A draft bill on amendment to the Bankruptcy Code (Act XLIX of 1991 on bankruptcy proceedings and liquidation proceedings) was introduced into the Parliament on 12 April 2017 and is currently under review. If the draft bill was approved and published, the new rules would be applicable to the new liquidation proceedings and to new management liability related lawsuits. Lawmakers would grant a 2-month period to prepare for the changes.
Key areas for change are:
1. Fiduciary security interests would be elevated to the same level as pledge-type security
Summary
As from 1 July 2017, several amendments to the Hungarian Insolvency Code will come into force which will grant some creditors a much better position in their debtors’ insolvency procedures.
Current Legislation
The amendment to the Hungarian Insolvency Act came into force on 1 July 2017, with the aim of enhancing the protection of beneficiaries of security interests, and clarifying the position of creditors in liquidation proceedings, which are secured by call option, security assignment or pledge over future receivables.
Following the EU Insolvency Regulation Nr. 2015/848 (the “Regulation”) coming into force, the Hungarian legislator has accordingly amended the Hungarian Insolvency Code (the “Code”) with effect from 28 October 2017.
A Csődtörvényt módosító új javaslattal kapcsolatban az elmúlt napokban egy népszerű hírportálon jelent meg nagyobb terjedelmű írás „Lex reptér: törvény, ami az egész magyar gazdaságot veszélyezteti” címmel. Blogbejegyzésemben amellett érvelek, hogy amennyiben a követelésbehajtási célú felszámolási eljárásokat jogi realitásként elfogadjuk, úgy a módosítás alapvetően jó irányba mutat.
2018-ban indult a magyar fizetésképtelenségi jog reformjával kapcsolatos munka az Igazságügyi Minisztérium irányításával. A 2019. októberében tartott 43. Jogász Vándorgyűlésen dr. Bogdán Tibor kormánybiztos, dr. Bodzási Balázs tanszékvezető (Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem), dr. Zsombolyay Péter főosztályvezető (IM) és dr. Fabók Zoltán ügyvéd (DLA Piper Hungary) fejtették ki álláspontjukat a folyamatban lévő kodifikáció egyes kérdéseivel kapcsolatban.
Potential liability for wrongful trading
In Hungary the Act no. XLIX of 1991 on the insolvency and compulsory winding up procedure (hereinafter referred to as “Insolvency Act”) established the term “wrongful trading”. Under section 33/A of the Insolvency Act a manager of a company shall be personally liable if after the occurrence of threatening insolvency (i.e. when the company is unable to settle its liabilities when due) the director’s duties have not been fulfilled based on the priority of the company’s creditors’ interest.
Under Hungarian insolvency law, creditors secured by mortgages or pledges are entitled to privileged satisfaction of their claim, meaning concretely that they are entitled to receive the whole proceeds reached in the course of the realization of the pledged property after deduction of the (i) cost of keeping the property in good repair and of maintenance, and costs of selling the pledged property; and (ii) the liquidator’s fee up to 5% of the net purchase price.
Kajtár Takács Hegymegi-Barakonyi Baker & McKenzie Ügyvédi Iroda is a member of Baker & McKenzie International, a Swiss Verein. Futhat a bank a pénze után? Nem várt kockázatot rejt a pénzügyi szolgáltatók számára a Csődtörvény a refinanszírozás szempontjából. A hitelezőkkel megeshet, hogy a már kiegyenlítettnek hitt követelésüket a felszámoló az adós nevében visszakövetelheti a törvény egyik rendelkezése értelmében.
The new Act CV of 2015 on debt settlement procedure for private individuals provides an opportunity for debt settlement both outside and within the scope of a court procedure.
Major parties to the procedure: