The Copacabana Property
67 In Anscor Pty Ltd v Clout (Trustee) (2004) 135 FCR 469 at [43] Lindgren J (with whom Wilcox and Moore JJ relevantly agreed) set out a number of propositions in relation to the operation of s 120 of the Act, which expressly or by implication apply equally to s 121 of the Act, including:
(a) 'Void' in the expression 'void against the trustee' in s 120 (as in ss 121 and 122) means 'voidable', so that where the debtor/later bankrupt (or a transferee from the debtor) transfers property for no consideration or a consideration less than market value, within the time specified in the section, the transferee (and an acquirer from the transferee) takes a good title, but one which may, depending on the circumstances, be defeated if the trustee elects to avoid the transfer by the debtor/bankrupt …
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(e) Section 120 does not vest property in the trustee in bankruptcy; it makes transfers of property void as against the trustee in bankruptcy. The vesting of property in the trustee in bankruptcy is provided for elsewhere in the Act, as noted below.
(f) Where a debtor becomes a bankrupt, there vests forthwith in the trustee in bankruptcy 'the property of the bankrupt', that is, relevantly, the property that belonged to, or was vested in, the bankrupt, at the commencement of the bankruptcy (ss 58, 115, 116, 5(1) ('the property of the bankrupt')). But, subject to, relevantly, s 120, s 123 will protect any transfers for full market value by the debtor between the commencement of the bankruptcy and the date of the bankruptcy, if the other conditions specified in that section are satisfied.
(g) The vesting in the trustee in bankruptcy does not take place upon the commencement of the bankruptcy; it takes place forthwith upon the debtor's becoming a bankrupt. ….
(h) If the property the subject of a transfer made void by s 120 as a result of the trustee's election to avoid, still exists in specie as at the commencement of the bankruptcy, it will vest in the trustee in bankruptcy forthwith upon the debtor's becoming a bankrupt if it also still exists then (by reason of ss 58, 115, 116 and 5(1) ('the property of the bankrupt'), subject always to the exceptions and the protections given to third parties found in s 120. From the date of the bankruptcy, the owner will have had the property in trust for the trustee in bankruptcy, and, if the owner sells it after that date, will be accountable to the trustee for the proceeds of sale as for money had and received: cf Brall at 384; Brady v Stapleton at 334; Alvaro at 426; Fiorino at 21. (In Fiorino, the sale by the bankrupt's mother, to whom the bankrupt had given the property, took place after the making of the sequestration order and before avoidance by the trustee. Gummow J held that she had held the property on trust for the trustee in bankruptcy and came under a personal liability to him 'to account for, as money had and received, the proceeds of the sale of the property by her'.)
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68 As set out at [15(1)] above, on 21 March 2019 a declaration was made pursuant to s 121 of the Act that the Copacabana Transfer is void against the Trustee. The effect of the reasons in Weston v Sanna and the declaration subsequently made was, as the Trustee submits, to validate his position and confirm that the equitable ownership of the Copacabana Property is with the Trustee. But for the fact that, contrary to the orders made by the Court, Mr Sanna has not executed a transfer of the Copacabana Property, the Trustee would not require the assistance of the Court to bring about its sale.
69 It is because of Mr Sanna's failure to comply with the Court's earlier orders that the Trustee initially approached the Court seeking orders to effect an orderly sale of the Copacabana Property, with the balance of any proceeds of sale to be preserved to await the outcome of any dispute about claims and priorities in relation to those funds by the various Copacabana Caveators.
70 An additional intervening factor which requires the Trustee to seek the Court's assistance is the order made in the Family Law Proceeding restraining Mr Sanna from dealing with the Copacabana Property (see [26(1)] above). It is for this reason that one of the orders sought by the Trustee is that a Registrar of this Court be empowered to execute a transfer of the Copacabana Property upon there being an exchange of contracts for sale of that property.
71 I am satisfied that the Court has power to make an order that a Registrar of this Court execute a transfer in registrable form. That is so for the following reasons.
