The second priority lien held by a junior lien holder is a property interest sufficient to trigger the protection of the automatic stay.In re Three Strokes L.P., 379 B.R. 804 (Bankr. N.D. Tex. 2008). Inasmuch as a senior lien holder’s foreclosure proceedings would have the effect of extinguishing the debtor’s second lien interest, a court may only lift the stay and permit the foreclosure to proceed upon such senior lien holder’s showing of adequate protection.

In a recent decision, the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York concluded that an investor in a Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduit ("REMIC") lacked standing to object to the sale of a chapter 11 debtor's real property, despite that the property served as collateral for loans held in trust by the REMIC for the benefit of its investors.

In 2008, the catastrophic effect of the credit crunch spread to most world economies. As in previous recessions, insolvency has affected increasing numbers of individuals and companies, and parties to agreements to arbitrate are increasingly likely to find themselves dealing with insolvent companies. What are the issues to bear in mind?

1/ Prior insolvency

The Financial Markets and Insolvency (Settlement Finality and Financial Collateral Arrangements) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 came into force on 6 April 2011.

The South Florida Bankruptcy Court in the Tousa case ordered various creditors that had benefitted from a fraudulent conveyance to disgorge $421,000,000 to the jointly-administered Tousa bankruptcy estates. The court also ordered the avoidance of liens on the assets of various Tousa subsidiary entities who were also debtors in the bankruptcy proceedings. This case may raise increased focus upon the legal theory of fraudulent conveyance, which was the rationale used by the bankruptcy court to order the money returned.

As part of what appears to be a global trend, the amount of litigation in Belgium is increasing rapidly. Litigation advice is fast becoming one of the most in-demand services in legal practice, along with advice on restructuring and employment. Due to the challenging economic and financial conditions, companies are now tending to commence debt collection proceedings as soon as their debtors fail to honour their debts, and are pre-emptively restructuring their businesses in order to avoid unnecessary costs which might eventually lead to bankruptcy.

With the current economic crisis significantly affecting global business, certain procedural remedies can be particularly useful in order to deal with unpaid debts.

The most common of these procedural remedies in Spain is the so-called 'proceso monitorio', which consists of a special payment procedure used for the recovery of specific monetary debts which:

Due to the economic downturn there has been a rapid growth in debt claims and bankruptcy cases in the Finnish courts. Compared to 2008, almost 40% more bankruptcy proceedings and twice as many debt claims have been started this year.

Last year, in the case of Oakland v Wellswood (Yorkshire) Ltd, the EAT suggested that, if an administrator has been appointed with a view to liquidating a transferor company, this fell within the exception provided by TUPE Regulation 8(7) (which provides that where there are insolvency proceedings instituted with a view to liquidation, the key employee protections afforded under TUPE do not apply). This ran contrary to government guidance.

The Illinois Mortgage Foreclosure Law has been amended effective as of October 29, 2009, by adding new protections for occupants of dwelling units1 in properties that are in foreclosure. These protections will apply to projects which were rental housing from the outset, and to for-sale housing projects in which units are being rented pending sale or which have been converted to rental housing.  

Notice to Occupants by Receivers and Mortgagees in Possession