I present a bit of a mixed bag here:
• The Enterprise & Regulatory Reform Bill – developments since my blog post of 12 January
• Nimmo – the Scottish Court of Session takes more than a passing interest in a provisional liquidator’s fees
• Secretary of State v Potiwal – despite the seeming absence of a technical argument, the court saves the taxpayers’ money in proving a case a second time

Update on the Enterprise & Regulatory Reform Bill

New Bankruptcy Application Process

On 12 January, I posted to this blog my thoughts on the insolvency parts of the ERR Bill. Last week, some interesting tweaks to the Bill had been proposed: that the adjudicator be allowed to apply to the court for directions (which might have helped if the adjudicator had been presented with a bankruptcy application with tricky COMI dimensions); and that, if the adjudicator felt that an alternative remedy were more suitable, the individual be given ten days to seek advice and potentially withdraw the bankruptcy application. Unfortunately, both these proposals were withdrawn following the House of Lords’ debate.

In relation to the subject of applying to court for directions, Viscount Younger of Leckie said: “Persons appointed as adjudicators will have the skills they need to do the job without the need for recourse to the court. It is acknowledged that the court still has a role to play. Where the adjudicator refuses to make a bankruptcy order because the criteria are not met, the debtor will have the right to appeal to the court. That provides a route to court in those cases where it is needed” (Lords Hansard on House of Lords Grand Committee 16 January 2013, http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201213/ldhansrd/text/130116-gc0002.htm).

With regard to allowing the individual time to explore alternative solutions, Viscount Younger said: “I reassure noble Lords that before making their bankruptcy application, applicants will be strongly encouraged to take independent debt advice to ensure that bankruptcy is really the right option for them. My officials will work with the Money Advice Service and providers within the debt advice sector to ensure that applicants have the information they need to make an informed decision. Furthermore, within the electronic application process itself, we propose to include a series of warnings to ensure that applicants are made fully aware of the serious implications of bankruptcy before they make their application. We will also ensure that the process flags up any alternative debt remedies that may better suit their circumstances. The Government consider that these safeguards are sufficient to ensure that debtors are empowered to make an informed decision as to whether or not bankruptcy is the right option for them before they take the serious step of making a bankruptcy application. The Government believe that these amendments would unnecessarily complicate the process by requiring the adjudicator to exercise discretion on a case-by-case basis. That would increase administration costs with an impact on the application fee. It would also delay access to debt relief for the debtor, who would have elected for bankruptcy in full knowledge of their other options.”

Whilst I understand the government’s intention to formulate a simple administrative process to replace the current court-led debtor’s bankruptcy petition process (although those IA86 provisions are not being repealed via the Bill, presumably so that individuals who cannot/do not wish to apply online can still instigate their own bankruptcy), it seems inevitable to me that such a process will be ill equipped to deal with out-of-the-norm cases.

Continuation of contracted supplies in corporate insolvencies

It seems that R3’s “Holding Rescue to Ransom” campaign is paying off! Added to the list of proposed amendments to the Bill are the following proposed changes to S233 of IA86:

• To include “a supply of computer hardware or software or infrastructure permitting electronic communications” as another utility that must continue to be supplied (subject to the current S233 conditions) on request by the office holder.
• Utility supplies to be caught by the provisions irrespective of the identity of the supplier.
• To include that “any provision in a contract between a company and a supplier of goods or services that purports to terminate the agreement, or alter the terms of the contract, on the happening of any of the events specified in subsection (1) [i.e. administration, administrative receivership, S1A moratorium, CVA, liquidation, or appointment of a provisional liquidator] is void” – this does not seem to be limited only to utility supplies.

It remains to be seen, however, if these proposed changes survive the debate in the House of Lords (next sitting is scheduled for 28 January 2013).

Scottish Court of Session not content to take as read the court auditor’s and reporter’s recommendations of approval of provisional liquidator’s fees

Nimmo, as liquidator of St Margaret’s School, Edinburgh, Limited [2013] ScotCS CSOH 4 (11 January 2013)

http://www.bailii.org/scot/cases/ScotCS/2013/2013CSOH4.html

Summary: Despite both the reporter and the court auditor recommending that the provisional liquidator’s remuneration of c.£120,000 be allowed, the court sought further information in justification of the fee. Whilst IPs can take some comfort in the result that the judge allowed the fees in full, his comments suggest some lingering concern and hinted at a desire for a review of the court procedures.