72 The starting point is the Real Property Act 1900 (NSW) (Real Property Act) which relevantly includes:
(1) section 46(1) which provides:
Where land under the provisions of this Act is intended to be transferred, or any easement or profit à prendre affecting land under the provisions of this Act is intended to be created, the proprietor shall execute a transfer in the approved form.
Mr Sanna is the proprietor of the Copacabana Property. He failed to sign a transfer and is now restrained from doing so by the order made in the Family Law Proceeding.
(2) section 39(2) which permits the Registrar-General, at the Registrar-General's discretion, to register a dealing notwithstanding any error therein or omission therefrom and, in such a case, the error or omission shall not invalidate the registration of the dealing;
(3) section 12D (rather than s 12F referred to by the Trustee in his note dated 14 May 2020) which is titled "Registrar-General's Guidelines" and provides:
(1) The Registrar-General may publish such information as the Registrar-General considers appropriate for the guidance or assistance of persons in connection with the operation of this Act or any other Act under which the Registrar-General exercises titling and registry functions, including (without limitation) information concerning:
(a) the completion of forms, and
(b) the preparation and lodgment of dealings, plans and other documents for registration or recording, and
(c) the practices and procedures of the Registrar-General in the exercise of titling and registry functions.
(2) Information published under this section may be published as the Registrar-General's Guidelines.
73 The Registrar-General's Guidelines, made under s 12D of the Real Property Act, under the heading "Execution of dealing forms" and the subheading "Order of Court" state in relation to, relevantly, Real Property Act dealings that:
Execution of a dealing by an officer of the Court pursuant to an Order of the Court will not be questioned. Where the Court appoints a third party to execute the dealing, an office copy of the Order must accompany the dealing.
74 As set out at [15(1)] above, on 21 March 2019 the Court ordered that within 21 days of the date of its orders Mr Sanna was to execute all such instruments and do all such acts and things as are necessary (including executing a transfer in registrable form) to cause the title in the Copacabana Property to be conveyed to the Trustee. Mr Sanna failed to comply with that order.
75 Section 53(1) of the Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) (FCA Act) provides:
Subject to the Rules of Court, a person in whose favour a judgment of the Court is given is entitled to the same remedies for enforcement of the judgment in a State or Territory, by execution or otherwise, as are allowed in like cases by the laws of that State or Territory to persons in whose favour a judgment of the Supreme Court of that State or Territory is given.
76 Rule 41.10 of the Federal Court Rules 2011 (Cth) (FCA Rules) relevantly provides:
(1) A party may apply to the Court to issue a writ, order or any other means of enforcement of a judgment or order that can be issued or taken in the Supreme Court of the State or Territory in which the judgment or order has been made, as if it were a judgment or order of that Supreme Court.
(2) An order made under subrule (1) authorises the Sheriff, when executing the orders of the Court, to act in the same manner as a similar officer of the Supreme Court of the State or Territory in which the order is being executed is entitled to act.
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77 Section 94 of the Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) provides:
(1) If any person does not comply with a judgment or order directing the person -
(a) to execute any conveyance, contract or other document, or
(b) to endorse any negotiable instrument,
the court may order that the conveyance, contract or other document be executed, or the negotiable instrument endorsed, by such person as the court may nominate for that purpose.
(2) A conveyance, contract, document or instrument that is executed or endorsed pursuant to an order under subsection (1) operates, and is for all purposes available, as if it had been executed or endorsed by the person originally directed to execute or endorse it.
78 Given Mr Sanna's failure to comply with the Court's order requiring him to execute all such instruments, including a transfer in registrable form, to cause the Copacabana Property to be conveyed to the Trustee, it is open to this Court to order that the transfer be executed by such a person as the Court may nominate for that purpose. To that end, the Trustee proposes that a Registrar of this Court, who pursuant to s 18N of the FCA Act is an officer of the Court, be appointed or, in lieu thereof, that the Trustee be appointed. In the circumstances, I am satisfied that a Registrar can be appointed and that it is appropriate to do so.
