COOPER V VEGHELYI & ORS [2005] NSWSC 602
Supreme Court of New South Wales – 28 June 2005
FACTS
Home Productions Pty Ltd (‘Home’) submitted a Payment Claim under the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW) (‘the Act’) to Margaret Anne Cooper (‘Cooper’). The matter proceeded to Adjudication and the Adjudicator made a determination in favour of Cooper in the sum of $7,636.50 which became due and payable. Home was granted a certificate of judgment in the Parramatta Local Court and ordered that the amount be paid into Court 30 days until further order. Cooper did not comply with the order.
Cooper filed an application in Consumer Trade and Tenancy Tribunal (‘CTTT’) seeking a sum of $3,950 and an order that $7,500 was not due or owing and costs. These proceedings are still on foot.
Cooper then filed a summons in the Supreme Court seeking a declaration that the Adjudication was null and void on the grounds that she had been denied natural justice because she was not served and/or had no knowledge of the Adjudication Application until after the Adjudication was determined.
Further, Cooper sought to set aside the Local Court order on the grounds that the Adjudicator had no grounds to hear or determine the matter as the Adjudicator fell within the meaning of “court” under the CTTT Act.
The Supreme Court held that section 25(4)(a) of the Act applied and that Cooper was required to pay into court, as security, the Adjudicated Amount pending the final determination of the proceedings. Cooper then sought to set aside the order that the judgment be set aside.
ISSUE
Whether the judgment of the Supreme Court should be set aside.
FINDING
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