Case Law[2023] ZAWCHC 97South Africa
Rota Investments CC v Full Score Trading 131 CC and Others (16881/2022) [2023] ZAWCHC 97 (26 April 2023)
Judgment
begin wrapper
begin container
begin header
begin slogan-floater
end slogan-floater
- About SAFLII
About SAFLII
- Databases
Databases
- Search
Search
- Terms of Use
Terms of Use
- RSS Feeds
RSS Feeds
end header
begin main
begin center
# South Africa: Western Cape High Court, Cape Town
South Africa: Western Cape High Court, Cape Town
You are here:
SAFLII
>>
Databases
>>
South Africa: Western Cape High Court, Cape Town
>>
2023
>>
[2023] ZAWCHC 97
|
Noteup
|
LawCite
sino index
## Rota Investments CC v Full Score Trading 131 CC and Others (16881/2022) [2023] ZAWCHC 97 (26 April 2023)
Rota Investments CC v Full Score Trading 131 CC and Others (16881/2022) [2023] ZAWCHC 97 (26 April 2023)
Download original files
PDF format
RTF format
make_database: source=/home/saflii//raw/ZAWCHC/Data/2023_97.html
sino date 26 April 2023
SAFLII
Note:
Certain
personal/private details of parties or witnesses have been
redacted from this document in compliance with the law
and
SAFLII
Policy
OFFICE
OF THE CHIEF JUSTICE
IN THE HIGH COURT OF
SOUTH AFRICA
(WESTERN CAPE
DIVISION, CAPE TOWN)
CASE NO:
16881/2022
In the matter between:
ROTA INVESTMENTS
CC
Applicant
and
FULL SCORE TRADING 131
CC
First respondent
TERRENCE CHARLES
CLACKETT
Second respondent
ANTHONY PATRICK
STAFFEN
Third respondent
ASHERSONS
ATTORNEYS
Fourth respondent
DE KLERK & VAN
GEND ATTORNEYS
Fifth respondent
REGISTRAR OF DEEDS,
CAPE TOWN
Sixth
respondent
JUDGMENT DELIVERED ON
THIS 26
TH
DAY OF APRIL 2023
Background to the
application
1.
The applicant (“
Rota
”)
conducts business as a credit provider. It has one member, a Mr
Botha. In November 2021 a Mr Keating contacted Mr Botha.
Mr Keating
said that he and the third respondent, a Mr Staffen, were directors
of Armour Group (Pty) Ltd (“
Armour
”).
Mr Keating also explained that he, Mr Staffen and the second
respondent, a Mr Clackett, were directors of AJH Cooling
Cape (Pty)
Ltd (“
AJH
”).
Armour imports air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment which it
sells to a wholesalers; AJH is one such wholesaler.
2.
Mr Keating told Mr Botha that Armour and
AJH required bridging finance of R2,7 million for three months. He
showed Mr Botha purchase
orders and related documentation. Mr Botha
said that Rota would consider an application for finance if Rota
could register a bond
over an unencumbered property as security.
3.
That led Mr Keating to introduce Mr Botha
to Mr Keating’s attorney, a Mr Youngman. Mr Youngman told Mr
Botha that he and Keating
were members of Sibenti Business
Enterprises CC (“
Sibenti
”).
Sibenti, said Mr Youngman, owned an unencumbered property,
erf
1[...] Albertville, Extension [...], Gauteng (“
the
Albertville property
”).
4.
On 25 October 2021 Mr Youngman
provided Mr Botha with a document which appears to be a CIPC
Disclosure Certificate. The certificate
showed that Sibenti had been
in business since May 2001. Its registered address and postal address
were in Bethal and Witbank respectively
(though in 2006 Witbank was
renamed Emalahleni). Its auditor had resigned. The fields showing the
date of its auditor’s appointment,
resignation and email
address were empty. Its members were Mr Keating (with an interest of
1%, appointed on 1 February 2021,
and an address in West Beach,
Cape Town Mr Youngman (98%, 4 March 2020, Sunning Dale, Cape
Town) and a Ms Claire Elizabeth
Youngman (1%, 1 October 2021,
the same Sunning Dale address as Mr Youngman). It did not show
previous members.
