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Appeal to court against trustee.

Control of

over trustees.

80. If the bankrupt or any of the creditors, or any other person, is aggrieved by any act or decision of the trustee, he may apply to the court, and the court may confirm, reverse, or modify the act or decision complained of, and make such order in the premises as it thinks just.

81.—(1) The Board of Trade shall take cognizance of the conduct Board of Trade of trustees, and, in the event of any trustee not faithfully performing his duties, and duly observing all the requirements imposed on him by statute, rules, or otherwise, with respect to the performance of his duties, or in the event of any complaint being made to the Board by any creditor in regard thereto, the Board shall inquire into the matter and take such action thereon as may be deemed expedient.

(2) The Board may at any time require any trustee to answer any inquiry made by them in relation to any bankruptcy in which the trustee is engaged, and may, if the Board think fit, apply to the court to examine on oath the trustee or any other person concerning the bankruptcy. (3) The Board may also direct a local investigation to be made of the books and vouchers of the trustee.

Remuneration of trustee.

Allowance and taxation of costs.

Remuneration and Costs.

82.-(1) Where the creditors appoint any person to be trustee of a debtor's estate, his remuneration (if any) shall be fixed by an ordinary resolution of the creditors, or, if the creditors so resolve, by the committee of inspection, and shall be in the nature of a commission or percentage, of which one part shall be payable on the amount realised by the trustee, after deducting any sums paid to secured creditors out of the proceeds of their securities, and the other part on the amount distributed in dividend.

(2) If one-fourth in number or value of the creditors dissent from the resolution, or the bankrupt satisfies the Board of Trade that the remuneration is unnecessarily large, the Board of Trade shall fix the amount of the remuneration.

(3) The resolution shall express what expenses the remuneration is to cover, and no liability shall attach to the bankrupt's estate, or to the creditors, in respect of any expenses which the remuneration is expressed to cover.

(4) Where a trustee acts without remuneration, he shall be allowed out of the bankrupt's estate such proper expenses incurred by him in or about the proceedings of the bankruptcy as the creditors may, with the sanction of the Board of Trade, approve.

(5) A trustee shall not, under any circumstances whatever, make any arrangement for or accept from the bankrupt, or any solicitor, auctioneer, or any other person that may be employed about a bankruptcy, any gift, remuneration, or pecuniary or other consideration or benefit whatever beyond the remuneration fixed by the creditors and payable out of the estate, nor shall he make any arrangement for giving up, or give up, any part of his remuneration, either as receiver, manager, or trustee, to the bankrupt or any solicitor or other person that may be employed about a bankruptcy.

83.-(1) Where a trustee or manager receives remuneration for his services as such, no payment shall be allowed in his accounts in respect of the performance by any other person of the ordinary duties which are required by statute or rules to be performed by himself.

(2) Where the trustee is a solicitor, he may contract that the remuneration for his services as trustee shall include all professional services.

(3) All bills and charges of solicitors, managers, accountants, auctioneers, brokers, and other persons, not being trustees, shall be taxed by the prescribed officer, and no payments in respect thereof shall be allowed in the trustee's accounts without proof of such taxation having been made. The taxing master shall satisfy himself before passing such bills and charges that the employment of such solicitors and other persons,

in respect of the particular matters out of which such charges arise, has been duly sanctioned. The sanction must be obtained before the employment, except in cases of urgency, and in such cases it must be shown that no undue delay took place in obtaining the sanction.

(4) Every such person shall, on request by the trustee (which request the trustee shall make a sufficient time before declaring a dividend), deliver his bill of costs of charges to the proper officer for taxation, and, if he fails to do so within seven days after receipt of the request, or such further time as the court, on application, may grant, the trustee shall declare and distribute the dividend without regard to any claim by him, and thereupon any such claim shall be forfeited as well against the trustee personally as against the estate.

Receipts, Payments, Accounts, Audit.

84. The trustee or official receiver shall, whenever required by any creditor so to do, furnish and transmit to him by post a list of the creditors showing the amount of the debt due to each creditor, and shall be entitled to charge for such list the sum of threepence per folio of seventy-two words, together with the cost of the postage thereof.

85. It shall be lawful for any creditor, with the concurrence of onesixth of the creditors (including himself), at any time to call upon the trustee or official receiver to furnish and transmit to the creditors a statement of the accounts up to the date of such notice, and the trustee shall, upon receipt of such notice, furnish and transmit such statement of the accounts:

Provided that the person at whose instance the accounts are furnished shall deposit with the trustee or official receiver, as the case may be, a sum sufficient to pay the costs of furnishing and transmitting the accounts, which sum shall be repaid to him out of the estate if the creditors or the court so direct.

