Voluntary (Part -2) - Winding Up, Company Law | Company Law - B Com PDF Download

Creditors' Voluntary Winding up (Sections 500-509)

In creditors' voluntary winding up, it is the creditors who move the resolution for voluntary winding up of a company, and there is no solvency declaration made by the directors of the company. In other words, when a company is insolvent, that is, it is not able to pay its debts, it is the creditors' voluntary winding up.

Special provisions Relating to Creditors' Voluntary Winding up

There are certain special provisions to be completed with creditors' voluntary winding up. They are :

1. Meeting of Creditors (Sec. 500)

The company must call a meeting of the creditors of the company on the same day or on the next following day on which the general meeting of the company is held for passing a resolution for voluntary winding up. The company must send the notice of the meeting to the creditors by post simultaneously with the sending of the notices of the meeting of the company. The company must also cause the notice of the meeting of the creditors to be advertised once at least in the official Gazettee and once at least in two newspapers circulating in the district where the registered office or principal place of business of the company is situated. At the creditors' meeting, one of the directors shall preside. The board of directors is required to lay before the meeting of the creditors(a) a full statement of the position of the company's affairs and (b) a list of creditors of the company with the estimated amount of their claims.

2. Notice of Registrar [Sec. 501]

Notice of any resolution passed at a creditors' meeting shall be given by the company to the Registrar within 10 days of the passing thereof.

3. Appointment of Liquidator (Sec. 502)

The creditors and the company at their respective meetings may nominate a person to be liquidator for the purpose of winding up the affairs and distributing the assets of the company. If the creditors and the company nominate different persons, the persons nominated by the creditors shall be the liquidator. If no person is nominated by the creditors, the person, if any, nominated by the company shall be the liquidator.

4. Committee of Inspection

The creditors at their first or any subsequent meeting may, if they think fit, appoint a committee of inspection of not more than five members. If such committee is appointed, the company may, either at the meeting at which the winding up resolution is passed or at a later meeting, appoint not more than five persons to serve on the committee. If the creditors object to persons appointed by the company, then the matter will be referred to the Court for the final decision. The powers of such committee are the same as those of a committee of inspection appointed in a compulsory winding up.

5. Remuneration [Sec. 504]

The committee of inspection or if there is no such committee, the creditors may fix the remuneration to be paid to the liquidator or liquidators. Where the remuneration is not fixed, it will be determined by the Court. Any remuneration fixed by the committee of inspection or creditors or the Court shall not be increased.

6. Board's Power to Cease (Sec. 505)

On the appointment of a liquidator, all the powers of the board of directors shall cease, except in so far as the committee of inspection, or if there is no such committee, the creditors in a general meeting, may sanction the continuance thereof.

7. Vacancy in the Office of Liquidator (Sec. 506)

If a vacancy occurs by death, resignation, or otherwise in the office of the liquidator (other than a liquidator appointed by or by the direction of the Court), the creditors in a general meeting may fill the vacancy.

8. Final Meeting and Dissolution (Secs 508-509)

The liquidator must call a general meeting of the company and a meeting of the creditors every year within three months from the close of the liquidation year, if the winding up continues for more than one year. He must lay before the meeting an account of his acts and dealings and of the conduct of winding up during the preceding year and position of winding up. He must call, in the same manner, a final meeting when the affairs of the company are fully wound up and place the same statements before it, as he does in the case of a members' meeting in a members' voluntary winding up under Sections 496 and 497.

Liquidators in Voluntary Winding Up

Appointment of liquidator

In a members' voluntary winding up, the company in general meeting shall appoint one or more liquidators for the purpose of collecting the company's assets and distributing the proceeds among creditors and contributories. If a vacancy occurs by death or resignation or otherwise in the office of the liquidator the company in general meeting may fill the vacancy. [Section 490 and 492].

