Syllabus theme 1 Flashcards
What does the collection process entail?
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Different alternatives to insolvency?
- Administration order
- Debt Review or counselling
- Enter Voluntary agreements with creditors
- Voluntary surrender
- Composition
Alternative to insolvency: Administration order
- Debt less than R50 000
- Where such application is granted= debtor must make certain regular payments to administrator.
- -The administrator must draw up a list of creditors and must pay them from amounts received from debtors.
Alternative to insolvency: Debt Review/ Debt Counselling
(“They review reason for one’s debt, as well as establish a way in which one can pay it back)
- Credit agreements which are regulated by NCA
- This process may lead to a situation where the credit is found to be RECKLESS or even invalid agreement.
- Or debtor will be found to be over indebted and the process of debt review will result in a formalised repayment plan.
Alternative to insolvency: Enter into voluntary agreements with creditors
- Release
- Novation
- When the debtor proposes a release or gives written notice to the creditor it is an ACT OF INSOLVENCY, and the creditor has grounds to apply for the sequestration of the debtor.
Alternative to insolvency: Voluntary surrender
- In terms of sequestration procedures
- Assets will be realised and the proceeds will be distributed among the creditors in accordance with the provisions in the Insolvency Act.
Alternative to insolvency: Composition
Common law/ Statutory___Read up on this!!
What does the law of insolvency refer to?
- Totality of rules regulating:
- Situations where the debtor cannot pay his debt.
What is commercial insolvency?
Where the total liabilities are more (>) than the total assets.
Factual insolvency?
Insolvency Act is based on two basic principles:
1. Right of secure creditors to have claims satisfied through process of execution against assets.
2. Concurrency of other creditors.
But there must be an advantage to creditors and this must be proved!
What is debtor not allowed to do in terms of property and why?
A debtor cannot alienate or burden any property, as his contractual capacity remains limited until the date of his rehabilitation in South Africa.
2 things the Insolvency Act 24 provide for:
- The Act provides for the setting aside of impeachable transactions, made before the date of sequestration to the detriment of the other creditors, or which prefer certain creditors.
- The Act further provides for procedures for the tracing and collection of estates property and for criminal liability for prohibit acts as stated in the Insolvency Act.
Which courts may grant sequestration orders and why?
The High Court is the only court with the ability to grant sequestration orders.
- This is because sequestration affects a person’s status.
When does a debtor lose control over his estate in the process of sequestration?
The moment the sequestration order is granted.
Which courts are allowed to grant rehabilitation orders?
Only the High court as rehabilitation also affects a person’s status.
To whom does the control of the estate transfer to once a sequestration order has been granted?
To the Master of the High Court until a trustee can be appointed.
What does the concept “Concursus Creditorum” entail?
The interest of the creditors as a group held above the interest of the individual creditors.
History of insolvency Law
- Ordinance of 1777=Basis of SA Insolvency Law.
- First complete insolvent legislation was Ordinance 64 of 1829, which was introduced into the former Cape Colony under English influence. - Ordinance repainted certain Roman-Dutch law procedures, like cession bonorum, but was replaced by the Cape Ordinance 6 of 1843, which abolished cession bonorum as well as surcheance of payment, and the Transvaal, Natal and the Orange free state.
- 1916= First uniform Insolvency Act 32 of 1916 introduced to former union.
- Act was amended by amended act 29 of 1926 :introduced the vesting go the assets of the solvent spouse in the insolvent estate of the former spouse. - Present Insolvenct Act 24 of 1936= replaced the 1916 Act as from 1 July 1936
What was the Visser Article- De Jure based on?
SA insolvency is based on Roman dutch-Law.
What customs (latin) are discussed in the Visser- De jure article?
- “Legis action per manus injectionem”
- “Missio in possensionem”
- “Cessio Creditorum”
What does “legit action per manus injectionem” mean and in which article was this discussed?
- Discussed in Visser article.
- Legis action per manus injectionem
–Person’s execution
–Debtor has 30 days to pay creditor
–If debtor doesn’t pay, creditor can place him in’ jail’ (keep him in a place) for 60 days.