5.
On 18 November 2021 Mr Botha
instructed attorneys to conduct a deeds office search of the
Albertville property. The search
showed that the Albertville property
was last sold on 30 June 2008 at a price of R 1,76 million,
a registration date
of 26 November 2010, and that Sibenti was
owner.
6.
The search also showed endorsements on
account of four bonds. The endorsement entries are curious. The first
reflects next to the
bond number, under a column headed
“
Institution”
,“
FORMERLY
PARK”
, the second under that
column “
FORMERLY PARK1508 [PARK]
NOW 1508”
. The registration date
for the first and second is shown as 1 January 1900. The third
and fourth show Sibenti under the “
Institution”
column. The third was registered on 3 September 2020 and the
fourth on 19 October 2020. Mr Botha indeed alleges that
the
property appeared to be encumbered.
The advance and the
contracts
7.
Undeterred, over December 2021 –
February 2022 Rota advanced a total of some R2,7 million to Armour.
Rota did so in terms
of a letter dated 7 December 2021 and
headed “
Pre-Agreement on Advance
of R806 000”
addressed to
AJH, and in terms of two so-called factoring agreements between Rota
and Armour dated 8 December 2021 and 4 February
2021
respectively.
8.
Mr Botha authorised a Mr Hardiman to sign
the first factoring agreement for Rota; on 8 December 2021 Mr
Hardiman did so. Mr
Keating signed for Armour on the same day.
Also on 8 December 2021, Sibenti executed a suretyship in
respect of the
obligations of Armour to Rota. The second factoring
agreement appears to be signed by Mr Botha for Rota and Mr Keating
for Armour
on 9 February 2022.
9.
Rota and Armour are parties to the
so-called factoring agreements. The so-called factoring agreements
identify Armour as borrower,
and AJH as the debtor. They provide for
AJH to repay all outstanding amounts to Rota. They go on to stipulate
that both Armour
and AJH are jointly and severally liable to repay.
They set no limit to the amount that might be advanced in terms of
them, nor
how that might be determined, and no time for repayment of
amounts advanced. They stipulate “
Once
[Rota is] satisfied with the documentation provided, the agreed
amounts will be advanced to the Borrower within 1 – 2
business
days”
.
10.
They provide that “
[Armour]
will be responsible for following up payments as per the normal
course of business and the lenders will only contact the
debtors
directly in the case of non-payment of agreed to terms, or any other
concerns around recovery of monies owed”.
They do
not
provide for a cession of debtors to Rota. It is for this reason that
the so-called factoring agreements appear to be factoring
agreements
in name only. Rota indeed alleges that the amounts advanced are loans
repayable by Armour.
11.
Both so-called factoring agreements provide
that “
By this agreement and your
signature, the borrower/ director/s consent to personal surety in
lieu of any amounts owed to [Rota]
to ensure the return of the
advance fees in the case of non-payment by [AJH]”
.
Both agreements appear to be signed only once, and only by Mr
Keating, above a dotted line under which is printed “
Armour
Group Africa”
.
12.
The first so-called factoring agreement
provides that “
A bond free
property will be utilized as additional security for these
transactions”
, the second that “
A
bond free property [the Albertville property] will be utilized as
additional security for these transactions”
(underlining
added).
13.
Though dated 7 December 2021 by Rota,
the letter and a “
Quotation on
Bridging finance advance of R806 000”
which
is annexure A to the letter appear to have been counter-signed by Mr
Keating and Mr Staffen on 9 December 2021. The letter
confirms
that AJH has applied for an advance of R806 000 “
against
the agreed factoring agreement as per the Main-Agreement and
Factoring Agreement”
. The letter
also sets out the terms of what it refers to as a “
Pre-agreement”
,
and incorporates the quotation. Those terms are that Rota would
advance the R806 000 for three months at a “
fee
for the 3 months period @ R1.33 per R1000/ day [Total:] R102 392”
and a document fee of R2 000. On the advance of R806 000
that was at an annual rate of the order of 62%. Though the letter
refers to a “
Main-Agreement”
,
Rota did not adduce one.