86. The trustee shall keep, in manner prescribed, proper books, in which he shall from time to time cause to be made entries or minutes of proceedings at meetings, and of such other matters as may be prescribed, and any creditor of the bankrupt may, subject to the control of the court, personally or by his agent, inspect any such books.

87.—(1) Every trustee in a bankruptcy shall from time to time, as may be prescribed, and not less than once in every year during the continuance of the bankruptcy, transmit to the Board of Trade a statement showing the proceedings in the bankruptcy up to the date of the statement, containing the prescribed particulars, and made out in the prescribed form.

(2) The Board of Trade shall cause the statements so transmitted to be examined, and shall call the trustee to account for any misfeasance, neglect, or omission, which may appear on the said statements or in his accounts or otherwise, and may require the trustee to make good any loss which the estate of the bankrupt may have sustained by the misfeasance, neglect, or omission.

88. No trustee in a bankruptcy or under any composition or scheme of arrangement shall pay any sums received by him as trustee into his private banking account.

89.-(1) The Bankruptcy Estates Account shall continue to be kept by the Board of Trade with the Bank of England, and all moneys received by the Board of Trade in respect of proceedings under this Act shall be paid to that account.

(2) Every trustee in bankruptcy shall, in such manner and at such times as the Board of Trade with the concurrence of the Treasury direct, pay the money received by him to the Bankruptcy Estates Account at the Bank of England, and the Board of Trade shall furnish him with a certificate of receipt of the money so paid.

Trustee to furnish list of

creditors.

Trustee to

furnish state

ment of
accounts.

Books to be kept by

trustee.

Annual statement of proceedings.

Trustee not to pay into private

account.

Payment of money into England.

Bank of

Investment of surplus funds.

Provided that—

(a) if it appears to the committee of inspection that, for the purpose
of carrying on the debtor's business or of obtaining advances,
or because of the probable amount of the cash balance, or if
the committee shall satisfy the Board of Trade that for any
other reason it is for the advantage of the creditors that the
trustee should have an account with a local bank, the Board
of Trade shall, on the application of the committee of inspec-
tion, authorise the trustee to make his payments into and
out of such local bank as the committee may select;
(b) in any bankruptcy composition or scheme of arrangement in
which the official receiver is acting as trustee, or in which a
trustee is acting without a committee of inspection, the Board
of Trade may, if for special reasons they think fit to do so,
upon the application of the official receiver or other trustee,
authorise the trustee to make his payments into and out of
such local bank as the Board may direct.

(3) Where the trustee opens an account in a local bank, he shall open and keep it in the name of the debtor's estate, and any interest receivable in respect of the account shall be part of the assets of the estate, and the trustee shall make his payments into and out of the local bank in the prescribed manner.

(4) Subject to any general rules relating to small bankruptcies under section one hundred and twenty-nine of this Act, where the debtor at the date of the receiving order has an account at a bank, such account shall not be withdrawn until the expiration of seven days from the day appointed for the first meeting of creditors, unless the Board of Trade, for the safety of the account, or other sufficient cause, order the withdrawal of the account.

(5) If a trustee at any time retains for more than ten days a sum exceeding fifty pounds, or such other amount as the Board of Trade in any particular case authorise him to retain, then, unless he explains the retention to the satisfaction of the Board of Trade, he shall pay interest on the amount so retained in excess at the rate of twenty per centum per annum, and shall have no claim to remuneration, and may be removed from his office by the Board of Trade, and shall be liable to pay any expenses occasioned by reason of his default.

(6) All payments out of money standing to the credit of the Board of Trade in the Bankruptcy Estates Account shall be made by the Bank of England in the prescribed manner.

90.-(1) Whenever the cash balance standing to the credit of the Bankruptcy Estates Account is in excess of the amount which in the opinion of the Board of Trade is required for the time being to answer demands in respect of bankrupts' estates, the Board of Trade shall notify the same to the Treasury, and shall pay over the same or any part thereof as the Treasury may require to the Treasury, to such account as the Treasury may direct, and the Treasury may invest the said sums or any part thereof in Government securities to be placed to the credit of the said account.

(2) Whenever any part of the money so invested is, in the opinion of the Board of Trade, required to answer any demands in respect of bankrupts' estates, the Board of Trade shall notify to the Treasury the amount so required, and the Treasury shall thereupon repay to the Board of Trade such sum as may be required to the credit of the Bankruptcy Estates Account, and for that purpose may direct the sale of such part of the said securities as may be necessary.

