National Insolvency Review, February 2017

Most or all creditors who lend to farmers will be familiar with the Farm Debt Mediation Act, S.C. 1997, c. 21 (the “FDMA”) and the need to serve a notice under the FDMA before taking action against a farmer. However, there are some details of how the FDMA operates that may not be as well-known. This piece will highlight some of those details.

1. BUDGET 2017

Budget 2017 was announced on 11 October 2016 and the implementing Finance Bill was published on 18 October 2016. Together, they contained two pensions-related initiatives.

Benefits for Pensioners Increase

There will be a 5 per week increase in the State pension with effect from 1 March 2017. The timing of the increase will mean that schemes which operate State pension offsets based on the State pension amount in January of a given year will not see a change to the deduction until January 2018.

1. POLICY UPDATE

1.1 Access to ARF option for holders of Buy-Out Bonds originating in DB Schemes

A change to the Revenue Commissioner's administrative procedures, effective from 22 June 2016, means that former defined benefit scheme members whose benefits were transferred to a buy-out bond may now access an Approved Retirement Fund ("ARF") rather than being restricted to the purchase of an annuity.

Les délais sont d’une importance primordiale dans le cadre de procédures judiciaires. Le défaut de les respecter peut impliquer le rejet d’une action.

Dans l’affaire 9190-0753 Québec Inc. (Syndic de), 2016 QCCS 1983 (29-04-2016), le juge Stephen W. Hamilton a décidé de l’application de certains délais du Code de procédure civile (ou C.p.c.) en complément de la Loi sur la faillite et l’insolvabilité (ci-après « Loi ») et des Règles générales sur la faillite et l’insolvabilité (ci-après « Règles »).

Les faits

Les délais sont d’une importance primordiale dans le cadre de procédures juridiciaires. Le défaut de les respecter peut impliquer le rejet d’une action.

Dans l’affaire 9190-0753 Québec Inc. (Syndic de), 2016 QCCS 1983 (29-04-2016) le juge Stephen W. Hamilton décide de l’application de certains délais du Code de procédure civile (ou C.p.c.) en complément des Règles générales sur la faillite et l’insolvabilité (ci-après « Règles »).

Les faits

Most or all creditors who lend to farmers will be familiar with the Farm Debt Mediation Act, S.C. 1997, c. 21 (the “FDMA”) and the need to serve a notice under the FDMA before taking action against a farmer. However, there are some details of how the FDMA operates that may not be as well-known. This piece will highlight some of those details.

“An appeal”, explained one of my law school professors as he stretched out his arms, “is like taking off in a plane. Unless you understand the rules of physics, you won’t get the plane off the ground, no matter what grade of jet fuel is in the tank.”

Court appointed receivers commonly assume control over all of a debtor’s property. In assuming that control, the receiver may collect various pieces of the debtor’s leased equipment, and include that equipment in a sale of the debtor’s assets. Further, the court order appointing the receiver will typically grant the receiver a priority charge over all such equipment for its fees, including the fees of its counsel, and any borrowings it may make in the course of the receivership.

One of the most vexing commercial insolvency issues is the competition between creditors with security on environmentally troubled property and environmental authorities looking for deep pockets to fix the environmental problems. From a creditor’s point of view, a recent Alberta decision is a potential respite from environmental obligations being imposed on creditors of the owners of environmentally troubled property.

This briefing summarises recent legislation, cases and trends relevant to ongoing efforts to resolve the mortgage arrears crisis.

Recent Legislation

Recent legal and regulatory developments relevant to the mortgage arrears crisis have included: