Win in the Federal & Supreme Courts: We successfully acted in defeating a fraudulent property transfer

In Abdalla v Hanna [2024] FCA 1171, our firm successfully acted for Mr Abdalla in defending his property interests against a fraudulent transfer orchestrated without his knowledge or consent by John Hanna aka. Mhanna.

The Case

Mr Abdalla and Mr Hanna were joint owners of several townhouse units in Hinchinbrook, NSW. After the partnership soured, arrangements were made to divide the units between them. However, one property  Unit 16 was transferred out of Mr Abdalla’s name by way of a forged signature and registered in the name of a company connected to Mr Hanna’s associates, without any genuine payment being made.

Our Argument

We demonstrated to the Court that:

• Mr Abdalla never signed or authorised the transfer.

• Mr Hanna forged Mr Abdalla’s signature on the transfer- in the Supreme Court proceedings decision of Justice Pike 22 September 2025.

• The receiving company, Jarvis J Pty Ltd, provided no real consideration.

• The transaction was part of an attempt to defeat Mr Abdalla’s legitimate rights and entitlements.

The Decision

Justice Goodman of the Federal Court agreed, finding that:

• The transfer was fraudulent and ineffective to defeat Mr Abdalla’s equitable ownership.

• A trust obligation arose over the property (a Black v Freedman trust), requiring the property to be restored.

• Recipient liability principles applied  a party cannot retain property obtained through a fraudulent scheme.

Our Firm’s Commitment

We are proud to have secured this outcome for Mr Abdalla, ensuring his property rights were upheld. This case highlights our firm’s expertise in complex property disputes, fraud, and equitable remedies  and our determination to protect clients when their rights are under attack.

Abdalla v Jarvis J Pty Ltd [2025] NSWSC 1084 (22 September 2025)

Amirbeaggi as Trustee of the Bankrupt Estate of Hanna v Hanna (No 3) [2024] FCA 1171

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