Key point
The equitable rules designed to protect guarantors from amendments to the original financing agreements made without his consent do not apply to indemnities under English law.
The facts
A company entered into factoring arrangements. The directors entered into indemnities in favour of the factor.
Key point
Under English law a pre-pack sale of assets by administrators should be considered to be a "sale implemented under a court approved process."
Facts
The company was put into administration by an order of the court, and an order was made granting the administrators liberty to enter into an immediate pre-pack sale of all of the company's assets.
Key point
Only a current liquidator or a current creditor has standing in an English liquidation to pursue a claim under section 212 of the Insolvency Act 1986 ("IA 86"). A former liquidator has no standing to apply to court to expunge a proof of debt (Insolvency Rule 4.85).
The facts
Since the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 (“1999 Act”), it has been understood that the rights of a bankrupt under a tax approved pension plan are excluded from the bankruptcy estate and do not vest in his Trustee in Bankruptcy.
That said, where a Bankrupt was already drawing an income from his pension, his Trustee could seek an Income Payments Order over that income.
07 March 2014
[2014] EWCA Civ 215
Court of Appeal, Civil Division (Patten, Lewison and Sharp LJJ)
The Court of Appeal, reversing the first instance decision, held that moneys paid to an agent after the agent’s insolvency were available for agent’s creditors generally and were not held on trust for the principal.
Key point
Under English law it is now clear that, in order to trace monies through bank accounts, it is not necessary that payments should occur in any specific order.
The facts
Introduction In the case of Rawlinson & Hunter Trustees SA v Akers & Another1 the Court of Appeal considered the parameters of litigation privilege, providing a useful reminder of how narrow the protection is and the care that must be taken in relation to the production of documents by third parties where a dispute is, or may be, on the horizon.
Key point
The UK Government has published its response to their July 2013 consultation on restoring transparency and trust in the UK corporate governance regime. There are a number of proposals to widen the scope of the director disqualification regime and make recovery of losses by creditors from responsible directors easier.
The response
Key point
Where in a UK administration an action would give some benefit to creditors, and risk neither detriment to them nor impede the administration's progress, the court may be willing to intervene and support a challenge to the administrator's actions.
The facts
In the past, HMRC has allowed insolvency practitioners to cancel the VAT registration of businesses at an early stage and account for VAT on any subsequent supplies using form VAT 833. HMRC has received legal confirmation that a deregistered business cannot issue a valid VAT invoice, which could result in VAT registered buyers of assets from insolvent businesses being denied claims for input tax. As a result, HMRC will no longer allow the early deregistration of insolvent businesses.