Events leading to the
application
14.
In January 2022 Rota registered a bond over
the Albertville property. In March 2022 Armour sought to repay Rota
R1 090 000.
Mr Keating arranged for Armour to repay into Mr
Youngman’s trust account. Mr Youngman paid only R197 355
to Rota. At
that stage total advances and interest were R2 706 000.
15.
In April 2022 it transpired that the
Albertville property had previously been owned by the City of
Johannesburg (“
the City
”).
The City told Rota that the City intended to apply for an order that
the Albertville property revert to the City. Mr Botha
alleges that he
was shocked. Mr Keating and Mr Youngman provided reassurances that
the City had no claim to the property, but Mr
Botha was not convinced
of that.
16.
In August 2022 the City applied, in the
South Gauteng division, for an order that ownership of the
Albertville property revert to
it. The City cited Rota, as bond
holder. Rota has opposed. The case does not appear to have been
concluded. Rota attached only
the notice of motion to its founding
affidavit. I can only infer that Rota has opposed because it believes
there are grounds upon
which the application can be opposed.
17.
By June 2022 AJH had made no further
payments. On 9 June 2022 Rota sent Armour a demand in terms of
section 345 of the old
Companies Act, for repayment of all amounts
advanced. On 8 July 2022 the 21-day period for repayment would
have expired. Also
in July 2022, Rota made contact with Messrs
Keating, Clackett and Staffen regarding repayment.
18.
In August 2022 Rota found out that the
first respondent, Full Score Trading 131 (Pty) Ltd (“
Full
Score
”) was going to sell a
property owned by it in Stikland, Cape Town. Full Score’s
directors are Messrs Staffen and Clackett.
Full Score used to be a
close corporation, with membership split 80% - 20% between Messrs
Staffen and Clackett respectively. On
5 October 2021 Full Score
became a company. All three of Messrs Staffen, Keating and Clackett
became directors. Mr Keating
resigned as director on 1 September
2022. Upon learning of the Stikland property sale, Mr Botha asked Mr
Staffen if Full Score
would be prepared to pay the nett proceeds of
the sale to Rota to reduce the indebtedness of Armour. Mr Staffen
said not.
19.
In late September 2022 Rota found out that:
back in October 2021, (1) a company called Imperial Cleaning and
Forwarding (Pty) Ltd
had obtained a default judgment against AJH; (2)
a company called Merchant Capital Advisory Services (Pty) Ltd had
issued summons
against Armour – Rota initially thought for
R3 million in the founding affidavit. Corrected in answer, in
reply Rota
conceded the correct amount was R1,3 million. Rota –
also in late September 2022 – found out that (3) during
February
2022 AJH, Mr Keating and Mr Staffen had agreed to pay R2,3
million to a Mr Schultz, and (4) in April 2022 a company called
Colcab
(Pty) Ltd had applied to wind up AJH. On 3 October 2022
Rota found out (5) that Full Score had sold a second property in
Stikland.
Ex
parte
order
20.
On 6 October 2022 Rota applied
urgently, and
ex parte
,
for the issue of a rule
nisi
,
with immediate interim effect, (1) interdicting Full Score from
terminating its mandate to two firms of conveyancers to register
transfer of the two sold Stikland properties from Full Score to
purchasers not cited; (2) interdicting the conveyancers from paying
the proceeds of the sales to Full Score, pending determination of an
action Rota would institute against Mr Clackett and Mr Staffen
“
for
the payment of R3 498 321,00 plus the agreed interest
thereon arising from the Factoring Agreements which were concluded
between [Rota] and [Armour] during December 2021 and February 2022”
;
directing the conveyancers to hold “
the
said balance of the purchase price in an interest bearing account
pending the resolution of the said action”
.
21.