The Detail: Over 20 days, a provisional liquidator managed “a high profile and extremely sensitive appointment” (paragraph 9) over a school and incurred time costs of c.£120,000. Later, the IP was appointed liquidator of the same company with his fees for the liquidation being approved by the liquidation committee. Interestingly, Lord Malcolm disapproved of the use of the word “cost” when referring to as yet unauthorised remuneration: “For the future I would advise that in reports to committees the proposed fee should not be described as ‘a cost’ already incurred by the liquidator. It should be made clear that the committee is being asked to exercise a judgment as to whether the proposed remuneration is reasonable and appropriate (or words to that effect). A proposed fee is in a different category from outlays. The scope for disagreement or questioning should be obvious to the readers of the report” (paragraph 31). The IP’s fees as provisional liquidator remained to be approved by the court.

Both the reporter and the court auditor considered that the provisional liquidator’s fees were reasonable, but the judge requested further information. Despite learning of the complexities handled by the IP, Lord Malcolm stated: “nonetheless I retain a sense of surprise and concern at a proposed fee of over £120,000 (exclusive of vat) for 20 days work, and I suspect that many will find it remarkable that the winding up of a middling size private school can generate fees of over £620,000 (again exclusive of vat)” (paragraph 31). However, the judge allowed the fee, noting that “the court cannot simply reject the clear advice of the reporter and the auditor of court without cogent and objectively justifiable reasons for doing so” (paragraph 35).

Lord Malcolm’s closing comments suggest a desire for more widespread consideration of the issue of insolvency office-holders’ remuneration: “Perhaps it is no bad thing that, now and again, an opinion is issued which shows how these matters are presented to, and addressed by the court. Generally they are resolved without any public hearing or publicity. There is at least a risk that the fee levels and general practices and procedures seen as normal in the corporate insolvency world become, when the court is asked to adjudicate, in a sense self-fulfilling. This highlights the important role of the auditor of court in the current system, given that he is not directly involved in such work. It may also be that, from time to time, and in the light of experience, the judges should review current practice to check whether there is room for improvements in the court’s procedures which might help it to exercise its jurisdiction under the insolvency rules” (paragraph 38).

Court avoids “unpardonable waste of scarce resources” by striking out director’s evidence in disqualification proceedings

Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills v Potiwal (Rev 4) [2012] EWHC 3723 (Ch) (21 December 2012)

http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Ch/2012/3723.html

Summary: In relation to disqualification proceedings, the Secretary of State (“SoS”) sought to rely on the fact that a VAT Tribunal had already proven a director’s knowledge of his company’s fraud. The court found that, although the SoS’ argument that the director was estopped from denying knowledge failed because the SoS and HMRC were not privies, it agreed that it would be manifestly unfair and it would bring the administration of justice into disrepute to require the SoS to prove the director’s knowledge a second time.

The Detail: An earlier VAT Tribunal had concluded that the director knew of the company’s VAT fraud, but in evidence to defend disqualification proceedings the director denied having such knowledge. The SoS sought to have that part of the director’s evidence struck out on the grounds that he was estopped from denying that he had this knowledge; or that his denial was an abuse of process, as it would be manifestly unfair for the SoS to be put to the substantial cost and delay of proving the allegation; and/or that to permit the issue to be re-litigated would bring the administration of justice into disrepute.

For the argument of estoppel to win out, the parties to the disqualification proceedings – the SoS and the director – had to be in privity with the parties to the earlier VAT Tribunal – HMRC and the insolvent company. Given the director’s role in the company and in the VAT Tribunal proceedings, the judge had no difficulty in concluding that the director and his company were privies. However, he decided that the SoS and HMRC were not privies: “I consider that it would therefore go against the grain of the development of the law about abuse of process to identify for the first time a new class of privity of interest between two very different arms of government pursuing different aspects of the public interest, and being motivated in particular cases by different policy and funding considerations when doing so” (paragraph 21). Consequently, in relation to the first ground, Mr Justice Briggs concluded that, because there was no privity of interest between the SoS and HMRC, the proven position in the VAT Tribunal could not be carried forward into the disqualification proceedings.

However, Briggs J then considered whether “hundreds of thousands of pounds” of tax-payers’ money should be used to prove the allegation a second time. Having considered the circumstances of the VAT Tribunal, which was funded by the taxpayer throughout, the judge concluded that it would be manifestly unfair to impose the cost of re-litigating the issue on the SoS. With regard to the argument that re-litigation would also bring the administration of justice into disrepute, Briggs J stated: “Where, as here, the issue as to a director’s knowledge of a complex MTIC fraud has been fully and fairly investigated by an experienced tribunal and the director found to have had the requisite knowledge, it seems to me that right-thinking members of the public would regard it as an unpardonable waste of scarce resources to have that issue re-litigated merely because, by a simple denial and without deducing any fresh evidence, Mr Potiwal seeks to require the complex case against him to be proved all over again” (paragraph 29). Thus, he ordered that parts of the director’s evidence be struck out as an abuse of process.