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Williams v Leach[2023] QDC 124

DISTRICT COURT OF QUEENSLAND

CITATION:

Williams & Ors v Leach [2023] QDC 124

PARTIES:

IAN MALCOLM WILLIAMS

(First Plaintiff)

AND

WHARF ROAD PTY LTD ABN 74 099 614 730

(Second Plaintiff)

AND

WALLABY664 PTY LTD CAN 068 957 684 ATF THE

WILLIAMS FAMILY TRUST ABN 22 270 829 736

(Third Plaintiff)

v

CHRISTOPHER LEACH

(Defendant/Applicant)

FILE NO:

220/23

DIVISION:

Civil

PROCEEDING:

Application

ORIGINATING COURT:

District Court

DELIVERED ON:

1 June 2023 (ex tempore, revised from transcript)

DELIVERED AT:

Brisbane

HEARING DATE:

1 June 2023

JUDGE:

Andreatidis KC DCJ

ORDER:

  1. 1.
    Application dismissed.
  1. 2.
    The defendant pay the plaintiffs’ costs.

CATCHWORDS:

PROCEEDINGS – CIVIL PROCEDURE – PAYMENTS BY INSTALLMENTS PREREQUISITES FOR INSTALMENT ORDER – where the defendant applies for an order making payments by installments – where the plaintiff opposes the order factors to which the court must have regard in deciding whether to make an instalment order whether the enforcement debtor has means to satisfy the order – whether the order will be satisfied within a reasonable time whether an order authorising payments by installments ought to be made

LEGISLATION

Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 1999 (Qld) rr 868, 869

CASES

Big Country Developments Pty Ltd v Peter Griffiths (No 5) NSWSC 865

Bucknell v Robins [2008] QCA 214

C Tina Pty Ltd v Barham-Floreani [2019] VSC 819

Hellier Capital Pty Limited v Richard Albarran [2009] NSWSC 403

COUNSEL:

Mr T Jackson (Plaintiffs/Respondents)

Mr J Manner (Defendant/Applicant)

SOLICITORS:

Mills Oakley (Plaintiffs/Respondents)

Etienne Lawyers (Defendant/Applicant)