On 7 October 2022 the order sought was
granted. The return day: 28 October 2022. The court insisted
upon amendment of
the draft order expressly to permit the respondents
to approach the court on notice of just 48 hours to reconsider.
Lapse of the rule
nisi
22.
The rule was extended to 4 November
2022. The court declined to hear the matter for want of urgency on
that day, and it was
enrolled on the semi-urgent roll, on 17 April
2023. On 4 November 2022, the rule was extended to 17 April
2023.
The registrar however delivered a notice of set down not for
17 April 2023, but for 20 April 2023. That is when and how
the application has come before me.
23.
On
17 April 2023 the rule
nisi
was
not extended. The rule
nisi
therefore has lapsed. Rule 27(4) permits a court to revive a rule
“
discharged
by default of appearance by the applicant”. Ex parte S & U
TV Services (Pty) Ltd: In re S & U TV Services
(Pty) Ltd (In
Provisional Liquidation)
held that rule 27(4) applies where an applicant fails to appear and
there has been “
some
oversight or misunderstanding”
of
the nature of an “
understandable
and excusable error”
,
and revival is “
almost
immediately after the discharge of the rule, ie while matters are
still essentially res integra.”
[1]
Regardless
of how long or short the lapse, the court should however be satisfied
that matters “
are
still essentially res integra”
– that is, where the underlying facts probably remain untouched
and as they were at the time of the lapse.
[2]
24.
Williams
v Landmark Properties
held
that rule 27(4) does not apply where a rule
nisi
lapses by virtue of the fulfilment of a resolutive condition to which
the rule
nisi
is
subject.
[3]
The
unfulfilled resolutive condition was a provision that the applicant
institute an action within 30 days.
[4]
It
was not a case of non-appearance on the return day. The case is best
construed as authority that rule 27(4) does not apply where
a rule
nisi
lapses
by virtue of fulfilment of a resolutive condition other than
non-appearance on the date set in the rule
nisi
.
25.
In this case I am satisfied that the lapse
was on account of an understandable error. No party had realised the
lapse until the
hearing on 20 April 2023. Nothing has happened
in consequence of the lapse. Things remain as they were before. The
parties
all seek resolution of the case on its merits. But for my
conclusion on the merits, which makes revival unnecessary, I would
have
revived the lapsed rule
nisi
.
In the light of my conclusion on the merits it is however unnecessary
to do so.
The parties’
cases
26.
What is the claim of Rota against Full
Score? Rota alleges, and its counsel underscored in argument, the
common directorships as
between Armour, AJH and Full Score. And, that
Full Score owns the (same) property that is the registered address of
both Armour
and Full Score, and another property that is the
registered address of AJH.
27.
The founding affidavit alleges that “
a
director of a company may be declared diligent [sic] under the
Companies Act, 71 of 2008 (as amended) in certain circumstances”
.
“
Diligent”
is
obviously a typographic mistake for “
delinquent”
.
Directors, Rota explains, can be held personally liable for carrying
on the business of a company recklessly, with gross negligence
or to
defraud. The crux of Rota’s case: “
In
the light of the above and particularly the reluctance by [Mr
Clackett] and [Mr Staffen] to take responsibility for the repayment
of the bridging finance loan and the interest which has accrued
thereon … I wish to prevent them from receiving any proceeds
from the sale of any property owned by [Full Score] pending the
resolution of an action which [Rota] intends instituting against
[Clackett] and [Staffen].”
And,
that as both Mr Clackett and Mr Staffen “
were,
directly and indirectly, involved with [Armour] when the bridging
finance loan was paid to it, [Rota] reasonably expected
them to make
whatever proceeds were available from the sale of this property to
reduce the said loan amount.”
28.
