PART 1: Anatomy of a QCAT Hearing with Tonya Marshall as Adjudicator, or in other words... The QCAT Cock-up.

QCAT.Review home page with SUMMARY of PARTS 1 & 2.

This matter relates to the QCAT Q1363-23 hearing on 29 August 2023 in Brisbane, and heard by Tonya Marshall Adjudicator.

SOME FACTS: 

The documents before or should have been before the Adjudicator were:
The Application and Statement of Claim by the tenant Applicants, which confines the scope of the case, (SOURCE) to just those alleged facts listed in the paragraphs of the Statement of Claim;
The unsigned and undated Response by Property Manager (PM) for the Respondents, notably not responding to any paragraphs within the Statement of Claim;
The Notice that the PM for the Respondents would not be appearing at the hearing;
The Nutshell by the Applicants and handed up to the Adjudicator at the hearing;
• The Applicant tenants did not receive any Directions (per sample demonstration) from QCAT, and it is assumed that neither did the Respondents.

The Applicant, Gordon James Craven complains as to how QCAT Administration, administers its Civil Procedures in hearings and other associated matters, in its duty to ensure by Practice Direction (example), or by any other means, that the relevant provision of subsection 30(1) Human Rights Act (QLD) is obeyed, along with ensuring that Common Law Procedural Fairness is provided. The following Complaints illustrate where it appears to be, that subsection 30(1) and Procedural Fairness have not been applied.

This Complaint Publication to QCAT Administration, is about Fabrication and Lies being provided as Evidence to the QCAT Tribunal by a Real Estate Property Manager causing a Miscarriage of Justice, and how easy it is to implement and get away with such a Dishonest and Potentially Criminal Scam, with apparent Impunity, caused by correct procedures & legislation NOT being followed by QCAT.

Complaint 1

 MATERIAL FACTS and FACTS THAT CAN BE SWORN TO:
(a) Having been served with a NOTICE (that had also been emailed to the Registry for filing) prior to the hearing, saying that the Property Manager (PM) would not be appearing at the hearing, the Applicant tenants were taken by complete surprise by the actual appearance of the PM for the Respondents at the hearing and were not prepared for this appearance. This caused confusion in the minds of the Applicants, who now believe that they were disadvantaged by that confusion.

(b) The NOTICE and surprise, caused the Applicant tenants to be not properly prepared for the hearing, and unable to rectify the unpreparedness during the hearing, given amongst other things, their ages being in the seventies.

(c) Had the PM not appeared as per the NOTICE, the facts at Complaint 5(a) & 5(b) below, would not have eventuated.

(d) As at the time of the hearing the tenancy agreement had been terminated.

QCAT ADMINISTRATION IS REQUESTED TO EXPLAIN:
(e)
The NOTICE signalled the end of the tenancy and gives that as a reason for not appearing at the hearing. How did the PM have authority to represent the First Respondents, when the tenancy agreement providing that authority had been terminated, and there being no record of an application on the QCase Portal for representation, being made pursuant to section 43 of the QCAT ACT?

(f) What were the circumstances that caused the PM to appear? 

(g) In the event that the PM did not have authority to represent the First Respondents at the hearing, why didn't the Adjudicator hear and decide the matter pursuant to subsection 93(2) of the QCAT Act, when the undated and unsigned Response, which omitted to properly identify the Second Respondent, did not address any allegations in the Statement of Claim?

(h) If the PM did not have authority to represent the First Respondents Saurav Kataria and Ashleigh Kataria, why did the Adjudicator tell the Applicant tenants that the PM was representing the First Respondents (transcript page 3 line 44)?

Complaint 2

 MATERIAL FACTS and FACTS THAT CAN BE SWORN TO:
(a) Given that the evidence shows that the NOTICE had been delivered by email to the Registry for filing, it is believed that the Adjudicator should have had the NOTICE before her. The Adjudicator did not ask the PM to explain the situation as to why she was appearing, nor did the Adjudicator explain the situation to the Applicants as to why the PM was appearing when the Notice said she would not be appearing.

QCAT ADMINISTRATION IS REQUESTED TO EXPLAIN:
(b)
As to why the Adjudicator did not explain the situation to the Applicants, because it is argued, that the Adjudicator was required to do so by sections 28 and 29 of the QCAT Act?