  1. [1]
    This is an application pursuant to rule 868 for an order for payment of a judgment debt by instalments. In very short form, the background facts are largely not contested. It is the detail of the financial circumstances of the defendant that appear to be questioned.
  1. [2]
    In short compass, proceedings were commenced on 1 February 2023 for a debt owed by the defendant to the plaintiffs. No defence filed or served, and judgment by default was entered on 28 March 2023.
  1. [3]
    The amount of the judgment debt is in the order of $565,000. A bankruptcy notice was served on 5 May 2023. Following the service of the bankruptcy notice, Mr Leach filed and served this application.
  1. [4]
    It is not contested that Mr Leach has not made any payments at all in relation to the debt. It is not contested that Mr Leach had previously, on a number of occasions, made promises to pay the debt and he paid nothing so far.
  1. [5]
    I will go through each of the mandatory requirements of rule 869 shortly. It will assist the parties to understand the outcome by reference to the evidence that has been filed and what I will describe as the gaps or the lacunas in the material. I say that because, as will become apparent, the aspects of rule 869 that I have particular concern about being satisfied with are – well, it was really 869(1)(b), but I will, of course, deal with each of the mandatory requirements in turn.
  1. [6]
    I will start with exhibit 1, which is an investment memorandum of understanding between – I will use the acronym SBV to describe Sanguine – what is the name of the employer again, the full name? I will use the acronym SBV to describe Sanguine Holdings B.V., which is a company incorporated in the Netherlands. So exhibit 1 is between SBV and possibly a company called Transmatch Realty Advisors B.V., which is also incorporated in the Netherlands. I said “possibly”, because when one turns to the execution clause of the document, a different corporation is signing the document, being Transmatch Financial Advisors B.V.
  1. [7]
    The fundamental proposition in terms of proposed income by Mr Leach is that there will be a bond raising undertaken overseas involving €2 billion as a consequence of the transactions occurring between SBV and Transmatch Realty Advisors B.V., for the following reasons: the memorandum of understanding, which is exhibit 1, doenot instil confidence in me in relation to the raising of the funds or the prospect of it occurring at all.
  1. [8]
    At page 3 of 15, what is clause 4, there is an obligation on the part of Transmatch Realty Advisors B.V. to immediately subscribe €1.45 billion for something called Sanguine’s green bonds funds and other investments. The obligation to immediately subscribe should be understood in the context of the date of the memorandum of understanding, which is 17 April 2023.
  1. [9]
    What is missing is any evidence of Transmatch Realty Advisors, or any other Transmatch entity, making the subscription at all. Whether it was paid or not paid is unknown. Further, it is not clear at all from the terms of this document how it is that SBV will ever earn the money to pay Mr Leach.
  1. [10]
    An additional feature of the memorandum to be noted is, on page 3, it is recorded – probably two-thirds down the page:
  1. It is hereby agreed and understood between the parties that the green bonds will be managed by the manager of the bond issue. The parties will establish a joint vehicle a joint venture vehicle to jointly manage and fairly share the administration fees and capital transfer for future investment financed by Transmatch. The investments committee will consist of three members, being two from Transmatch and one from SBV. Each participant will have a third of the votes and the votes will be defined with a simple majority.
  1. [11]
    There is no evidence of the establishment of that special purpose vehicle for the joint venture. There are no details provided as to who the other two people will be from Transmatch. There is no evidence indicating any agreement from Transmatch as to the payment to SBV. And, again, it is not clear at all how SBV will be making any payments pursuant to the asserted employment contract, pursuant to these transactions.
  1. [12]
    There is no evidence about the value of Transmatch Realty Advisors B.V. or Transmatch Financial Advisors B.V. That is important because that entity, or those entities, are going to be the source of the funds for the transactions that SBV will apparently be paid from. There is, at page 12 of 15, a placeholder where proof of funds of Transmatch is to be inserted. There is no evidence of that, as in there is no record of funds of Transmatch.
  1. [13]
    Also – and this is of less significance, but still something worth noting – exhibit B of the document, page 8 to 15, is supposed to record the Sanguine bank account details, and other than identifying the company and that the account signatory is Mr Leach, no details are provided.
  1. [14]
    Prior to the commencement of the proceedings, there were emails exchanged between the plaintiffs and Mr Leach, in which Mr Leach made various promises to pay. Those emails appear in the affidavit of Ms Sarac, which is eCourts 12. What those emails indicate is a series of promises made by Mr Leach in late 2022 I think that is a – mid – I will describe it as mid to late 2022 – of money coming from – I think it is New York and Singapore. I might be wrong about it being described as New York and Singapore, but certainly suggesting or stating that he expected funds to come from various investments. None of those, I assume, succeeded or came to be, because no payment was made. Now, I say I assume because there is no actual evidence about it, beyond the fact that no payment was paid.
  1. [15]
    I think it is fair to summarise Mr Leach as giving evidence, in effect, that previous investments did not result in any money, and that is the explanation for non-payment. That, of course, raises a question as to why the proposed transaction, in light of the concerns I have raised in relation to exhibit 1 why the proposed deal with Transmatch will be successful.
