Once the DOCA is being administered, there is no longer a moratorium on ‘ipso facto’ clauses. In short, this allows suppliers, landlords and other creditors with suitable contracts to immediately terminate those contracts on appointment of the deed administrator.
Cashflow refers to the movement of money into and out of business, and it is one of the essential financial indicators for the business. This is why a proper financial record keeping is so important.
Debt and asset restructuring for financially distressed companies has taken on a new significance in Australia with the introduction of a new process last year — small business debt restructuring.
Businesses can struggle or fail in different ways. Consider an unprofitable transport business that hasn’t been able to put up rates in 20 years due to stiff competition. Or, consider the same type of business, where its unprofitability is caused by the inability to pay debts entered into by prior directors.
If you serve an international customer market, the question naturally arises; where is the best place to base your crypto or fintech business? Our focus here is on exploring offshore solutions for Australian fintech and crypto startups — looking specifically at the possibility of setting up in the Cayman Islands (Cayman) as a jurisdiction of incorporation.
Are you owed money by a company that is being wound up? Don’t get your hopes up until you have seen the 3 month statutory liquidator’s report. It is this report that will give a clear indication of the likelihood of a return.
The winding-up of a company is a daunting experience for a director. They know that their previous actions are under close scrutiny. But does that scrutiny include their personal assets? In short, yes. But liquidators need to tread carefully. In this article, we look into liquidators using the examination power to inquire into a director’s personal assets.
A business turnaround is about getting a business moving in the right direction. Survival is the hopeful outcome of any turnaround process. Survival is a change in the challenged business for the better. It is the process by which a business in financial crisis is transformed into a viable entity.
An important task for a liquidator, once appointed, is to see whether there are any transactions of the company that are ‘voidable’, and can be clawed back for the purposes of distribution to creditors.
If a liquidator is appointed to an insolvent company, and believes assets have been depleted due to fraud, what can they do? Even if the crime of fraud can be proven, this does not necessarily aid the liquidator in recovering assets. Here we look at the option for liquidators to use the concepts of ‘knowing receipt’ and ‘knowing assistance’ established in the 19th century English case of Barnes v Addy to recover from third parties in cases of fraud. It is a difficult claim to defend because it is vague and open to broad interpretation when a director fails to keep adequate books and records before winding up.
Many businesses supply goods to other businesses on credit. In many cases, this inventory is covered by a so-called ‘Retention of Title’ clause in favour of the supplier. Here we assess the consequences of liquidation on a Retention of Title claim, the impact of the Personal Properties Securities Act 2009 (Cth) and whether a liquidator might ever be permitted to ignore such a claim (the answer, generally speaking, is no – they cannot ignore it).
Directors often fail to pay themselves a salary before winding up. Instead, many small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) directors pay themselves throughout the lifetime of a company by withdrawing cash that is accounted for in a company loan account. In doing so, directors often seek to delay the payment of the income tax (PAYG) that they would have to pay if they drew a salary.