When can a managing director be held personally liable in Hungarian liquidation proceedings—and when does the law allow the burden of proof to flip, making a creditor’s case dramatically easier to prove? This case shows that the answer depends not only on the director’s conduct, but on choosing the right legal basis in the statement of claim.

1. Facts

The defendant was the manager of the debtor (who has gone into liquidation) with independent representation rights and its sole member.

In Hungary, many creditors choose liquidation procedure instead of classic court procedures (i.e. order for payment and civil litigation) in order to recover their claims. A recent decision has once again demonstrated that liquidation proceedings can in many cases be a simpler solution for creditors to recover their claims. In this article following an introduction to the relevant rules of the liquidation procedure we will examine this decision.

1. Liquidation procedure in nutshell