  1. [16]
    And I have, in the exchange with counsel, indicated that the amount of money that is described as being the subject matter of the memorandum of understanding as being a matter of some concern. It is a lot of money, and the absence of any evidence supporting the ability of the investor to come up with those funds is a matter that I do consider to be material in this case in satisfying me about the elements of rule 869.
  1. [17]
    I also consider it relevant that promises were made prior to the commencement of proceedings for the repayment of the debt and that those promises were made in the context of investments and deals and in the context of those investments and deals not resulting in any payments being made.
  1. [18]
    Mr Leach, in his first affidavit which is eCourt 11, filed 22 May 2023 deposes to his employment with SBV. That is the source of the instalments that he proposes to make if this order is made.
  1. [19]
    SBV has been unable to pay Mr Leach anything. Having regard to the evidence, Mr Manner makes the submission that that is not in effect, that is not surprising, given that the investment which is the subject matter of exhibit 1 has yet to occur. Now, again I make the observation that the document itself refers to the subscription having to have happened already and the absence of an explanation about that, so there is some tension between what the document records, the absence of evidence about the payment one way or the other and whether or not there is a proper explanation for the delay in the ability of SBV to be able to start paying Mr Leach, if ever.
  1. [20]
    It is also noted that none of the affidavits include any financial statements or reports for SBV. It is also unknown whether Mr Leach is the sole director of SBV and whether or not he is the sole shareholder of SBV. Mr Manner, again very properly, accepts that the evidence falls short in explaining those things.
  1. [21]
    There are a number of curiosities about the employment contract which I will now discuss. Like exhibit 1, they raise some question or a number of questions and concerns about the proposed mechanism by which Mr Leach says he will be able to pay the debt by instalments.
  1. [22]
    The nature of the work to be performed is recorded at a level of such high generality and superficiality that it is really difficult to ascertain what it is Mr Leach will be doing. In that regard, Mr Jackson noted the broad definitions and unhelpful definitions of the word “Business” and “Employment” in clause 1.1 of the employment contract.
  1. [23]
    Clause 2 identifies that Mr Leach is going to be appointed as chief executive officer. So that gives us some idea as to what it is Mr Leach is going to be employed as, but clause 5, which sets out the duties, both general and specific, is devoid of any detail. And the language of the agreement, the employment agreement, is in terms of Mr Leach being an executive, not a director.
  1. [24]
    That, at least to some extent, matters, because Mr Leach asserts that if he becomes bankrupt, he will be unable to continue in his role as a director of SBV and that that will, in turn, impact on his ability to everyone the money under this employment contract. I find that assertion difficult to accept because of the difference between, in Australian terms, a director and someone who is employed as a CEO.
  1. [25]
    It is also to be noted that whilst the contract of employment refers to Australian legislation, such as the Fair Work Act suggesting that the Australian law is the relevant law to be applied. When one goes to clause 27 of the agreement, the governing law is that of the Netherlands. There is just no evidence at all about what the law of the Netherlands says about the status of a director who becomes bankrupt, the status of a CEO who becomes bankrupt, the status of an employee who becomes bankrupt.
  1. [26]
    Mr Manner helpfully identified some provisions where it might be the case that SBV could terminate the contract of employment. The provisions he referred me to were the definition of “gross misconduct” in clause 1.1, the obligation to travel in clause 6.5, and the express power to terminate for gross misconduct in clause 14.1(b)(iii).
  1. [27]
    I accept that, arguably, those provisions might form a basis for SBV to terminate the employment contract. A difficulty I have, however, is I do not know whether Mr Leach is the only director and shareholder of SBV. I, therefore, am not in a position to make any determination or assess the actual risk of SBV, which is not an Australian company, actually terminating someone who might, in fact, be the sole director and shareholder of it if he becomes a bankrupt.
  1. [28]
    I also was not taken to anything in exhibit 1 which suggested that the bankruptcy of Mr Leach would have an impact on the operation of the memorandum of understanding.
  1. [29]
    So each of those matters that I have identified in relation to the employment contract, as I said, raise a series of questions and, in particular, do not give me confidence about the likelihood of the employment resulting in Mr Leach being paid the significant sum of money recorded in the employment agreement, which, of course, is, in turn, linked to the transactions which are to occur pursuant to the memorandum of understanding, which is exhibit 1.
  1. [30]
    In terms of the gaps in information provided by Mr Leach, I also note the submission made by Mr Jackson that Mr Leach does not include any tax liability that he would have on his salary. Whether or not he be taxed here in Australia is unknown, of course, but the employment contract does contemplate work being done here in Australia and overseas. What that work is here in Australia or overseas beyond the bare description of him being a CEO is not identified.