In answer, Full Score alleges that Mr
Keating was on an unauthorised fraudulent frolic, aided or abetted by
Mr Youngman –
which included the misappropriation of funds
advanced by Rota to Armour; Mr Staffen’s signature on the first
factoring agreement
was photo-shopped; after receipt of Rota’s
demand, Armour investigated, and laid a charge against Mr Keating,
who has been
arrested for fraud. The reply, confirmed by Mr Keating,
adduces resolutions and documents to vouch allegations that Mr
Staffen
knew what Mr Keating was up to, acceded in it, and benefited
from it. But, Rota cannot rely on untested allegations in reply.
29.
Rota alleges its
prima
facie
right lies in that it was induced
to loan and advance money to Armour “
based
on the express undertaking by its directors, which included
[Staffen], that [Armour] would repay the loan amount”
,
and that Mr Keating, Mr Clackett and Mr Staffen “
knew
or should have known that [Armour] and the other companies were in
financial trouble and that Armour would not be able to repay
the loan
to [Rota]”
. The well grounded
harm is allegedly that Rota’s security “
will
be brought into question”
.
30.
Rota’s claim interim to which the
order was obtained was to be against Messrs Clackett and Staffen “
for
the payment of R3 498 321,00 plus the agreed interest
thereon arising from the Factoring Agreements which were concluded
between [Rota] and [Armour] during December 2021 and February 2022”.
Rota did not adopt the salutary
practice of attaching the particulars of claim in its anticipated
action to the notice of motion.
Rota’s practice note however
advised that it had instituted an action. The basis upon which it
advances the action is relevant
to determination of the application
for an interdict. Rota provided the pleadings to me.
31.
The action is not only against Messrs
Clackett and Staffen. It also cites Armour, AJH, Full Score and Mr
Keating as defendants.
The particulars plead the common
directorships, the conclusion of the so-called factoring agreements,
the loan of amounts totalling
R2 706 000, that the
businesses of Armour and AJH (but not Full Score) were conducted
fraudulently, alternatively recklessly,
alternatively grossly
negligently so as to defraud creditors when the so-called factoring
agreements were concluded, in that Armour
and AJH (but not Full
Score) were insolvent and incurred debts to Rota which could not be
repaid, that Messrs Staffen, Clackett
and Keating dishonestly failed
to disclose the true position, that Armour repaid only R197 355
in March 2022. The particulars
request orders – against only
Messrs Staffen, Clackett and Keating (and not Full Score): that they
be declared jointly and
severally liable for the debts of Armour to
Rota, and to pay R3 653 288 with interest “
as
agreed in the … factoring agreements”
.
Approach to the papers
32.
This
application is not to preserve assets of Messrs Staffen, Clackett and
Keating, the action-defendants. Rota seeks to preserve
a fund
established by the sale of Full Score’s property. While Full
Score is cited as a defendant in the action, no allegations
are made
against it, and no relief is sought against it. Rota’s rights
(if any) to procced against Full Score’s assets
will not be
revisited in the anticipated action. Therefore, the rule I am
requested to (revive and) confirm would grant final relief
of a
limited duration.
[5]
There
are two consequences: firstly,
the
rule in
Plascon-Evans
applies.
[6]
Any material disputes of fact are resolved by the evidence of the
respondents,unless it is implausible.
[7]
Secondly, Rota must show (a) a clear right; (b) actual or reasonably
apprehended injury; and (c) no alternative remedy –
insofar as
the ordinary interdictory requisites apply.
[8]
Anti-dissipation
interdicts
33.
In
English law, a plaintiff can apply for a Mareva injunction against a
prospective defendant to freeze the prospective defendant’s
assets, safeguarding the coming claim.
[9]
South
African law has long ago received and developed the procedure, but
does not recognise the claim and so rejects the name.
[10]
A
similar species of interdict, but granted upon different requisites,
has long been recognised.
[11]
The
seminal judgment is that of EM Grosskopf JA in the (then)
AD, in
Knox
D’Arcy v Jamieson
;
it must be read together with the judgment of Stegmann J
a
quo
.
EM Grosskopf JA doubted the species should be called an
anti-dissipation interdict, as was suggested by Stegmann J.
[12]
But,
that is the name that has stuck.
34.
There
is seldom justification to compel a respondent to keep money to pay
disputed claims.
