SETTING ASIDE A REGULAR JUDGMENT: TWO HURDLES FOR THE APPLICANT TO CLEAR – AND EVEN THEN THERE CAN BE CONDITIONS
The judgment of Master Kaye in Penta Ultimate Holdings Ltd & Anor v Storrier [2020] EWHC 2400 (Ch) is a reminder that a party attempting to set aside a regular judgment has two hurdles to clear: the test set out…
JUDGMENT SET ASIDE WHEN DEFAULT WAS OBTAINED BECAUSE OF “LOCKDOWN”: LITIGATORS MUST BE AWARE THAT THE WORLD SHIFTED ON ITS AXIS ON 23 MARCH 2020
The judgment of Mr Justice Julian Knowles in Stanley v London Borough of Tower Hamlets [2020] EWHC 1622 (QB) is the first reference I have seen to that part of CPR PD51ZA that deals the court’s general discretion when faced…
SETTING ASIDE DEFAULT JUDGMENT: THE NEED FOR PROMPTNESS AND THE RELEVANCE OF THE DENTON CRITERIA
In Core-Export Spa -v- Yang Ming Marine Transportation Corp [2020] EWHC 425 (Comm) HHJ Pelling QC (sitting as a High Court Judge) refused an application to set aside a default judgment. The defendant had an arguable defence, however its history…
JUDGMENT IN DEFAULT – AFTER DEFENCE IS DUE BUT WHEN DEFENCE IS FILED LATE: ISSUE TO BE DETERMINED BY THE COURT OF APPEAL
An earlier post dealt with rule changes that come into force in April in relation to default judgment being entered. The new rules make it clear that judgment cannot be entered if the court has received an acknowledgement of service…
SETTING ASIDE JUDGMENT IN DEFAULT: DEFENDANT’S SOLICITOR FAILED TO NOTICE THAT PARTICULARS OF CLAIM HAD BEEN SERVED WITH THE CLAIM FORM
The judgment of HH Judge Hodge QC (sitting as a HIgh Court Judge) in Praetura Asset Finance Ltd v Hood [2019] EWHC 2231 (Comm) shows how important it is to check what has been served. The one, overwhelming, lesson for…
CAN YOU ENTER JUDGMENT IN DEFAULT WHEN THE DEFENCE IS SERVED LATE? HIGH COURT DECISION THAT SAYS NOT
In Clements Smith v Berrymans Lace Mawer Service Co. & Anor [2019] EWHC 1904 (QB) Master McCloud considered the issue of whether a judgment entered after a defence had been filed late was a regular judgment. Permission was given to…
DEFAULT JUDGMENT SET ASIDE, RELIEF FROM SANCTIONS GRANTED: ACTION THEN STRUCK OUT: REMEMBERING THE BASIC OBLIGATION TO FILE A DEFENCE – ON TIME
In Workman v Deansgate 123 LLP [2019] EWHC 360 (QB) Mr Justice William Davis allowed an application to set aside a default judgment and relief from sanctions. The most surprising procedural aspect of this case is the defendant’s failure to file…
CLAIMANT CANNOT ENTER JUDGMENT AFTER ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF SERVICE IS FILED LATE: DENTON PRINCIPLES APPLIED TO GRANT DEFENDANT EXTENSION OF TIME TO DISPUTE THE JURISDICTION
The judgment in Cunico Resources NV & Ors v Daskalakis & Anor [2018] EWHC 3382 (Comm) addresses several procedural issues. Firstly the much debated question of whether a claimant can obtain judgment when the defendant has acknowledged service late. Mr Justice…
101st CPR UPDATE: WELCOME TO THE VIDEO LINK WORLD
The 101st update to the Civil Procedure Rules apply from 8th and 30th November 2018. The main development is a procedure whereby applications to set aside default judgment may be heard by video link. SETTING ASIDE DEFAULT JUDGMENTS: HEARD BY…
AN APPLICATION TO SET ASIDE A WITHOUT NOTICE ORDER IS NOT SUBJECT TO “TIBBLES” CRITERIA: SOMETIMES DENTON DOES NOT APPLY – OR SHOULD NOT BE APPLIED
There is a short passage in the judgment of Mr Justice Pepperall in Berhad v Frazer-Nash Research Ltd & Anor [2018] EWHC 2970 (QB) in relation to late service of evidence before an interlocutory hearing. The judge held that the Denton…