  1. [31]
    If I could then turn to the second affidavit of Mr Leach, which is eCourts 15, filed 30 May 2023. Paragraph 7 of that affidavit seems to be an important part of Mr Leach’s evidence. It is where he describes certain transactions involving one of the Sanguine Holdings companies in Singapore. It deals with loans being made to the Singaporean entity, that is – I will just read it – or aspects of it.
  1. [32]
    So Mr Leach deposed to being a director of Sanguine Holdings (SG). The company was incorporated in Singapore. He deposes to not receiving any director’s fees, income or dividends from that company and never receiving any remuneration or payment from that company. He then describes how loan funds were advanced for the purpose of extending transaction timetable in Singapore during the first quarter of 2021. Due to the heavy impacts of COVID and inability to travel and meet investors, the funds did not arrive via Sanguine Luxembourg fund and the transaction failed and the liability to Mr Williams remained outstanding.
  1. [33]
    Mr Williams was apparently acting as Mr Leach’s legal representative and insisted the funds be linked to Mr Leach, not Sanguine Holdings (SG) and that the funds are reflected as lines in the accounts of Sanguine Holdings (SG). I have to say I found the evidence reflected in paragraph 7 very confusing. I do not understand what the funds were used for, what the Singaporean entity did with the funds. None of those things are disclosed.
  1. [34]
    I think I said, when I started discussing paragraph 7, that that was an important paragraph. That overstates it. I was thinking of paragraph 14. Paragraph 7 is something I do take into account, but I do not categorise it as an important consideration.
  1. [35]
    Paragraph 14 is where Mr Leach gives his evidence about what will happen if he is made bankrupt, and he asserts that, if that happens, he will not be able to fulfil his duties as a director of SBV. As I have already indicated, the language of the employment agreement does not sit well with that assertion by Mr Leach. Even if I was to accept that it was just looseness of language and that when Mr Leach was, in paragraph 14, referring to his director’s duties, he meant his obligations as a CEO, that does not deal with the other matters I raised about the real risk of that actually occurring, because it is unknown whether he is the sole shareholder and director of SBV.
  1. [36]
    It is also unknown what the state of the law in the Netherlands is about any of those things, as I have already indicated, so it seems to me that it is an assertion by Mr Leach which he is, of course, entitled to make but the weight that I give that assertion is low.
  1. [37]
    Paragraph 14, as with other documents, is also a little confusing. It seems to indicate that another Sanguine company, Sanguine Securities Sàrl, which is said to be a subsidiary of SBV, is somehow involved in the bond raising which is the subject matter of exhibit 1, the memorandum of understanding. I will describe that company as Sanguine Sàrl. How it is that SBV is entitled to money in relation to the transactions – again, it is very confusing. Sorry, this is the sentence I was thinking of:
  1. Fee income arises from its subsidiary, Sanguine Sàrl, a Luxembourg-registered company who has a listed program on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange for €2 billion.
  1. [38]
    Again, just how that hangs together, the contractual relationship between the different entities, why it is that SBV will generate its fees from the Sanguine Sàrl, it is just not made clear at all and it is not explained.
  1. [39]
    Still in paragraph 14, Mr Leach deposes that:
  1. The bond program is approved and launching 1 June 2023.
  1. [40]
    And that:
  1. Annexed and marked C is a copy of an advice of the date of the launch.
  1. [41]
    And that:
  1. There is a signed investment mandate for the €2 billion from a verified European corporate investor.
  1. [42]
    Now, that is the memorandum of understanding. But annexure C, as with other documents, raises more questions than answers. The information, such as it is, in annexure C is not explained. Going to page 13 of 38, it would appear in relation to one of the Sanguine entities that there is a security prefix of 6.75 per cent asset- backed notes.
  1. [43]
    The use of the expression “asset-backed notes” suggests that there are assets which support the debt and that they exceed the debt, at least to some extent, but – and I think this relates to Sanguine Sàrl – but no assets of Sanguine Sàrl have been disclosed.
  1. [44]
    Furthermore, still on the same page, it would seem to indicate that anyone who purchases the bonds will get a return of 6.75 per cent which is fixed, that the payment frequency is every year. Now, again, it is difficult to understand what this form actually means, but it would seem to be suggesting that Sanguine Sàrl would need to generate sufficient income to pay the investors and there is no evidence to indicate whether or not that takes precedence over any payments to be made to SBV or whether that would, in fact, be capable of occurring.
  1. [45]
    On page 16 of 38, still in the same annexure C, about two-thirds of the page down, there is reference to “a guaranteed covenant”. It is Sanguine asset-backed. What those assets are is not disclosed. Whether it is or is not a company within the control of Mr Leach is unknown.
  1. [46]
    Now, Mr Manner makes the submission that these other Sanguine companies are irrelevant because they are separate legal entities and the question really is Mr Leach’s capacity to pay or not to pay. Whilst as a proposition of generality that is, of course, correct, the difficulty with it is that it would seem that Mr Leach is the controlling mind of a group of companies incorporated all over the world using the name Sanguine. He has cherry-picked, in my view, some of those companies when it suits him to indicate that they are worthless or heavily indebted, but says nothing about others.
