This series looks at the enforcement options available to creditors to recover sums due by a debtor in Scotland. In previous editions we looked at the remedies of Inhibition and Earnings Arrestment.
When seeking to recover arrears under a lease, it is often possible to act to recover funds without the need for a court order. If a lease has been registered for preservation and execution in the Books of Council and Session, a creditor can normally move to instruct Sheriff Officers to recover the funds. This procedure is known as summary diligence and can take several forms.
Divorce and Family partner Lisette Dupré and Commercial Litigation partner Elaina Bailes were among 500 lawyers from more than 50 countries who gathered for the AIJA International Young Lawyers’ Congress in Rio between 20 and 26 August. This year’s theme was rethinking the law in four dimensions, which called upon speakers to think more about how the law may develop in the next five years than simply looking at how it stands today.
Section 423 of the Insolvency Act 1986 (s423) provides for the avoidance of transactions intended to put assets out of the reach of creditors or otherwise prejudice their interests. It is one of the most effective weapons in global asset recovery scenarios and is widely used. Partner Tim Symes, associate Jack Barlow and paralegal Bruno Ponte consider the proof needed to get home on an s423 claim, consider some recent caselaw and provide examples of what a court might order if a claim is successful.
A combination of continued high prices and rising interest rates has heaped pressure on already struggling businesses through the summer of 2023. The challenging circumstances have lead to an overall rise in creditors’ voluntary liquidations (CVLs) compared to both earlier months and the previous year, though the picture borne out by the statistics is more complicated than might be expected.
In a challenging economic climate, we usually see an increase in leases ending prematurely, either by agreement or by landlords irritating (forfeiting) the lease when they are faced with an insolvent tenant or bad payers. Tenants in these circumstances will often leave behind goods and equipment. The temptation for landlords is just to throw the stuff away so they can re-let but there are restrictions on what a landlord can and can't do with abandoned goods in Scotland.
What should you do if a tenant leaves goods behind at the premises (tenant not insolvent)?
Insolvency and Asset Recovery partner Tim Symes appeared on Sky News’ Business Live with Ian King as the latest government figures revealed that company and individual insolvencies in England and Wales remain close to an all time high.
Floating charges are common features of finance transactions both in Scotland and in England, and share some characteristics, but these securities have different origins (the Scottish floating charge is a creation of statute while the English floating charge derives from common law) and other key differences which we outline below.
There are many enforcement options available to commercial landlords in England & Wales, to recover rent arrears due under a lease from a business tenant. Some of those options are based in contract and governed by the terms of the individual lease itself, such as a power to forfeit or damages for breach, whilst some of those options are based in statute such as the Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery regime.
Modular construction has been heralded for several years now as a construction methodology that saves time, reduces waste and minimises cost. It is therefore unsurprising that modular construction forms part of the various "modern methods of construction" that are now being encouraged by the UK Government. Use of modular construction can range from isolated elements like bathroom pods to where the majority of the building is comprised of modules and is commonly encountered in housing, student accommodation and hotels.