[13]
For
a court to order that, an applicant must allege and prove that the
respondent is dealing with its assets with the intention
of defeating
the claim.
[14]
An
exception is where the plaintiff has a vindicatory or
quasi-vindicatory claim – then, that intention need not be
shown.
[15]
A
quasi-vindicatory claim “
is
one in which an applicant claims delivery of specific property under
some legal right of possession”
.
[16]
An
applicant may also interdict payment of money which is “
identifiable
with or earmarked as a particular fund to which [the applicant]
claims to be entitled”
in pursuit of a vindicatory or quasi-vindicatory claim
.
[17]
35.
As
to the role of the ordinary interdictory requisites: in
Knox
D’Arcy
EM Grosskopf JA remarked that “
The
interdict with which we are dealing is sui generis. It is either
available or it is not.”
[18]
He
so remarked in evaluating the requisite of absence of an alternative
remedy, and concluding that it was met.
[19]
The
necessity to show an intention to render a claim nugatory therefore
is something of a special threshold requisite. The other
requisites
to come into play if it is met. Whether the applicant’s claim
of right will be revisited in the anticipated action
would determine
which ordinary interdictory requisites come into play and how.
[20]
36.
Rota’s
counsel referred to
Nieuwoudt
v Maswabi NO.
[21]
In
that case a construction sub-contractor had not been paid by the main
contractor, a joint venture. The main contractor had historically
received payment from the employer, the Free State Government. The
main contractor had failed to pay over what was due to the
sub-contractor, paying its employees and other subcontractors
instead. The sub-contractor was granted an interdict to prohibit
payment of 1% of the contract value remaining unpaid by the employer
to the main contractor, pending determination of the sub-contractor’s
claim against the contractor.
[22]
37.
In
Nieuwoudt
v Maswabi NO
the
court found that the unpaid balance constituted a progress payment,
and therefore an identifiable fund to which the sub-contractor
could
lay claim.
[23]
The
prospective claim was not vindicatory or quasi-vindicatory.
[24]
Although
it referred to
Knox
D’Arcy AD
,
the court did not single out and discuss whether the intention
requirement was fulfilled.
38.
I
asked Rota’s counsel whether he had noted up
Nieuwoudt
v Maswabi NO
or
not. He said not. It transpires that
Fedsure
Life Assurance Co Ltd v Worldwide African Investment Holdings (Pty)
Ltd
held
that “
The
learned Judge in Nieuwoudt v Maswabi NO … appears with respect
to have overlooked the passage in Knox D'Arcy [requiring
intention to
defeat a claim] … and to have confused the remedy considered
in that case with a vindicatory or quasi-vindicatory
interdict.”
[25]
I
agree.
No interdict
39.
Judgment in favour of Rota in its action
will give Rota no right to Full Score’s money. Rota does not
seek somehow to hold
Full Score liable for the debts of Messrs
Staffen, Clackett which its action would establish. There appears to
be no basis to do
so. Full Score has owned the Stikland properties
since December 2002 and August 2010 respectively. Full Score’s
assets were
not provided as security for Armour’s transactions,
as they might have been were Full Score involved in the business of
AJH
and Armour. Full Score did not benefit from the advances made by
Rota.
40.
Rota’s claim in the action is not a
vindicatory or quasi-vindicatory claim. Rota’s counsel
correctly so conceded. Rota
cannot obtain an anti-dissipation
interdict without alleging the requisite intention. Rota has not
alleged that Full Score sold
with the intention of defeating Rota’s
claim against Messrs Staffen, Clackett and Keating. Rota’s case
is merely that
Full Score refused to apply to the sale proceeds to
reduce Armour’s indebtedness, when Rota had a “
reasonable
expectation”
that Messrs Staffen
and Clackett, as its directors, would enable it to do so. A
reasonable expectation of payment does not a correlative
claim make.
There can be no intention to defeat a not-established claim. Also,
the expectation was scarcely reasonable. Why should
Full Score have
discharged the obligation of Armour? Full Score is not surety for
Armour. Its properties are not bonded to Rota.