79 Mr Sanna raises one objection to the Trustee's proposed orders in relation to the sale of the Copacabana Property.
80 Mr Sanna currently resides in the Copacabana Property. The Trustee seeks an order permitting Mr Sanna to continue to reside in that property provided that, among other things, he pays to the Trustee by way of a licence fee the sum of $4,200 on or before the first day of every month. It is the requirement for payment of the licence fee to which Mr Sanna objects.
81 Mr Sanna submits that there is no evidence justifying the amount of the licence fee sought and it is not clear on what basis it is sought in circumstances where Mr Sanna is yet to understand what loss there might be which the Trustee is trying to make good by payment of that fee. Mr Sanna observes that it may be that the Trustee suggests the Copacabana Property would otherwise be tenanted but, he submits, there is no evidence of the amount of rent that would be paid if that was so.
82 The Trustee submits that the amount of the proposed licence fee equates to the approximate amount payable by Mr Sanna to Westpac for interest on its loan to Mr Sanna secured over the Copacabana Property. The Trustee relies on a statement of account from St George Bank (a division of Westpac) dated 9 April 2019 for the period 19 October 2018 to 3 April 2019. The Trustee submits that that is the best information he has available to him to approximate the amount of interest payable on the loan.
83 The proposed order sought by the trustee is in the following terms:
9. Mr Sanna may continue to reside in the Copacabana Property provided that he:
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(c) pays to Mr Weston by way of a licence fee the sum of $4,200 on or before the 1st of every month,
all such above payments to be by way of electronic transfer to the following bank account:
Account Name: Lepa Sanna (Bankrupt Estate)
BSB: 182 222
Account No: 248164592
any such funds to be dealt with as if they were proceeds of the sale of the Copacabana Property.
84 The Trustee submits that his intent is that there be no further loss of equity in the Copacabana Property during the period of Mr Sanna's occupation particularly given his concern that Mr Sanna is not servicing the loan. However, there is no evidence about the loan, other than the statement of account referred to at [82] above, which shows that Mr Sanna made:
(1) payments of $4,000 on 19 October 2018 and 19 November 2018, in each case recorded as a "REPAYMENT" and which reduced the "LOAN BALANCE"; and
(2) payments of $1,000 and $3,000 on 3 January 2019 and $4,500 on 15 February 2019, in each case recorded as "BANK TRF" and which reduced the "LOAN BALANCE".
85 The Trustee asks the Court to infer that the loan is not being serviced because Mr Sanna has not led any evidence to the contrary and because he "raises a concern about the loan being serviced". The Trustee also submits that if, contrary to his concern, Mr Sanna is servicing the loan secured over the Copacabana Property then the effect of his proposed order will be to "transfer or change a payment that [Mr Sanna] would make to Westpac to a payment he will make to the Trustee, and the Trustee will use it to discharge obligations under the mortgage".
86 The evidence about the status of the loan is scant. The Trustee relies on a statement of account that is more than one year old that was obtained under a subpoena issued in March 2019. He has taken no steps to obtain updated information. On the other hand, the issue having been raised, Mr Sanna has not put on any evidence about the status of the loan or to establish that he is making interest payments under the loan.
87 The intent of the order the Trustee seeks in this regard is to maintain the equity in the Copacabana Property to the extent possible. The Trustee says pragmatically that if Mr Sanna is meeting his repayment obligations then the order will have a neutral effect as he will simply pass the monthly licence fee payment on to Westpac. That is all well and good but it is not the Trustee who is obliged to make those repayments and there is nothing in the evidence to explain how the Trustee intends to do so nor does the proposed order make that clear. The terms of the proposed order state that any funds received will be "dealt with as if they were proceeds of the sale of the Copacabana Property".
88 In the circumstances, there is insufficient evidence before me to make any finding or to draw any inference about the status of the loan and insufficient evidence about the way in which any payments made by Mr Sanna to the Trustee would be treated to make the order in the terms proposed by the Trustee about payment of the licence fee. My refusal to make that order should not be seen by Mr Sanna as any endorsement that he is justified in not meeting his obligations under the loan, if that is what is in fact occurring. To the contrary, that he continue to do so is critical to the maximisation of the equity in the Copacabana Property.