  1. [47]
    But it is, I think, more significant than that because these undisclosed entities are all somehow involved in the transactions, being the bonds and the investments, that are subject matter of the memorandum of understanding, which is the investments which Mr Leach says will ultimately result in him being paid half a million dollars a year. So I do not accept that it is not relevant to have regard to the absence of any evidence by Mr Leach about those other companies in the Sanguine group.
  1. [48]
    Well, we do not even know whether they are part of the Sanguine group, but, as Mr Manner properly conceded, it is open for me to infer that they are part of Mr Leach’s Sanguine group and, in light of the evidence that I have referred to and the constant reference by Mr Leach to the Sanguine group and the use of that name in these other companies, in the context of business transactions involving Mr Leach and his entities, I do make that inference.
  1. [49]
    The investment framework, according to paragraph 14 of Mr Leach’s affidavit, the second one – that the framework has been verified by Sustainalytics, a division of Morningstar, and Mr Leach says that he annexes that opinion as annexure D to his affidavit. This is not a verification of the framework; it is a discussion of it, based on information provided to the authors by Sanguine, and that is made very clear in the text of the document, for example, at page 2, at the bottom of the page of the opinion, and still on that page, the last paragraph before the heading Scope of Work. And, also, I note that there are more Sanguine companies that are referred to -if I did not say footnote 1, I meant to – namely, Global Assets and Sanguine Asian Pacific, in respect of which Mr Leach has given no evidence of their financial circumstances, his interest in them, whether he does or does not earn any income from them.
  1. [50]
    Ms Sarac, in her affidavit being eCourt 12, filed 25 May 2023 deals with various ASIC searches that have been done in relation to Mr Leach’s corporate interests. In paragraph 2, there are a number of companies listed. Other than that in subparagraph (f), they are all entities in respect of which Mr Leach is either the director or shareholder of, and Mr Leach has said nothing about those entities in his evidence in relation to their businesses, their income, whether he has earned any income from them, or otherwise.
  1. [51]
    There is also reference in paragraph 16 of Mr Leach’s second affidavit to the creation of a trust by him in September of 2022. I note that the evidence does not include the trust deed, no financials of the trust, and the identity of the beneficiaries is not disclosed.
  1. [52]
    I indicated earlier that my principal concern was in relation to the mandatory requirement in rule 869(1)(b). The factual matters I have traversed all go, to my mind, to the question of Mr Leach’s means of satisfying the instalment order, if it were made. I do not consider that the evidence satisfies or certainly does not satisfy me that Mr Leach will have the means to satisfy the order if it was made. There are too many questions raised by the documents, those that I have indicated, too many inconsistence and too much vagueness, and the absence of any evidence to support the financial capacity of the investor, the payment of the subscription that should have been made by now, plus all the matters that I have identified.
  1. [53]
    As I understand it, it is not in dispute that Mr Leach is not presently employed. That is a factor that also weighs against the exercise of the discretion. And, sorry, I should make it clear that this is a balancing exercise and that I am required to have all to all of these elements.  So I have taken into account (a) and (b).
  1. [54]
    Moving on to rule 869(1)(c): whether or not the order, including interest, will be satisfied within a reasonable time. I have been taken to a number of authorities and some submissions have been made about other cases there were similar periods of time for the payment of instalments. I mean, each case really turns on its own facts. And whilst those authorities are useful, they do not bind me in any way in terms of being satisfied about the question of whether or not the debt would be satisfied within a reasonable time.
  1. [55]
    I accept Mr Jackson’s submission that I am entitled to have regard to the period of time from which the debt became due and payable, the fact that no payment at all has been made towards reducing the debt, the absence of any action by Mr Leach in relation to the judgment occurring only after the bankruptcy notice was filed, and that no payment still has been made, and – as well as the amount of time for the payment of the debt.
  1. [56]
    In all the circumstances, I am not satisfied that the payment would be made within a reasonable time. That is influenced by the matters I have identified. Element (d) is a matter in favour of the granting of the order. The other liabilities of Mr Leach – again, there is some vagueness in the evidence about that, but I accept that Mr Leach has other liabilities. His capacity to pay them or not – well, his capacity to pay them seems to be he cannot.
  1. [57]
    Significantly, in this regard, as I understand it and this is not precise there is less than $1000 left – sorry, there is $100 left in the savings account?
  1. [58]
    MR MANNER: It is $1.50, your Honour.
  1. [59]
    HIS HONOUR: A dollar fifty. Thank you. And in the order of $10,000 in the line of credit?
  1. [60]
    MR MANNER: About 10,400, I believe, yeah.
  1. [61]
    HIS HONOUR: Thank you.
  1. [62]
    That is, I am told, the source of money available to Mr Leach. The evidence indicates that his monthly expenses, including supporting his family, is in the order of $13,000 a month. On that basis, there seems to be a shortfall for the next month, whatever that monthly cycle happens to be, and there is no evidence indicating how Mr Leach and his family will support themselves between now, May, and the 1st of October, which is where – when the payments under the employment contract are supposed to start. The absence of any evidence explaining how that is going to occur is something I also take into account.