In the case of a creditors' voluntary winding up, the creditors and the members at their respective meetings, may nominate a person to be the liquidator of the company. However, the creditors are given a preferential right in the matter of the appointment of the liquidator with a power to the Court to vary the appointment on application made within seven days by a director, member or creditor. (Section 502).

Power of the Court to appoint liquidator

In a members' or creditors' voluntary winding up, if for any cause whatever there is no liquidator acting, the Court may appoint the official liquidator or any other person as a liquidator of the company. The Court may also appoint a liquidator on the application of the Registrar. (Section 515).

Body corporate not to be appointed as liquidator

A body corporate shall not be qualified for appointment as a liquidator of a company in a voluntary winding up. Any appointment of a body corporate as liquidator shall be void. (Section 513).

Corrupt inducement affecting appointment as liquidator

Any person who gives or agrees or offers to give, any member or creditor of the company any gratification with a view to securing his own appointment or nomination or to securing or preventing the appointment of someone else, as the liquidator is liable to a fine which may extend upto Rs. 1,000. (Section 514).

Notice by liquidator of his appointment

When a person is appointed as the liquidator and accepts the appointment, he shall publish in the official gazette a notice of his appointment, in the prescribed form. He shall also deliver a copy of such notice to the Registrar. The liquidator shall do this within 30 days of his appointment. When the liquidator fails to comply with the above provision, he is liable to a fine which may extend to Rs. 50 for each day of default. (Section 516).

Effect of the appointment of liquidator

On the appointment of a liquidator, in a members' voluntary winding up, all the powers of the directors, including managing director, whole time directors as also the manager shall cease except so far as the company in general meeting or the liquidator may sanction their continuance. (Section 491).

On the appointment of a liquidator in creditors' voluntary winding up, all the powers of the board of directors shall cease. The committee of inspection or if there is no such committee, the creditors' meeting by resolution may sanction continuance of the powers of the board. (Section 505).

Remuneration of liquidator

In a members' voluntary winding up, the general meeting shall fix the remuneration to be paid to the liquidators. Unless the question of remuneration is resolved the liquidators shall not take charge of the company. Once remuneration is fixed it cannot be increased. (Section 490).

In a creditors' voluntary winding up, the remuneration of the liquidator is fixed by the committee of inspection and if there is no committee of inspection then by the creditors. In the absence of any such fixation, the Court shall determine his remuneration. Any remuneration so fixed shall not be increased (Section 504).

All costs, charges and expenses properly incurred in the winding up, including the remuneration of the liquidator, shall subject to the rights of secured creditors, be payable out of the assets of the company in priority to all other claims (Section 520).

Removal of Liquidator

In either kind of voluntary winding up, the Court may, on cause shown, remove a liquidator and appoint the official liquidator or any other person as a liquidator in place of removed liquidator. The Court may also remove a liquidator on the application of the Registrar.

Powers and Duties of Liquidator in Voluntary Winding Up Powers

The powers of the liquidator in voluntary winding up are just the same as those of the official liquidator in case of winding up by the Court. In the case of members' voluntary winding up with the sanction of a special resolution of the company and in the case of creditors' voluntary winding up with the sanction of the Court or committee of inspection or the meeting of the creditors if there is no committee of inspection, the liquidator may (a) institute or defend any suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings in the name and on behalf of the company ; (b) carry on the business of the company so far as may be necessary for the beneficial winding up of the company ; (c) to sell the immovable and movable property and actionable claims of the company by public auction or private contract; and (d) raise any money required on the security of the assets of the company (Section 512).

Besides, a liquidator in voluntary winding up may, without any sanction whatever, exercise any of the other powers given by this Act to the liquidator in a winding up by the Court. In addition to these powers, a liquidator in voluntary winding up exercise (i) the power of the Court of settling a list of contributories ; (ii) the power of the Court of making calls; (iii) the power of calling general meetings of the company.

Duties

As Section 512 provides a liquidator in voluntary winding up is required to pay the debts of the company and to adjust the rights of the contributories among themselves.