Complaint 3

 MATERIAL FACTS and FACTS THAT CAN BE SWORN TO:
(a) 
Civil Procedure Fact Sheets (HIGHLIGHTED) published by Queensland Courts as to defending a statement of claim, wherein it is stated:
• For each allegation in the statement of claim, state whether the allegation is true (admitted), false (denied) or not admitted.
• To deny an allegation, you must include the reasons why the allegation is untrue.
• All material facts intended to rely on in defending the claim must be contained in the defence.

(b) Queensland's LawRight sets out the basics of a statement of claim and a defence or response.

(c) This procedure enables the numbered claims to be agreed upon or denied, which will then isolate the issues in dispute, which is a basic procedure followed by all civil courts throughout Australia.

(d) QCAT's Administration provides in; FORM 2 Application - Residential Tenancy Dispute and FORM 7 - Response (assumed to be the correct FORM as it doesn't say so); in an attempt to comply with the proper procedure at (a)(b) and (c).
AS A SIDE NOTE: it is believed that these forms do not adequately explain how the proper procedure works, thus adding confusion to any litigation, together with an annoying feature, when completing the forms online, that at Part E item 4 of FORM 2, and Part C of FORM 7, the text entered does not correspond with the lines in the document, which causes heavy black lines to strike through text that is entered, and thus potentially adding further confusion to any litigation. 

(e) The PM's undated and unsigned Response document, did not address any of the numbered claims in the Statement of Claim.

(f) Given the confusion in the minds of the Applicants caused by the PM appearing, there was further confusion as to why the basic procedural processes according to the Procedural Fact Sheets were not being followed, thus causing the Applicant tenants to be unprepared for anything other than the numbered issues set out in the Statement of Claim, to which the PM had not addressed in her Response

(g) QCAT Administration is responsible for providing Procedures as listed here.

(h) At all material times up to and during the hearing on 29 August 2023, the procedures in the Procedural Fact Sheets and LawRight, were not followed.

(i) Subsequent to the Application being filed and served, a Directions document was not issued to the Applicant tenants, and as such, it is believed that there were no Directions issued to the Respondents.

QCAT ADMINISTRATION IS REQUESTED TO EXPLAIN:
(j) Why was the procedure according to the Procedural Fact Sheets and LawRight and QCAT's Administration FORMS 2 and 7, not followed?

(k)
 As the procedures according to the Procedural Fact SheetsLawRight and FORMS 2 and 7, were not followed:
    how was subsection 31(1) Human Rights Act (QLD) obeyed, up to and during the hearing on 29 August 2023?
     how was Common Law Procedural Fairness obeyed, up to and during the hearing on 29 August 2023?

(L)
 As per (e) the PM's undated and unsigned Response document, did not address ANY of the numbered claims (i.e, pleadings) in the Statement of Claim, why did the Adjudicator not allow for this, or even mention it, in her Decision and Reasons for Decision,

(m) How does the Adjudicator justify dismissing the Applicant tenants' application, when in fact there was zero relevant material in the Response to the Statement of Claim, thus wrongfully causing proper procedure to be not applied. 

(n) Why were Directions not issued to the parties?

(o) Why does QCAT Administration design its FORMS with the defects as set out in the side note?

Complaint 4

 MATERIAL FACTS and FACTS THAT CAN BE SWORN TO:
(a)
 The actual Response filed and served, did not respond to each allegation and the evidence, in the Statement of Claim,

(b) The Adjudicator did not inquire from the PM as to why no proper response had been filed or served, that specifically responded to the numbered allegations and the evidence within the Statement of Claim.

(c) Given that no proper response had been filed or served, at the hearing the Adjudicator did not request the PM to orally respond to the numbered allegations and evidence within the Statement of Claim.

(d) Given the facts at (a), (b) and (c) and the fact that the Applicant tenants were also labouring under surprise and confusion, it is believed that procedural fairness was in question.

QCAT ADMINISTRATION IS REQUESTED TO EXPLAIN:
(e) Given the facts (a) to (d), why did the Adjudicator invite the PM to comment on matters that were not within the scope of the Statement of Claim?

