FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA
Hydrocool Pty Limited v Hepburn [2009] FCA 815
HYDROCOOL PTY LIMITED (ACN 067 525 366) v IAIN MACGREGOR HEPBURN, THERMOELECTRIC APPLICATIONS PTY LIMITED (ACN 112 217 124), PETER TERENCE CLARKE, BENJAMIN BANNEY, MONTAG DAVIS, BRETT MANNERS, ROBERT WEYMOUTH, RITA CLARKE, WATER MASTER LIMITED and GARTH CLIFFORD RICHARDSON
NSD 1754 of 2006
SIOPIS J
1 JULY 2009
PERTH
IN THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA
WESTERN AUSTRALIA DISTRICT REGISTRY
GENERAL DIVISION
NSD 1754 of 2006
BETWEEN: HYDROCOOL PTY LIMITED (ACN 067 525 366)
Applicant
AND: IAIN MACGREGOR HEPBURN
First RespondentTHERMOELECTRIC APPLICATIONS PTY LIMITED (ACN 112 217 124)
Second RespondentPETER TERENCE CLARKE
Third RespondentBENJAMIN BANNEY
Fourth RespondentMONTAG DAVIS
Fifth RespondentBRETT MANNERS
Sixth RespondentROBERT WEYMOUTH
Seventh RespondentRITA CLARKE
Eighth RespondentWATER MASTER LIMITED
Ninth RespondentGARTH CLIFFORD RICHARDSON
Tenth Respondent
JUDGE:
SIOPIS J
DATE OF ORDER:
1 JULY 2009
WHERE MADE:
PERTH
THE COURT ORDERS THAT:
1.By 28 July 2009, a proper officer of the applicant is to file and serve an affidavit:
(a)describing the steps taken by the applicant to establish whether any minutes or notes of the proceedings or meetings of the applicant’s board on 28 October 2004 and 6 December 2004 are or once were in the possession, custody or control of the applicant; and,
(b)giving discovery of any such minutes or notes found to be in the possession, custody or control of the applicant.
2.In respect of any such minutes or notes, which were once but are no longer in the possession, custody or control of the applicant, the affidavit referred to in Order 1 shall describe when each such document was last in the applicant’s possession, custody or control and what has become of each document.
3.The date referred to in Order 1 of the Order made on 23 February 2009 is amended to 15 September 2009.
4.The applicant is to provide to the first, second and third respondents additional security for costs in the sum of $25,000.00 up to entry for trial, by way of bank guarantee or such form of security as is acceptable to the District Registrar.
5.The first, second and third respondents are not to call upon any bank guarantee provided by the applicant to each of those respondents and filed with the Court pursuant to order 4 except if:
(a)14 days have elapsed since any of those respondents has obtained an enforceable order for costs;
(b)the costs order has not been stayed;
(c)the applicant has failed to pay such an enforceable order for costs; and
(d)those costs are for costs incurred by those respondents up to and including the entry of the proceedings for trial.
6.Costs of the first, second and third respondents’ motion, and this directions hearing, are in the cause.
7.The directions hearing is adjourned to 10.15 am on 21 September 2009.
Note:Settlement and entry of orders is dealt with in Order 36 of the Federal Court Rules.
The text of entered orders can be located using eSearch on the Court’s…
Continue reading Hydrocool Pty Limited v Hepburn
Sign in free to access the full text
- AGLC
- Hydrocool Pty Limited v Hepburn [2009] FCA 815
- Case
- [2009] FCA 815
- Decision Date
CaseChat Overview and Summary
The court had to determine whether Hydrocool Pty Limited had taken adequate steps to locate the minutes or notes of the specified board meetings. Additionally, if any such documents were found, the court needed to establish the protocol for their discovery. In the event that the documents were once in the applicant's possession but were no longer available, the court also had to ascertain when they were last in possession and what had happened to them.
The court found that Hydrocool Pty Limited had not sufficiently detailed the steps taken to locate the documents in question. Consequently, the court mandated that an affidavit detailing these steps be filed and served by 28 July 2009. Furthermore, the court ordered Hydrocool Pty Limited to provide additional security for costs to the respondents. The court also stipulated the conditions under which the respondents could call upon the bank guarantee provided by the applicant. Lastly, the court set the costs for the respondents' motion and the directions hearing and scheduled the next hearing for 21 September 2009 at 10:15 am.
Orders
Orders of the court
1. By 28 July 2009, a proper officer of the applicant is to file and serve an affidavit:
(a) describing the steps taken by the applicant to establish whether any minutes or notes of the proceedings or meetings of the applicant’s board on 28 October 2004 and 6 December 2004 are or once were in the possession, custody or control of the applicant; and,
(b) giving discovery of any such minutes or notes found to be in the possession, custody or control of the applicant.
2. In respect of any such minutes or notes, which were once but are no longer in the possession, custody or control of the applicant, the affidavit referred to in Order 1 shall describe when each such document was last in the applicant’s possession, custody or control and what has become of each document.
3. The date referred to in Order 1 of the Order made on 23 February 2009 is amended to 15 September 2009.
4. The applicant is to provide to the first, second and third respondents additional security for costs in the sum of $25,000.00 up to entry for trial, by way of bank guarantee or such form of security as is acceptable to the District Registrar.
5. The first, second and third respondents are not to call upon any bank guarantee provided by the applicant to each of those respondents and filed with the Court pursuant to order 4 except if:
(a) 14 days have elapsed since any of those respondents has obtained an enforceable order for costs;
(b) the costs order has not been stayed;
(c) the applicant has failed to pay such an enforceable order for costs; and
(d) those costs are for costs incurred by those respondents up to and including the entry of the proceedings for trial.
6. Costs of the first, second and third respondents’ motion, and this directions hearing, are in the cause.
7. The directions hearing is adjourned to 10.15 am on 21 September 2009.
Note:
Background
Background to the litigation
Full text does not contain this section.
Evidence
Evidence Before The Court
Full text does not contain this section.
Decision
Reasons for decision
Full text does not contain this section.
Ratio Decidendi
Legal Principle Established
Established by: SIOPIS J
Full text does not contain this section.