What is Receivership?

Definition of Receivership

Receivership, also known as administrative receivership, is a legally sanctioned procedure where an entity, typically a lender like a bank, appoints a receiver. The primary role of this receiver is to “receive” and liquidate the company’s assets, if necessary, to repay the lender. This process is particularly beneficial to creditors as it aids in the recovery of defaulted funds, potentially preventing the company from facing liquidation. The introduction of a receivership simplifies the lender’s task of securing owed funds in cases of borrower default.

Receivership should not be confused with administration and a receiver can only be appointed by a holder of a qualifying floating charge created before September 2003. Changes to this procedure were brought in by The Enterprise Act 2002 which promoted company rescue and saving struggling businesses.  Given the charge has to be almost 20 years old receiverships are now very rare with 2-3 only each year.

Why would a company go into receivership?

1. The company requires finance for its activities and borrows from a bank (or other secured lender).
2. In consideration for providing the loan, the bank requires security. Normally the company will sign a debenture with a fixed and floating charge. This offers the bank security over the assets of the company.
3. If the terms of the agreement are breached or the company does not conform to the bank’s wishes, the charge holder can:
   • Appoint investigating accountants to ascertain how secure or not the bank’s debt is and determine the best route forward (not always receivership).
   • Demand formal repayment of the loans without notice.
   • Appoint a receiver to administer and receive the company’s assets.
4. The receiver has a duty to collect the bank’s debts only,they are not generally concerned with the other unsecured creditors or shareholders’ exposure.

Receivership – A typical appointment

Having borrowed against a business plan that has not worked, a company finds that it is suffering cashflow problems. In an effort to survive, the company reports its problems to the bank and the bank asks for more information on the problems the company faces. Struggling with the problems of firefighting, the directors find it difficult to produce the information. Often the accountancy and reporting systems are not robust and a lot of time is needed to work out where the company is going, what the depth of the problems is and the necessary reporting to the bank is delayed.

As time goes by, the company’s overdraft is constantly at its limit, because monies don’t come in fast enough from customers. Clearly this should set alarm bells ringing at the company – it most certainly does at the bank. They call this ceiling borrowing, and take it as a sign that the directors are losing control.  When this happens the bank will review the account and will typically take some or all of the following steps:

What the Bank will do

1. The bank will ask for a reduction in its exposure.
2. It will ask for increased security from the directors or shareholders. Usually this takes the form of personal guarantees to support the security that the company has given through the debenture.
3. It may ask for new capital to be introduced by the shareholders. Problem is though, occasionally, this only has the effect of reducing the bank exposure as the bank takes this cash to reduce the borrowing.
4. It can ask for a new business plan from the directors, along with regular reporting.
5. It may ask for the company to consider receivables finance (factoring) to remove its borrowing and move to a factor. Often the bank’s own factoring company.
6. If they are still not satisfied that the directors are in control and if the bank is concerned about its exposure it will ask for investigating accountants (or reporting accountants) to look at the business. Normally this is a large firm of accountants who send an insolvency practitioner (IP) into the business to ascertain:

• Is the business viable?
• Is the company stable?
• Does it have a long term future if the present difficulties can be overcome?
• Is the bank’s exposure sufficiently covered in the event of a failure?
• In this report the IP calculates what the assets of the business are worth on a going-concern basis and in a forced sale scenario (or closure basis).
• Investigating accountants often recommend that the bank sticks with the business, but that the bank should limit any further borrowing to the fully secured variety – in other words the directors must secure it personally against property for example.
• If the IP thinks that the company is in serious risk of failure and that the banks may lose money in that event, he/she will usually recommend to the bank that they appoint a receiver or administrator.
• Usually the bank (bizarrely) requires the directors to “request the bank to appoint a receiver”. This is face-saving, and designed to deflect criticism from the bank to the directors.

At Company Rescue, we believe that it is wrong that the insolvency practitioner that carries out the investigation could also be the receiver – We think it is essential that his/her role as investigating accountant is limited to just that. However, fortunately most banks now agree that this is not a good approach.

Once they are appointed what is the receiver’s role and powers?

1. A receiver will quickly ascertain what the prospects for business are and decide whether to sell some or all of the assets, the business as a whole, or to continue to trade whilst a better deal can be achieved. Because of the rules and case law, he may wish to get rid of the assets and staff as soon as possible. (They will have to adopt employment contracts 14 days after the appointment).
2. They may remove directors and employees without impunity.
3. They ultimately decides the way forward and will (often) not take advice from the directors.
4. They must pay the preferential debts (employees claims for arrears of pay and holiday pay) first from any floating charge collections.
5. If a deal is to be done with directors the receiver must first advertise the business and its assets for sale.
6. They must conform to the tight rules and regulations governing receivership and report to the DBEIS.
7. A receiver must investigate the conduct of the directors of the business and file a report with the DBEIS.