(f) Given the facts (a) to (d), why was it not obvious to the Adjudicator that Procedural Fairness could be in question, by not focusing on matters within the Statement of Claim?

Complaint 5

 MATERIAL FACTS and FACTS THAT CAN BE SWORN TO:
(a)
Given the opportunity by the Adjudicator for the PM to submit oral evidence to the Tribunal, that was NOT WITHIN THE SCOPE of the Statement of Claim, the PM by total surprise to the Applicant tenants, Fabricated Evidence and Lied to the Tribunal.

(b) The Adjudicator relied upon the PM's fabrication and lies, by referring to the them in the Reasons for Decision to dismiss the Application and Statement of Claim of the Applicants. The Reasons for Decision state:
"The agent has given evidence in relation to the solar being put into the owners’ name as an administrative error. The owners were planning to give the solar rebates to the tenants".

(c) These two sentences are the essence of the Fabricated Evidence and Lies.

(d) It is believed, that the situation was, that the PM for the Respondents by way of the Fabrication and lies, sought to conceal the onerous and predatory behaviour as set out in the Statement of Claim, that had occurred 5 months earlier.

(e) The PM for the Respondents had not introduced the Fabrication and Lies into the Response, or at any other time, so as to put the Applicant tenants on notice. 

(f) By way of the Adjudicator's Reasons for Decision, the Fabrication and Lies become labeled as an "Administrative Error" as per (b) above.

(g) It is believed, that the "Administrative Error" was an intentional fabrication to mislead the Adjudicator, and which did mislead the Adjudicator, and as such, reveals a sordid pattern of deceit that ultimately resulted in an unfair dismissal of the Applicant tenants' claims.

(h)brief of the evidence provides an illustration of facts, as to how the deceit was achieved.

(i) It is not only the current evidence showing the "Administrative Error" to be fabricated lies, it is also a fact that the Second Respondent Real Estate business and the PM reluctantly, have since arranged for their lawyers to oversee compensation to the Applicant tenants for the dishonesty they suffered. By providing that compensation, it is believed that it can only be, an implied admission to the Fabrication and Lies, and a desire to end the exposure of their dishonesty on websites published by a tenant that included the brief of evidence that illustrates the timeline of events.

(j) The fabricated lies (which are believed to be potentially criminal), took the Applicant tenants again by total surprise for which they were not prepared, and to which they loudly objected.

(k) The Adjudicator did not raise the Applicant tenants' objections with the PM, and did not follow up on the objections at any time within the hearing, as confirmed by the transcript, when the the Adjudicator had the power to inform herself of relevant evidence provided by subsection 28(3)(c) of the QCAT Act.

(l) The Adjudicator did not deal with the surprise, which it is believed, should have been obvious to the Adjudicator, given the facts of Complaint 4(a) to 4(d) and the loud objection at (j) above, and importantly, the so called "Administrative Error" had not been included in the unsigned and undated Response.

(m) It is believed, that the above matters are not consistent with Common Law Procedural Fairness, nor are the consistent matters of surprise, which: QCAT's established case law on "Surprise" at paragraphs [13] to [16] is quite clear on. Also SEE: QCAT on Procedural Fairness.

(n) Despite the strong vocal objections raised the tenants, Adjudicator Marshall dismissed their Application and Statement of Claim, siding with the Property Manager’s fabricated claims raised by surprise.

(o) It is believed, that the above matters (a) to (n), along with the matters at Complaints 1, 23 and 4 above, highlight a troubling procedure that QCAT Administration operates under, that does not follow proper procedure that is used in Queensland Civil Procedure and throughout Australia.

QCAT ADMINISTRATION IS REQUESTED TO EXPLAIN:
(p)
Given:
• the "Administrative Error" had not been included in the Response, or any other document filed by the PM; and
• the loud objection by the Applicant tenants to the lies (at (j) above); and
• the facts outlined at Complaints 1, 2, 3 and 4 above;
why did the Adjudicator accept the "Administrative Error" as being fact?

(q) Why did the Adjudicator not strike out the Response when the Response did not follow the Civil Procedure in Queensland?