  1. [63]
    Noting the complainant members’ corporate structures and absence of detail in relation to various companies and entities and the trust, there is doubt as to whether or not other enforcement action could be taken to satisfy the debt. I accept the submission that I understand Mr Jackson to have made to the effect that, via the bankruptcy process, the trustee in bankruptcy would have the power to take steps to interrogate the various corporate entities, and other things that are controlled by Mr Leach, to explore the ability to pay those.
  1. [64]
    It is hard to see, on the evidence, how a garnishee order could be, for example, taken to effect. The home is owned by Mr Leach’s wife, so no action could be taken as against that asset. And there is – or the evidence indicates that Mr Leach has no other assets against that could be sold readily to satisfy the debt in whole or in part. So I am not satisfied that the order would be consistent with the public interest in enforcing money orders efficiently and expeditiously.
  1. [65]
    If I was satisfied in relation to Mr Leach’s means of satisfying the order, if I made it, I would be satisfied that the amount and timing of the instalments would not impose unreasonable hardship.
  1. [66]
    I understand the parties to agree that rule 869, whilst it sets out the mandatory things that I must take into account that I can have regard to other matters. They are really captured by the discussion I had about the absence of information, the absence of detail.
  1. [67]
    I was taken to some cases, which I will deal with quickly. As I think I have said, whilst they are useful to give some guidance, they are not binding as to the result. The principles they set out I do not think are really contentious. In Hellier, unlike the matter I am presently dealing with, it is apparent from the reasons that the evidence about income and financial situation in the Hellier decision were both comprehensive and unchallenged.
  1. [68]
    Whilst it is true that there is no evidence challenging what Mr Leach says, I think it can be understood from the matters I have raised that I do not accept that the evidence was comprehensive and, whilst not challenged by evidence, it was challenged by submissions, and the challenge that Mr Jackson took was by an analysis of the evidence adduced by Mr Leach to indicate the various things that I identified as having caused me trouble in relation to element sub (d).
  1. [69]
    Another distinguishing feature of the Hellier decision is a history of earning by the debtor in that case, which was the same earnings that were to be used to make the instalment payments. Also, in that case, there was an insolvency practitioner who was going to continue practising as an insolvency practitioner, so the comments made by the court in Hellier, at paragraph 20, about the public interest in having trained people does not particularly assist Mr Leach.
  1. [70]
    I, of course, accept the general proposition that keeping commerce going is important and that it has the consequence of generating employment and other things but, for the reasons I have identified, I am not satisfied about the means of earning the money.
  1. [71]
    I was also taken to Big Country. I note that in that case the debtor had paid a considerable portion of the judgment it was almost half and that there were delays by the judgment creditor in commencing enforcement proceedings. They are, in my view, important distinguishing features of that case that distinguish the result.
  1. [72]
    I also note what the Court of Appeal said in Bucknell v Robins at paragraph 19 and I point to that in support to my regard to matters that happened prior to the litigation as relevant factors to consider.
  1. [73]
    A judgment creditor is entitled to the fruits of the judgment. I accept, however, the submission made by Mr Manner that the instalment regime is another mechanism by which that can be satisfied, perhaps not the way a judgment creditor would like it to be satisfied.
  1. [74]
    I was also taken to C Tina and the statements by Justice Reardon about an application of this kind, at least in Victoria, usually being granted. I do accept the submission that the position in Victoria is different because the rules are different. The decision to make an order for the payment to be by way of instalments sorry, there is nothing in the rules that indicate that an order to pay by instalments will usually be granted, unless certain things are present.  That is not the effect of that rule.
  1. [75]
    So whilst I acknowledge that, as a general proposition, what Justice Reardon said in practice might be correct, in Queensland the rule identifies what I must have regard to, and the general propositions of Justice Reardon are no more than that.
  1. [76]
    So, for those reasons, I refuse the application for an instalment order. I dismiss the application.
  1. [77]
    I order costs be paid by the defendant.
Close

Editorial Notes

  • Published Case Name:

    Williams & Ors v Leach

  • Shortened Case Name:

    Williams v Leach

  • MNC:

    [2023] QDC 124

  • Court:

    QDC

  • Judge(s):

    Andreatidis KC DCJ

  • Date:

    01 Jun 2023

Appeal Status

Please note, appeal data is presently unavailable for this judgment. This judgment may have been the subject of an appeal.

Cases Cited

Case NameFull CitationFrequency
Bucknell v Robins [2008] QCA 214
1 citation
C Tina Pty Ltd v Barham-Floreani [2019] VSC 819
1 citation
Hellier Capital Pty Ltd v Richard Albarran [2009] NSWSC 403
1 citation

Cases Citing

No judgments on Queensland Judgments cite this judgment.

1

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