In the matter of Fat 4 Pty Limited (In Liquidation)

A recent case in the Supreme Court of Victoria has provided some relief for liquidators seeking to add a defendant to a voidable transaction claim after the expiry of the limitation period in circumstances where the wrong defendant was sued by mistake. In such circumstances, liquidators can substitute the incorrect party for the desired defendant without being time barred by s 588FF(3) of the Corporations Act, irrespective of whether the liquidator’s mistake as to the correct party was reasonable.

Snapshot

This week’s TGIF considers In the matter of Blue Sennar Air Pty Ltd (in liq); In the matter of Eye Plantain Pty Ltd (in liq) [2016] NSWSC 772 in which the Court clarified the rights of a liquidator to disclaim “unprofitable contracts” pursuant to section 568(1A) of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).

WHAT HAPPENED?

On 14 May 2015, the defendant liquidator was appointed administrator of Eye Plantain Pty Ltd (Eye Plantain).  He became liquidator of Eye Plantain shortly thereafter.

The New South Wales Supreme Court case of Forge Group Power Limited (in liquidation) (receivers and managers appointed) v General Electric International Inc [2016] NSWSC 52 provides guidance on the following issues in relation to the Personal Property Securities Act 2009 (Cth) (the PPSR):

Last Friday, Justice Brereton finally published his reasons in Sakr Nominees Pty Ltd [2016] NSWSC 709, the latest in a series of controversial decisions on insolvency practitioner remuneration. 

In Sakr, consistently with his Honour’s previous remuneration decisions:

On 23 February 2016, Justice Brereton in the New South Wales Supreme Court handed down the decision in the matter ofIndependent Contractor Services (Aust) Pty Ltd ACN 119 186 971 (in liquidation) (No 2) [2016] NSWSC 106.

This is an important judgment, with significant consequences for the insolvency community.

The decision deals with two fundamental aspects of insolvency law, being:

Key Points:

This case provides some clarification of matters relating to registration of retention of title clauses for secured creditors dealing with grantors

The registration of security interests on the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) is a critical, yet unresolved, issue in the context of the appointment of administrators and liquidators, and also for parties to sale transactions.

Bell Group N. V (in liquidation) v Western Australia [2016] HCA 21

Alan Bond passed away last year, but the legal battles over the 1990 collapse of his Bell Group companies may yet continue. The High Court has declared state legislation, which was designed to end the long-running litigation by short-circuiting certain aspects of the Corporations Act 2001 (C’th), constitutionally invalid.

Background

This week’s TGIF considers the decision in Hussain v CSR Building Products Limited, in the matter of FPJ Group Pty Ltd (In Liq), in which an ROT clause was held to be a “security”, defeating the liquidators’ unfair preference claim.

Background

On 18 July 2014, FPJ Group Pty Ltd (FPJ Group) was wound up in insolvency.

Introduction

Governments raise taxes to ensure the country can fund essential public services. Taxes are used to build and maintain public infrastructure such as roads and transport services and to provide education, a world class health care system as well as welfare assistance.

Paying taxes is part of our civic duty. Sometimes, however, taxpayers (whether individuals or companies) do not or cannot meet their obligations and it is necessary for steps to be taken by and on behalf of the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to recover those taxes.