(r)
Given the facts and beliefs at (a) to (o) above, along with the facts outlined at Complaints 1, 2, 3 and 4 above, why was it not obvious to the Adjudicator that Common Law Procedural Fairness was not being followed?

(s)
 Given the facts and beliefs at (a) to (o) above, along with the facts outlined at Complaints 1, 2, 3 and 4 above, why was it not obvious to the Adjudicator that subsection subsection 31(1) of the Human Rights Act (QLD) was not being followed?

(t)
Given the facts at (k), why did the Adjudicator fail to follow up the strong vocal objections by the Applicant tenants?

(u) Given the facts and beliefs at (a) to (o) above, along with the facts outlined at Complaints 1, 2, 3 and 4 above, why is this not a Fraud upon the QCAT Tribunal and the Applicant tenants?

Complaint 6

 MATERIAL FACTS and FACTS THAT CAN BE SWORN TO:
(a)
 Paragraphs 18 and 19 of the Statement of Claim relate to the Unconscionable Conduct provisions of Australian Consumer Law (ACL). Paragraph 19 of the Statement of Claim states:
"Without limiting the matters to which the Tribunal may have regard, the Applicants submit that the Tribunal should give regard to the following paragraphs of section 22(1) of ACL",
followed by 9 sub-paragraphs in the Statement of Claim which outline instances of alleged Unconscionable Conduct.

(b) Without any detailed assessment at the hearing of any of those sub-paragraphs, the Adjudicator summarily dismissed all of the them by saying (as per the transcript page 15 lines 43 & 44):
"And your claim that it’s unconscionable conduct under the ACL, sir, I find that that’s not made out"
to which the Applicants requested reasons.

(c) As per page 16 and lines 5 to 9 of the transcript, the Adjudicator provided the following reasons:
"Well, the real estate agent and the owners can have – can adjust the terms of their lease as to suit their circumstances. The tenant can accept or not the new lease terms. So I know that you feel that they were dictatorial giving you that notice of time period for accepting the lease, or having a form 12 issued, but that’s just a common practice, sir. It’s not a threat or an intimidation".

(d) Without any detailed assessment of the sub-paragraphs, the Adjudicator found it to be "common practice" by real estate agent property managers and owners in offering tenancy lease renewals.

(e) The Unconscionable Conduct allegations in the Statement of Claim were intrinsic to the Applicant tenants' reasons for not signing the tenancy lease renewal.

(f) It is believed that the very process of the PM introducing the fabrication of an "Administrative Error", provides evidence that the PM for the Respondents was attempting to, and in fact did, conceal the introduction of onerous and unconscionable "Solar Special Condition" as per paragraph 8 of the Statement of Claim, into the proposed lease renewal.

QCAT ADMINISTRATION IS REQUESTED TO EXPLAIN:
(g) Given the fact at (e), and the fact believed at (f), why were paragraphs 18 and 19 of the Statement of Claim that relate to the Unconscionable Conduct provisions of Australian Consumer Law (ACL), summarily dismissed without any detailed assessment at the hearing?

(h) Given that per facts at (b), (d) and (e), there was no detailed assessment of any of the sub-paragraphs, how did this comply with Common Law Procedural Fairness?

(i) Given that per facts at (b), (d) and (e), there was no detailed assessment of any of the sub-paragraphs, how did this comply with subsection 31(1) of the Human Rights Act (QLD)?

(j) In the circumstances of the lease renewal offer, as per paragraphs 7 to 7.2 of the Statement of Claim, the PM stated
“Please read your new tenancy agreement and ensure it is signed and returned within 7 days from the date of this offer, as a periodic lease is not an option. Failure to sign the new Tenancy Agreement within the time frame will result in a form 12 Notice to Leave being issued which will require you to vacate on the expiry of your current tenancy agreement”;
In the circumstances of paragraph 8 of the Statement of Claim.... 
Why was that not unconscionable?

(k) Given that the Statement of Claim does not set out any mention of an "Administrative Error" (because it was not known about at the time), and given the Applicant tenants' multiple written concerns as to what was being proposed by the "Solar Special Condition", as per paragraphs 9 to 14 of the Statement of Claim, which in fact were ignored by the PM apart from paragraph 12.2 where the PM states; "The owners are not required to provide you with a reason for their lease renewal offer”....
Why was that not unconscionable?