Mr Botha did not have
any contact with Mr Staffen until July 2022; it is not clear whether
he ever met Mr Clackett.
41.
Further
as to harm: a plaintiff cannot by the grant of an anti-dissipation
order obtain security for its claim for which it did
not
contract.
[26]
Harm
feared on account of imminent insolvency is therefore scarcely
relevant. Rota’s fear that its security is questionable
would
not be dispelled by the grant of the order. On alternative remedies:
Rota has the bond over the Albertville property; Rota
is opposing the
City’s application; Rota has taken action against Messrs
Staffen, Clackett and Keating.
No oral evidence
42.
Rota’s
counsel pointed out that there are disputes on the papers about
whether Messrs Staffen and Clackett’s conduct
was fraudulent or
not. On the strength of that, Rota’s counsel submitted that if
I were not to find for Rota, I should refer
the application for oral
evidence. It is correct that I cannot make findings about whether
Messrs Staffen and Clackett’s
conduct was fraudulent or not. I
need make no such findings to decide whether Rota can succeed. Save
in exceptional cases an application
to refer for oral evidence should
be made prior to argument on the merits.
[27]
This
was not an exceptional case.
Costs
43.
The founding affidavit is full of sound and
fury. Upon analysis it signifies no claim to the sale proceeds. The
clamour conceals
fundamental disconnects. The proceeds of the Full
Score property sales have nothing to do with the claim made against
Messrs Staffen,
Clackett and Keating as Armour directors.
44.
I agree with the respondents’
submissions that Rota should not have proceeded
ex
parte
. Rota alleged it brought the
application
ex parte
because Rota feared that if it gave notice to Full Score, Full Score
would terminate the mandate of the conveyancers and proceed
with
transfer anyway. It seems improbable, as Full Score alleges, that
Full Score could terminate the mandate of two firms of conveyancers
mid-stream in attending the imminent transfers – and then
appoint new conveyancers seamlessly so as to proceed with the
transfer anyway.
45.
In
proceeding
ex
parte
and
urgently Rota placed its case before the urgent court without
opposition, and obtained an order to which it was not entitled
–
the harm of which Full Score has suffered now for almost six months.
The order moreover was overbroad: it interdicted payment
of the full
proceeds from the sales, not only the proceeds to the extent of the
anticipated claim. The order caused severe prejudice
to Full
Score.
[28]
An
adverse costs award on the attorney and client scale is warranted.
Order
46.
The application is dismissed with costs on
the scale as between attorney and client.
PATRICK, AJ
DATE
OF HEARING: 20 APRIL 2023
DATE
OF JUDGEMNT: 26 APRIL 2023
COUNSEL
FOR APPLICANT:
ADV
WJ VAN DER MERWE
INSTRUCTED
BY:
JOHN
SMITH ATTORNEYS
PER:
JOHN SMITH
COUNSEL
FOR 1
ST
– 3
RD
RESPONDENTS:
ADV M
VAN DER BERG
INSTRUCTED
BY:
ASHERSONS
ATTORNEYS
PER:
ANDREW GOLDSCHMIDT
[1]
1990
(4) SA 88
(W) at 90 D/E – E/F and 91A/B.
[2]
At
91B – D.
[3]
1998
(2) SA 582
(W) at 586G – H.
[4]
Supra
at
584F.
[5]
Cape
Tex Eng. Works (Pty) Ltd v S.A.B. Lines Ltd
1968 (2) SA 528
(C) at 530,
MV
Snow Delta Serva Ship Ltd v Discount Tonnage Ltd
2000
(4) SA 746
(SCA) paragraph 6 at 751F – H/I. In
Knox
d’Arcy Ltd v Jamieson
[1996] ZASCA 58
;
1996
(4) SA 348
(A) (“
Knox
D’Arcy AD
”
)
at
357C/D the AD regarded the order as appealable because its cause of
action was different to the anticipated action and the
procedure
might introduce new parties.
