Winding Up Subject to Supervision of the Court - Winding Up, Company Law | Company Law - B Com PDF Download

Winding Up Subject To Supervision of the Court

Voluntary winding up may be under the supervision of the Court. At any time after a company has passed a resolution for voluntary winding up, the Court may make an order that the voluntary winding up shall continue, but subject to such supervision of the Court. The Court may give such liberty to creditors, contributories or others to apply to the Court and generally on such terms and conditions as the Court thinks just (Sec. 522). A petition for the continuance of a voluntary winding up subject to the supervision of the Court shall be deemed to be a petition for winding up by the Court (Sec. 523).

The Court will not in general make a supervision order on the petition of a contributory, unless it is satisfied that the resolution for winding up was so obtained that the minority of members were overborne by fraud or improper or corrupt influence. Where the company is insolvent, the wishes of the creditors only are regarded or the investigation is required.

If a company is being wound up voluntarily or subject to supervision of the Court, a petition for its winding up by the Court may be presented by :

• any person authorised to do so under Sec. 439 (which deals with provisions as to applications for winding up), or
• the official liquidator [Sec. 440(1)].

Where a supervision is made, the Court may appoint an additional liquidator or liquidators, or remove any liquidator at any time and fill any vacancy. The Court may also appoint the official liquidator as an additional liquidator or to fill any vacancy. The Registrar is also given power to apply to the Court for the removal of a liquidator and the Court may do so (Sec. 524). The liquidator appointed by the Court will act as a voluntary liquidator (Sec. 525). In a voluntary liquidation brought under the Court's supervision, the liquidator's remuneration cannot be increased.

A liquidator appointed by the Court has the same powers, is subject to the same obligations, and in all respects stand in the same position, as if he had been duly appointed in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act with respect to the appointment of liquidators in voluntary winding up (Sec. 525).

Consequences of Winding up

The consequences of winding up may be discussed under the following heads :

1. Consequences as to Shareholders

A shareholder is liable to pay the full amount upto the face value of the shares held by him. Not only the present, but also the past members are liable on the winding up of the company. The liability of a present member is the amount remaining unpaid on the shares held by him, while a past member can be called upon to pay if the present contributory is unable to pay.

2. Consequences as to Creditors

A company, whether solvent or insolvent, can be wound up under the Act. In case of a solvent company, all claims of its creditors when proved are fully met. But in case of an insolvent company, the rules under the law of insolvency apply.

A secured creditor need not prove his claim against the company. He may realise his security and satisfy the debts. For deficiency, if any, he may put his claim before the liquidator. The secured creditor has also the option to relinquish his security and to prove the amount as if he were an unsecured creditor.

Where an insolvent company is being wound up, the insolvency rules will apply and only such claims shall be provable against the company as are provable against an insolvent person. (Section 529).

When the list of claims is settled the liquidator has to commence making payments. The assets available to the liquidator are applied in the following order :

• Secured creditors .
• Cost of the liquidation.
• Preferential payments.
• Debentureholders secured by a floating charge.
• Unsecured creditors
• Balance returned to the contributories.

Preferential payment 

Section 530 enumerates certain debts which are to be paid in priority to all other debts. Such payments are called preferential payments. It may however by noted that such payments are made after paying the secured creditors, and costs, charges and expenses of the winding up.

These preferential payments are : (a) All revenues, taxes, cesses and rates due from the company to the Central or State Government or to a local authority. The amount should have become due and payable within 12 months before the winding up. (b) All wages or salary of any employee in respect of services rendered to the company and due for a period not exceeding 4 months within 12 months, before the winding up and any compensation payable to any workman under any of the provision of Chapter V-A of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.

The amount must not exceed Rs. 20,000 in the case of any one claimant. (c) All accrued holiday remuneration becoming payable to any employee or in the case of his death to any other person in his right, on the termination of his employment before or by the effect of the winding up. (d) All amounts due in respect of contributions payable by the company as employer but this is not payable if the company is being wound up voluntarily for the purpose of reconstruction and amalgamation (e) All amounts due in respect of any compensation or liability for compensation in respect of death or disablement of any employee under the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1923 but this is not payable if the company is being wound up voluntarily for reconstruction or amalgamation. (f) All sums due to any employee from a provident fund, a pension fund, a gratuity fund or any other fund for the welfare of the employee maintained by the company. (g) The expenses of any investigation held in pursuance of Sections 235 and 237, in so far as they are payable by the company.

3. Consequences as to servants and officers

A winding up order by a Court operates as a notice of discharge to the employees and officers of the company except when the business of the company is continued. The same principle will apply as regards discharge of employees in a voluntary winding up. Where there is a contract of service 39 for a particular period, an order for winding up will amount to wrongful discharge and damages will be allowed as for breach of contract of service.

4. Consequences of proceedings against the company 

When a winding up order is made, or an official liquidator has been appointed as provisional liquidator no suit or legal proceedings can be commenced and no pending suit or legal proceeding continued against the company except with the leave of the Court and on such terms as it may impose. In the case of a voluntary winding up, the Court may restrain proceedings against the company if it thinks fit. It may be noted that law does not prohibit proceedings being taken by the company against others including directors, or officers or other servants of the company.

5. Consequences as to costs

Where the assets of the company are insufficient to satisfy the liabilities, the Court may make an order for payment out of the assets of the costs, charges and expenses incurred in the winding up. The Court may determine the order of priority in which such payments are to be made (Section 476).

6. Consequences as to documents

When a company is being wound up whether by or under the supervision of the Court or voluntarily, the fact must be made known to all those having any dealing with the company; every document in the nature of an invoice, order for goods or business letter issued in the name of the company, after the commencement of winding up must contain a statement that the company is being wound up (Sec. 547).

Where a company is being wound up, all documents of the company and of the liquidators shall, as between the contributories of the company, be prima facie evidence of the truth of all matters recorded therein (Sec. 548).

Where an order for winding up of the company by or subject to the supervision of the Court is made, any creditor or contributory of the company may inspect the books and the papers of the company, subject to the provisions made in the rules by the Central Government in this behalf.

Winding Up Of Insolvent Companies

Section 529 of the Companies Act applies to winding up of the company which cannot pay all its debts i.e. to an insolvent company only in respect of the following :

• debts provable.
• the valuation of annuities and future and contingent liabilities; and
• the respective rights of secured and unsecured creditors.

All persons who would be entitled to prove for and receive dividends out of the assets of the company may come in under the winding up and made such claims against the company as they respectively are entitled to. But it is not necessary for a secured creditor to prove his debt in the winding up and he can stand wholly outside the winding up proceedings. However, if a secured creditor instead of giving up his security and providing for his debt proceeds to realise his security, he shall be liable to pay the expenses incurred by the liquidator for the presentation of the security before its realisation by the secured creditor.

The rules of insolvency in India are to be found in the Presidency Towns Insolvency Act, 1909 and Provincial Insolvency Act, 1920. Only such of the rules contained in these Acts as relate to the respective rights of the secured and unsecured creditors, and to debts provable and to the valuation of certain liabilities shall apply under Section 529. Apart from these provisions, in respect of other matters such as those relating to priority of debts, all questions have to be determined with reference to the Companies Act only.

Section 529 ceases to be applicable as soon as it is found the company in the course of winding up is not insolvent. The provisions of the laws of insolvency applicable to insolvent companies will not apply to such company and it will be treated as having been solvent throughout the winding up proceedings.