(L)
 In the Adjudicator describing the behaviour by the PM for the respondents as being "common practice", which the Adjudicator has found to be normal within the Real Estate Property Rentals Industry,..
Why is the "common practice" not unconscionable?

Summary

A most disgraceful way to conduct a hearing, by firstly, the Adjudicator failing to advise the Applicant tenants what was going on with the Property Manager actually attending the hearing subsequent to the Applicant tenants receiving this Notice. Secondly, the Adjudicator not requesting reasons from the Property Manager, as to why there was no response to the alleged facts and evidence in the Statement of Claim. Thirdly, the Adjudicator invited the Property Manager to orally enter evidence not within the scope of the Statement of Claim. Fourthly, the Adjudicator ignored cries of the Applicant tenants that the Property Manager was lying in her oral testimony, while the Adjudicator eagerly accepted fabrication and lies to be true. Fifthly, the Adjudicator summarily dismissed the Applicant tenants' unconscionable conduct claims within the Statement of Claim, without any assessment whatsoever of those claims, that were in fact the reasons for the Applicant tenants' not signing the lease renewal.

Having been involved in many litigations in superior courts over the last 30 years, I have never experienced anything remotely close to this QCAT outrageous debacle delivering comprehensive injustice, and would have found it unbelievable, had I not experienced it for myself.

The website statistics reveal that QCAT Administration has taken serious interest in the QCAT.Review websites, and they must know very well that their behaviour is unacceptable and potentially an Abuse of Power. However they do nothing to rectify it other than accusing the complainant of Scandalising the Tribunal. They are right about the Tribunal being scandalised, however the scandal is all in their own making.

QCAT Adjudicators & Members would not dispute that they endeavour to deal with hearings as quickly, competently and efficiently as possible. However despite there being an opportunity to deal with this matter within 5 minutes by there being a totally incompetent & useless unsigned & undated response document authored by the PM, instead Adjudicator Marshall invited the PM to spew out her concoction of lies in absolute surprise to the Applicant tenants. As such the matter then developed into an Appeal, that waited 15 months for a decision on the papers, which has all the hallmarks of a Cover-up as portrayed in Part 2 of this saga where Crucial Evidence has been Disregarded!!!

Scripted Response

QCAT Administration likes to provide the following scripted response to a complaint:

"As a tribunal, QCAT is required to act independently and is not subject to direction or control by any person or entity. In line with this, the conduct of any matter before QCAT is entirely a matter for the presiding Tribunal Member or Adjudicator, including what evidence is considered and relied upon to make their decision and how those proceedings will be heard, whether in person or on the papers".

The presiding Members and Adjudicators are NOT A LAW UNTO THEMSELVES, which is what QCAT Administration appears to be saying in its scripted response, to which the writer further complains that the scripted response is misleading, because it appears to be a deliberate attempt to omit the requirements of Procedural Fairness and Legislation, so as to pacify numerous complaints by litigants (likely unaware of requirements in civil procedures), having their evidence ignored (search Google for "QCAT" and view the preponderance of 1 Star Google Reviews). 

QCAT Administration is further requested to explain the reasons for its INCOMPLETE SCRIPTED RESPONSE
.

SIGNED:
Gordon James Craven

RESULT
Facts within these complaints about the QCAT Administration, have caused the tenants to suffer substantial grief and aggravation at the time of the hearing, and which lasts up until today 22 March 2025.

QCAT Admininistration has wrongly jeopardised in many ways, a remaining Cause of Action against the First Respondents.  

QUOTE
Attorney-General (Qld) v Mathews [2020] QSC 258 @ [43]
His Honour Justice Jackson of Queensland's Supreme Court, was assisted in coming to his decision by referring to the following:

“To briefly summarize [sic] my conclusions, I am of the opinion that an intention to bring the administration of justice into hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection against it is a seditious intention;
that an intention in good faith to point out errors or defects in the administration of justice is not a seditious intention and that is the right of every citizen to criticize [sic] freely and vigorously the proceedings of the Courts of justice, the decisions of the judges, and the verdicts of juries".

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