B. BACKGROUND
4 The following description of the background to the present applications is taken from evidence which I understand to be uncontroversial.
5 On 7 February 2022, the defendant was appointed as liquidator of Symich pursuant to a voluntary winding up initiated by its director, Mr Daren Perich. On the same day, the defendant was appointed as liquidator of PCPL.
6 On 21 February 2022, the defendant sent an initial notice to the creditors of Symich.
7 On 6 May 2022, the defendant sent a further report to creditors.
8 On 27 January 2023, the defendant sent a further report to creditors of Symich and gave notice of a creditors' meeting to be held on 14 February 2023.
9 On 14 February 2023, at that meeting, the plaintiff sought the removal of the defendant as liquidator of Symich, but this issue was not resolved, after the defendant indicated that the requisite notice of such a resolution had not been provided to creditors.
10 On 18 May 2023, the defendant issued a further report to creditors. He also gave notice of a meeting of creditors of Symich to be held on 7 June 2023.
11 On 7 June 2023, at that meeting, the creditors considered a motion to remove the defendant as liquidator of Symich. The vote on that motion was adjourned to 28 June 2023.
12 On 19 June 2023, the defendant sent a further report to creditors of Symich.
13 On 28 June 2023, a vote was taken on the motion to remove the defendant as liquidator of Symich. The defendant recorded eight creditors voting for his removal, with total claims of $2,501,302.54; and 20 creditors against his removal, with total claims of $1,700,915.90. The defendant declined to use his casting vote in favour of the motion and the motion failed.
14 On 12 July 2023, the plaintiff commenced this proceeding by filing an originating process, which included:
On the facts stated in the supporting affidavit(s), the plaintiff claims:
1. An order, pursuant to r 75-100 IPR, challenging and setting aside the defendant's decision on 28 June 2023, at a meeting of creditors for Symich Building, to admit a proof of debt or like claim for each of the entities listed in Schedule 1 to this originating application.
2. A declaration that the voting result was invalid for the resolution proposed on 28 June 2023, namely, to remove the defendant as the external administrator of Symich Building and replace him with Mr Stephen Wesley Hathway (resolution).
3. A declaration that the resolution carried.
4. In the alternative to prayers 2 and 3:
a. An order directing the defendant to reconvene a meeting of creditors in order to vote on the resolution.
b. A declaration, made in respect of each of the entities listed in Schedule I, that it is not a creditor for voting purposes pursuant to r 75-85 IPR.
Further, and in the alternative,
5. An order under section 90-l 5(3)(b) IPS that the defendant cease to be the external administrator of Symich Building.
6. An order under section 90-l 5(3)(c) IPS that Mr Stephen Wesley Hathway of Helm Advisory be appointed as external administrator of Symich Building in the place of the defendant.
Further,
7. An order that the defendant pay the plaintiff's costs without indemnity in the event that this application is opposed.
(bold emphasis in the original)
15 The persons listed in Schedule 1 to the originating process (Schedule 1 creditors) are:
(1) MKP Projects Pty Ltd;
(2) Mr Daren Perich;
(3) Ms Monica Perich;
(4) Wisdom Business Consultants Pty Ltd;
(5) All Business Accounting Solutions Pty Ltd;
(6) Allcon (NSW) Pty Ltd;
(7) Master Steel Solutions Pty Ltd;
(8) Cemcon Group Pty Ltd;
(9) Lavish Painting & Decorating;
(10) Sydney Civil Services Pty Ltd;
(11) Ozi Roofs;
(12) Deutsch Partners Pty Ltd;
(13) Font Built Pty Ltd (incorrectly described as Fontbuild Pty Ltd);
(14) Agi Civil Pty Ltd;
(15) Australian Consulting Engineers Pty Ltd;
(16) Inbuilt Plumbing Solutions Pty Ltd; and
(17) Utech Pty Ltd
16 The originating process was not accompanied by a statement of claim, but instead by an affidavit of the plaintiff's director, Ms Melissa Mastin sworn on 11 July 2023. The plaintiff subsequently filed affidavit evidence from: (1) Ms Helen Bortfeld (its office manager); (2) Mr Scott McCreery (a friend of Ms Mastin who attended the 28 June 2023 creditors meeting); (3) Mr Timothy Gillespie (a consultant, who attended the 28 June 2023 creditors meeting); and (4) Mr Gregory Mastin (a brother-in-law of Ms Mastin).
17 On 19 July 2023, the defendant informed the plaintiff that he neither consented to nor opposed the plaintiff's application however he proposed to file an affidavit and to make submissions to assist the Court.
18 On 8 August 2023, the plaintiff's solicitor, Mr Derek Ziman served on the defendant's solicitor, Mr John Hunt, a notice to produce. The notice to produce purported to be a notice under r 20.31(1) of the Rules which enables the service of a notice to produce for the inspection of any document mentioned in a pleading or affidavit served by another party. However, the notice to produce calls mainly for documents relating to various topics which in turn were referenced to documents referred to in documents annexed to the affidavits of Ms Mastin and Ms Bortfeld (being affidavits served by the plaintiff, not the defendant).
19 On 11 August 2023, Mr Hunt wrote to Mr Ziman in the following terms:
I note Rule 20.31 allows a party (the first party, eg the Applicant) to serve a Notice to Produce on another party (the second party, eg the Respondent) requiring the second party to produce documents referred to in a pleading or affidavit filed by the second party. I note however the Notice to Produce attached to your email below requests production of documents referred to in affidavits filed by your client.
I am instructed my client intends to provide copies of the proxies and proofs of debt and supporting documents received for the relevant meeting of creditors of Symich Building Pty Ltd (Receivers & Managers Appointed) (in Liquidation) as part of his affidavit.
In the circumstances of the present case my client is of the opinion that it is otherwise not reasonable for him to comply with a request for the other documents referred to in the Notice to Produce.
20 On 10 October 2023, the defendant filed an affidavit that he made on that date. The defendant's affidavit has an exhibit titled Exhibit Moss-1.
21 On 11 October 2023 I made an order, by consent, that the defendant produce to the plaintiff or otherwise provide discovery of the documents the subject of the notice to produce. On 10 November 2023 Mr Hunt, the solicitor for the defendant, indicated that upon further consideration he should not have consented to the order made on 11 October 2023. After hearing submissions, I made orders providing a timetable for an application to set aside the notice to produce and for an application for discovery.
22 On 4 December 2023, Mr Hunt wrote to Mr Ziman seeking his consent to an order setting aside the notice to produce.
23 On 5 December 2023, the defendant filed an interlocutory application seeking orders setting aside the notice to produce and for the payment of his costs of that application on an indemnity basis. That application was supported by an affidavit of Mr Hunt affirmed the same day.
24 On 28 December 2023, the plaintiff filed its interlocutory application, supported by an affidavit of Mr Ziman affirmed 20 December 2023.
25 On 15 February 2024, I granted leave to the plaintiff to amend its originating process by:
(1) inserting prayer 3A in the following form:
An order, pursuant to s 75-43 Insolvency Practice Schedule, declaring that the resolution of 28 June 2023, for the removal of Mr Moss from Symich Building Pty Ltd, is taken to have been passed at the meeting. ;
(2) inserting prayer 3B in the following form:
Such further order as the Court thinks fit with respect to the time when the resolution of 28 June 2023 is taken to have effect. ;
(3) amending prayer 4 to refer to the new prayers 3A and 3B above.
26 An amended originating process is yet to be filed, albeit an unsealed version was provided to the Court at the hearing of the present applications.