mortgage Offset Account:
(a) on 9 March 2015 $3 million was transferred out of that account to the Campbell Parade Mortgage Account;
(b) on 24 March 2015 that amount and an additional $29,000 was transferred back into the Campbell Parade Mortgage Offset Account, making the balance in that account $3,707,128.42;
(c) on 18 May 2015 $3.6 million was withdrawn from the Campbell Parade Mortgage Offset Account. It was not in dispute at the trial that the $3.6 million, traceable to the Point Piper Repayment Amount, was applied to the purchase of the Rose Bay Property; and
(8) as the Point Piper Repayment Amount was held on trust for the Bankrupts, the payment of $3.6 million was held to be a contribution by the Bankrupts to the purchase of the Rose Bay Property which gave rise to a resulting trust in their favour: Stolyar (No 1) at [512].
37 As for the May Deposits, as set out above, the May Deposits were applied towards the purchase of the Rose Bay Property. The Court found in Stolyar (No 1) that they were a loan to the Bankrupts or Ms Nguyen alone, not a loan to Mrs Stolyar.
38 Thus, the total amount found to be contributed to the purchase of the Rose Bay Property by the Bankrupts was $4,360,002.97 or 38.1% of the purchase price. A declaration was made that Mrs Stolyar held 38.1% of the Rose Bay Property on trust for the Trustee.
39 The balance of the purchase price for the Rose Bay Property was paid by Mrs Stolyar but in doing so she obtained funds through secured loans, referred to as the Rose Bay mortgage and the Adelaide Bank mortgage (see [29] above).
40 Upon publication of the Court's reasons the parties were ordered to confer and agree propose orders giving effect to the reasons or, if they could not agree, to provide their proposed draft orders together with submissions explaining their respective draft orders and the differences. The parties could not agree on all orders and thus they provided their competing drafts and submissions. In relation to the Rose Bay Property:
(1) the Trustee proposed that Mrs Stolyar be ordered to pay $6,324,600 which was his proportionate share of the $16.6 million for which the Rose Bay property as sold plus interest from 29 April 2020; and
(2) Mrs Stolyar and Fanchel submitted that:
9 The main point of disagreement between the parties is whether proposed order 6 ought to identify a dollar figure ($6,324,600 being 38.1% of the sale price of the Rose Bay Property) or a percentage figure (38.1% of the sale proceeds of the Rose Bay Property) for the portion of the sale proceeds of the Rose Bay Property declared to be held on resulting trust for the Applicant. The Applicant contends for the dollar figure whereas the respondents contend for a percentage figure which properly gives effect to the Reasons.
10 The Respondents submit that the dollar figure contended for by the Applicant fails to account for the adjustments made to the sale proceeds upon settlement. This is an accounting exercise that the parties will need to undertake. It follows that the appropriate form of order, consistent with the Reasons, is to express the portion of the Rose Bay Property held on resulting trust as a percentage of the net sale proceeds, after all adjustments.
…
28 The Respondents seek proposed order 27A which requires the Second Respondent to account to the Applicant for the Rose Bay Proceeds. An accounting is necessary as the Rose Bay Proceeds are defined as the sum received by the First Respondent on trust for the Applicant, not the net sale proceeds following the necessary adjustments at settlement.
41 In light of the above and the context in which Order 31 was made, it is clear that the meaning of net sale proceeds is as contended for by the Trustee. That is the gross proceeds of sale net of sale costs and settlement adjustments. Mrs Stolyar's contended for construction amounts to a contention that the Trustee is entitled to 38.1% of the capital gain or profit on the sale of the Rose Bay Property. That is not the meaning of "net sale proceeds" as used in Order 31.
42 As set out above, it is common ground that the proceeds of sale of the Rose Bay Property after sale costs and settlement adjustments were $16,436,835.80. I have found that the amounts set out at [29] above, which Mrs Stolyar contends must be deducted from $16,436,835.80 before determining the share of the net sale proceeds to which the Trustee is entitled, are not to be included in the Court's accounting exercise in this case. Accordingly, Mrs Stolyar holds $6,262,434.44 of the net sale proceeds of the Rose Bay Property on trust for the Trustee (38.1% x $16,436,835.80).
43 Given that conclusion it is not necessary for me to consider the relief sought in prayers 1 and 3 of the Trustee's IA. An order should be made in accordance with prayer 2(a) of the Trustee's IA that upon the Court taking an account Mrs Stolyar is to pay the Trustee $6,262,434.44 and pre-judgment interest on that amount from 29 April 2020 calculated in accordance with Practice Note GPN-INT. The First Stolyar IA should be dismissed.