[6]
Knox
D’Arcy WLD
at
604E – G.
[7]
Plascon-Evans
Paints Ltd v Van Riebeeck Paints (Pty) Ltd
[1984] ZASCA 51
;
1984 (3) SA 623
(A),
Grancy
Property Ltd v Manala
2015
(3) SA 313
(SCA) paragraphs 33 and 34 at 325E – 326A.
[8]
Knox
D’Arcy AD
at
373D.
[9]
Knox
D’Arcy Ltd v Jamieson
1994
(3) SA 700
(W), referring to
Mareva
Compania Naviera SA v International Bulk Carriers SA; The Mareva
[1980] 1 All ER 213 (CA).
[10]
Knox
D’Arcy AD
at
371I – 372A.
[11]
Knox
D’Arcy AD
at
372C.
[12]
Knox
D’Arcy AD
at
372B – C.
[13]
Knox
D’Arcy AD
at
372H – I.
[14]
Knox
D’Arcy AD
at
372F – G.
[15]
Knox
D’Arcy AD
at
371G – I,
Fey
NO v Van der Westhuizen
2005
(2) SA 236
(C) at 249D – E. Nor need the absence of an
alternative remedy be shown:
Fedsure
Life Assurance Co Ltd v Worldwide African Investment Holdings (Pty)
Ltd
2003
(3) SA 268
(W) paragraph 28 at 278D/E – F.
[16]
Fey
NO v Van der Westhuizen supra
at
249E – G, referring to J Cane “Prejudgment Mareva-type
Interdicts in South African Law” SALJ (1997) volume
114 page
77.
[17]
Fedsure
Life Assurance Co Ltd v Worldwide African Investment Holdings (Pty)
Ltd supra
paragraph
30 at 278H/I.
[18]
Knox
D’Arcy AD
at
373D.
[19]
Knox
D’Arcy AD
[20]
Footnote
7 above.
[21]
2002
(6) SA 96 (O).
[22]
Nieuwoudt
v Maswabi NO supra
paragraphs
3 and 4 at 99C/D – 100E.
[23]
Nieuwoudt
v Maswabi NO supra
paragraph
7 at 103A/B – C.
[24]
Nieuwoudt
v Maswabi NO supra
paragraph
7 at 102E.
[25]
Supra
paragraph
45 D – D/E.
[26]
Knox
D’Arcy Ltd AD
at
372B: “
The
interdict prevents the respondent from dealing freely with his
assets but grants the applicant no preferential rights over
those
assets.”
[27]
De
Reszke v Maras
2006
(1) SA 401
(C) paragraphs 33 at 413F/G – H.
[28]
Knox
D’Arcy AD
at
379F - H.
sino noindex
make_database footer start
Similar Cases
Visigro Investments (Pty) Ltd v SFF Association (14906/2022) [2024] ZAWCHC 356 (3 June 2024)
[2024] ZAWCHC 356High Court of South Africa (Western Cape Division)98% similar
Cambrig Holdings CC v SA Mr Smart Fashion Wholesalers and Retailers CC and Another (2024/145157) [2025] ZAWCHC 502 (27 October 2025)
[2025] ZAWCHC 502High Court of South Africa (Western Cape Division)98% similar
Gamlam Investments (Pty) Ltd v Coetzee (Appeal) (A108/2025) [2025] ZAWCHC 569 (25 November 2025)
[2025] ZAWCHC 569High Court of South Africa (Western Cape Division)98% similar
Cez Investments (Pty) Ltd v Blockkoin (Pty) Ltd and Others (Reasons) (17446/2024 ; 20613/2024) [2025] ZAWCHC 114 (14 March 2025)
[2025] ZAWCHC 114High Court of South Africa (Western Cape Division)98% similar
SACTWU Investments Group (Pty) Ltd v Sekunjalo Independent Media (Pty) Ltd and Another (6290/19) [2024] ZAWCHC 110 (24 April 2024)
[2024] ZAWCHC 110High Court of South Africa (Western Cape Division)98% similar