Disadvantages of Receivership

The company is rarely saved in its existing form. Its assets will be subject to “meltdown” ( most people know that in receivership or liquidation assets are sold at a knock down price), often jobs and economic activity are lost.The directors will typically lose their employment and any monies the company is due to them, and the company may cease to trade. In addition the director’s conduct is investigated.

From the creditors’ perspective, it is unlikely that any unsecured creditors will receive any of their money back and often they lose a valuable customer. Clearly the cost of receivership can be very high and the bank has to underwrite the receiver’s costs.

Advantages of Receivership

The bank can take control where directors have maybe lost control. The receiver also has power to act to save the business quickly. The bank can ensure that its exposure is (at least) not increased and hopefully recover all of its money. For directors, the advantages are that it mitigates the risk of wrongful trading and may crystallise a very difficult position allowing them to get on with their lives.

Preferential creditors may see their debts repaid by the receiver.

Still got questions? Click here for Receivership FAQs. If there are still unanswered questions contact us by email or call 08009700539.

If your business is in trouble and the relationship with the bank is breaking down, we suggest that you look carefully at the guides in this site. Receivership may be an option. Work out the viability of the business – can you trim costs? Work out the problems, set out the position and have a meeting of directors. Decide if the business can continue but needs to be restructured or if just not viable then consider administration or if the company’s lenders have a debenture pre-dating 2003 then receivership.

These questions and answers will give more detailed background to the Administrative Receivership technique. If you have any further general or specific questions email us or complete the contact form.

Q: How does it happen?

A: Receivership can happen very quickly once the bank loses faith in the directors. The best policy is to work with the bank and produce a survival plan having taken professional and expert advice.

Q: But the bank can’t just appoint a receiver can they?

A: Yes – read the terms of the debenture closely – you will be surprised how little power you have to prevent it. In truth the bank will generally have exhausted all possible avenues to help to try to preserve the business. If the directors are manifestly not up to the job or will not listen, will not take professional advice, they will lose patience quickly.

Q: Can we stop them?

A: Not normally. However if you talk to an experienced turnaround practitioner they can often persuade the bank that their involvement will lead to a review of viability followed by a professional recovery plan and the bank will usually give time for this to happen (within strict financial constraints)

Q: How can we avoid receivership?

A: Follow the guidance on this site. Discuss the problems with your key people. What caused them and how you can get round them. Build a plan for survival. Discuss this clearly with the bank. If in doubt about the correct route speak to a turnaround practitioner or a quality insolvency practitioner who lists rescue and recovery as a specialty. Be warned most are still looking for liquidations and receiverships (undertakers)

If the bank wants to put investigating accountants in; wait until you have a built workable plan and then sell this HARD – to the investigating accountant.

Above all demonstrate a professional and determined approach to saving a viable business – procrastinate at your peril – the bank will not wait for that silver lining.

Q: I have heard that receivership is a rescue procedure – please explain?

A: Many insolvency practitioners describe selling the business or its assets to a third party out of receivership as a rescue technique. Although some part of the activity may remain I cannot understand how the loss of almost all creditors’ monies, jobs and all shareholders’ funds, followed by the liquidation of the company, can be described as a rescue!

Q: What happens if the receiver does not get the banks money back in full?

A: He/she may rely upon the banks other securities. Obviously if the directors, shareholders or even a third party has signed a personal guarantee to pay money to the bank in the event of a failure to recover its loans, then the receiver pursues this as if it were an asset of the company. The receiver may also look at the possibility of legal actions against the officers of the company or debtors or creditors to recover funds

Q: What happens to my personal guarantees in receivership?

A: Unless the receiver recovers all loans due the bank after his/her fees (and any payments due to preferential creditors) then your PG will crystallise. In other words the receiver may seek to recover money from you.

Q: What happens to the employees?

A: This is a complex question that cannot be answered without a great deal of information. If the business is sold in a reasonable time then their employment rights can be continued with the new owners (under TUPE). If the receiver makes them redundant straight away they can claim for payments from the government (subject to a maximum amount). Again this is a complex question – email us if you want more detail.

Please call us on 020 7887 2667 (London) or 08009700539 to talk to an expert turnaround advisor if you would like to talk through your company’s options.