Insurance policies, particularly commercial policies providing business interruption, may contain provisions dealing with the consequences which flow for the parties, and the question of continuing cover and any indemnity, in the event of the liquidation of an insured. The relevant clauses are often outdated and should be reviewed having regard to the relevant provisions of … Continue reading
Companies may attempt to rearrange their financial affairs to minimise the financial impact of the pandemic (or for any other reason). Section 155 of the Companies Act provides an informal mechanism of restructuring a company’s obligations to creditors. Here are 10 things to consider when entering into a compromise with creditors: A compromise is an … Continue reading
By Thabang Dikgale and Stephen Kennedy-Good on Posted in General
The number of liquidations and sequestrations will, unfortunately, increase due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Preference shareholders with unsecured loans and third party unsecured creditors must be aware of the ranking of unsecured creditors’ claims in the liquidation process. This note specifically focuses on the unsecured loan given by a preference shareholder and not the ranking … Continue reading
An application for business rescue does not terminate the office of provisional liquidators nor does it result in the assets and management of the company in liquidation re-vesting in the directors of the company. Where a company had been liquidated, an application was made for business rescue in GCC Engineering v Lawrence Maroos. Although section 131(6) … Continue reading
In order to claim the liquidation of a company or the sequestration of a trust or individual person it is necessary to show that the target is the claimant’s debtors and the target is insolvent. The claim must be a liquidated claim because a damages claim yet to be proved cannot found an application for … Continue reading
In November 2016, the Supreme Court of Appeal reiterated that if a respondent in a liquidation application disputes the indebtedness on bona fide and reasonable grounds, the liquidation application should be refused. Liquidation proceedings are not designed for the enforcement of disputed debts. In the case of Freshvest Investments (Pty) Ltd v Marabeng (Pty) Ltd, … Continue reading
If a company goes into liquidation claims must be lodged and proved within three months as from the conclusion of the second meeting of creditors of the insolvent company. The case of Wishart v Billiton is a reminder that although the Companies Act 1973 was largely repealed, the provisions relating to winding-up of companies remain … Continue reading
A plaintiff who was a shareholder in a liquidated company sued the company’s bank for a R50 million loss in value of his indirectly held shareholding allegedly caused by intentional conduct of the bank for lending money beyond the means of the company and then liquidating the company. The delictual claim for pure economic loss failed … Continue reading
If prospects of success of business rescue exist a court will allow business rescue to commence even if the company is in final liquidation. In Richter v Absa Bank Limited, the Supreme Court of Appeal pointed out that business rescue protects interests of a wider group of people than liquidation and interpreted the Companies Act … Continue reading