-3 Consecutive market days
–Creditor would call out debt that is owned (amount), in public in front of the Praetor.
–Where the debtor didn’t pay or no compromise was reached= debtor is KILLED to SOLD AS SLAVE (on third market day)
–More than one creditor?
=Once slave is killed, they each can have apiece of the body (all get something)
=Or, jailed for a longer period in order to work off debt.
What was the the start of the movement towards the modern day system, with reference to article?
Missio in Possesionem
-ARTICLE= Visser de Jrure
What does Missio in possessionem entail?
- It’s used against the person OR the assets.
- Allowed for the execution of the debtor;s belongings as apposed to the debtor’s person (killing etc)
-Upon order by praetor- creditor would be entitled to seize the debtor’s things, a public proclamation would ensure that all creditors are informed of this seizure and after prescribed period had elapsed, the praetor would order all creditors to convene a meeting to elect a magister bonurum to oversee the sale of the seized goods by way of an auction.
- The seizure of the debtor’s things didn’t however prevent the seizure of any things acquired by the debtor afterwards, nor against further execution of the debtor;s total means
(Only in cases where the debtor was a high ranking person, would the creditors have to choose ultimately to execute the debtor’s total means or only his assets)
What does Cessio Creditorum entail and in which article was it discussed?
- -It was discussed in the Visser article
- It doesn’t allow any person execution
- -Assets acquired afterwards by debtor?= sold in execution and debts paid off.
- -Adress the lack of protection of the debtor due to the creditor-focus of the above mentioned procedures,
- this allowed creditors to forfeit their entire means in favour of creditors, and thereby avoid execution of his person.
–Things which the debtor acquired after he forfeited his things could still, howe be executed to settle his debt.
In which article is the South African Insolvency System critically discussed in terms of International Insolvency?
In the Roestoff & Coetzee 2012 SA Marc LJ 53 article.
How does SA compare to other Insolvency Law Systems?
Roestoff
- World-wide the system is rend to accommodate overburdened debtors in seeking debt relief where as the
- -SA Insolvency Law system has remained largely creditor orientated/centered.
How does the SA Insolvency System compare to the system in the USA? (which article?)
Roestoff and Coetzee
- USA= their systems has two main aims:
- Rehab of overburdened debtors
- Equal treatment of credits
- Debt Relief is one of the main aims of the American System, and is obtained by providing for a discharge of debt resulting in a fresh start.
- Contained in the Bankruptcy Reform Act
How does the SA Insolvency Law system compare to that of England and Wales? (which article)
Roestoff and Coetzee
- System allows debtors to apply for debt relief order.
- NINA (Allows debtor with no income and no assets to repay debt, to apply to the official receiver, through an approved intermediary , for a debt relief order.
- -This order intends to operate with no court involvement (Cutting the court saves expenses, much more convenient and helpful to NINA debtors than in SA)
–It still also preserves creditors interests as the debtor may only apply for this form of debt relief once every 6 years.
How does the insolvency System mainly operate in South Africa?
- Creditor orientated
- Not a procedure for complete debt-relief
- Court is involved and must be involved for an estate to sequestrated which make it extremely expensive, especially for the NINA debtors.
- Legal uncertainty with regards to the interpretation of many of the provisions of the different statutes, and procedures are mainly COURT driven- which again makes it more expensive to use.
General overview of insolvency:
1. Estates which can be sequestrated
- Section 2 of the Insolvency Act definition of debtor
- Natural person (sequestration) estate v juristic person (liquidation) estate
General overview: 2. Jurisdiction: s149 of Insolvency Act
- Domicile
- Assets
- Ordinary residue
General overview: 3. Application of Proceeds and Contributions
- Secured creditors
- Statutory referent creditors (contained in the Insolvency Act)
- Concurrent Creditors
General overview: 4. Sequestration Process
- Voluntary surrender: “factually insolvent”
* Compulsory surrender: “Debtor committed an act of insolvency”