A HARSH REMINDER: IF YOU DON’T TURN UP FOR TRIAL THEN THE TEST FOR SETTING JUDGMENT ASIDE IS VERY TOUGH: BE PROMPT, BE VERY PROMPT
In Lomax & Ors v Greenslade [2018] EWHC 2623 (Ch) Mr Justice Henry Carr refused to set aside a judgment obtained after the defendant failed to attend trial. There was a major mistake on the part of the court, however the…
SERVICE OF THE CLAIM FORM: DEFENDANT’S LAST KNOWN ADDRESS: CLAIMANT’S “REASON TO BELIEVE”: A FEW POINTS TO WATCH
In Wards Solicitors v Hendawi [2018] EWHC 1907 (Ch) HHJ Paul Matthews (sitting as a judge of the High Court) considered the issue of whether a claimant had “reason to believe” that a defendant did not live at the address…
SETTING JUDGMENT ASIDE: LIMITATION, SECTION 33 AND DENTON: CARDS ON THE TABLE PLEASE – THIS IS THE CPR
In TPE v Franks [2018] EWHC 1765 (QB) Mr Justice Julian Knowles set aside a default judgment. The case contains some important observations as to how the courts should consider an application to set aside a default judgment – considering…
APPLICATIONS TO SET ASIDE SUMMARY JUDGMENT ORDERS: A WORLD OF THEIR OWN: NOT QUITE CPR 39.(3) – BUT VERY CLOSE
A party seeking to set aside an order for summary judgment has to deal with principles that are almost unique. This was emphasised in the judgment of Miss Penelpe Reed QC in Phonographic Performance Ltd v Balgun (t/a Mama Africa) [2018]…
SETTING ASIDE A DEFAULT JUDGMENT IN RELATION TO SOLICITORS’ COSTS: INTEREST SET ASIDE, PRINCIPAL SUM REMAINS A DEBT
In RS v LS & LMP [2018] EWHC 449 (Fam) Mrs Justice Roberts considered an application to set aside a default judgment obtained in relation to a solicitor’s costs. There are issues in relation to a failure to serve the response…
JUDGE WAS WRONG NOT TO GRANT ADJOURNMENT ON THE GROUNDS OF ILL HEALTH AND TO REFUSE TO SET ASIDE SUBSEQUENT JUDGMENT
In Solanki v Intercity Telecom Ltd [2018] EWCA Civ 101 today the Court of Appeal overturned a decision discussed on this blog in 2015. The Court found that a judge should have granted a defendant an adjournment on ill-health grounds. He…
COUNTY COURT HAS POWER TO SET ASIDE A JUDGMENT AFTER TRIAL – IF IT WAS OBTAINED BY FRAUD
The decision in Salekipour & Anor v Parmar [2017] EWCA Civ 2141 was made after three previous hearings a (including two appeal hearings) in the lower courts. It was the only time the claimants were successful. It involved an important procedural…
SETTING JUDGMENT ASIDE AFTER REDBOURN: 10 KEY POINTS FOR DEFENDANTS (CLAIMANTS MUST READ TOO)
The judgment in Redbourn Group Ltd -v- Fairgate Development Limited [2017] EWHC 1223 (TCC) highlights the fact that there is a new age for a party seeking to set judgment aside. Not only does the party have to satisfy the requirements of…
SETTING ASIDE JUDGMENT, DELAY AND DENTON: “PROMPTNESS” CONSIDERED: DELAY MUST BE EXPLAINED
In Redbourn Group Ltd -v- Fairgate Development Limited [2017] EWHC 1223 (TCC) Mr Justice Coulson refused to set aside a default judgment. The case contains some important discussion on how the Denton principles apply to applications to set aside judgment. “……
KNOW (AND FOLLOW) THE RULES – OR ELSE: DPP COPS IT.
There is some irony in the decision of Mr Justice Fraser in R (RA) -v- The Director of Public Prosecutions [2017] EWHC 714 (Admin). The claimant, a litigant in person, complied with the rules. The defendant, a specialised government department…