(3) The Treasury, out of any sums so paid to them, may pay such sums as they consider necessary for defraying the expenses of providing office accommodation for any officer performing duties under this Act. (4) If, after any sum is so expended, the Board of Trade notify to the Treasury that an amount is required to answer the demands in respect of bankrupts' estates, and the securities and moneys held by the Treasury

on the account mentioned in this section are insufficient to pay the amount so required, the Treasury shall, for the purpose of meeting the deficiency, charge on and pay out of the Consolidated Fund or the growing produce thereof, the sum expended in pursuance of the last subsection, or of any corresponding enactment repealed by this Act, or such part thereof as appears to them to be required.

(5) The dividends on the investments under this section shall be paid to such account as the Treasury may direct, and regard shall be had to the amount thus derived in fixing the fees payable in respect of bankruptcy proceedings.

91. The Treasury may issue to the Board of Trade in aid of the votes of Parliament, out of the receipts arising from fees, fee stamps, and dividends on investments under this Act, any sums which may be necessary to meet the charges estimated by the Board of Trade in respect of salaries and expenses under this Act.

92. (1) Every trustee shall, at such times as may be prescribed, but not less than twice in each year during his tenure of office, send to the Board of Trade, or as they direct, an account of his receipts and payments as such trustee.

(2) The account shall be in a prescribed form, shall be made in duplicate, and shall be verified by a statutory declaration in the prescribed form.

(3) The Board of Trade shall cause the accounts so sent to be audited, and, for the purposes of the audit, the trustee shall furnish the Board with such vouchers and information as the Board may require, and the Board may at any time require the production of and inspect any books or accounts kept by the trustee.

(4) When any such account has been audited, one copy thereof shall be filed and kept by the Board, and the other copy shall be filed with the court, and each copy shall be open to the inspection of any creditor, or of the bankrupt, or of any person interested.

Vacation of Office by Trustee.

93.-(1) When the trustee has realised all the property of the bankrupt, or so much thereof as can, in his opinion, be realised without needlessly protracting the trusteeship, and distributed a final dividend, if any, or has ceased to act by reason of a composition having been approved, or has resigned, or has been removed from his office, the Board of Trade shall, on his application, cause a report on his accounts to be prepared, and, on his complying with all the requirements of the Board, shall take into consideration the report, and any objection which may be urged by any creditor or person interested against the release of the trustee, and shall either grant or withhold the release accordingly, subject nevertheless to an appeal to the High Court.

(2) Where the release of a trustee is withheld, the court may, on the application of any creditor or person interested, make such order as it thinks just, charging the trustee with the consequences of any act or default he may have done or made contrary to his duty.

(3) An order of the Board releasing the trustee shall discharge him from all liability in respect of any act done or default made by him in the administration of the affairs of the bankrupt, or otherwise in relation to his conduct as trustee, but any such order may be revoked on proof that it was obtained by fraud or by suppression or concealment of any material fact.

(4) The foregoing provisions of this section shall apply to an official receiver when he is, or is acting as, trustee, and when an official receiver has been released under this section, or any previous similar enactment, he shall continue to act as trustee for any subsequent purposes of the administration of the debtor's estate, but no liability shall attach to him personally by reason of his so continuing in respect of any act done, default made, or liability incurred before his release.

Certain receipts

and fees to be

applied in aid of expenditure.

Audit of
trustee's

accounts.

Release of trustee.

Office of trustee vacated by insolvency. Removal of trustee.

(5) Where the trustee has not previously resigned or been removed, his release shall operate as a removal of him from his office, and thereupon the official receiver shall be the trustee.

(6) Where, on the release of a trustee, an official receiver is, or is acting as, trustee, no liability shall attach to him personally in respect of any act done or default made, or liability incurred, by any prior

trustee.

94. If a receiving order is made against a trustee, he shall thereby vacate his office of trustee.

95. (1) The creditors may, by ordinary resolution, at a meeting especially called for that purpose, of which seven days' notice has been given, remove a trustee appointed by them, and may, at the same or any subsequent meeting, appoint another person to fill the vacancy as hereinafter provided in case of a vacancy in the office of trustee. (2) If the Board of Trade are of opinion

(a) that a trustee appointed by the creditors is guilty of misconduct, or fails to perform his duties under this Act; or

(b) that his trusteeship is being needlessly protracted without any probable advantage to the creditors; or

(c) that he is by reason of lunacy, or continued sickness or absence, incapable of performing his duties; or

or

(d) that his connection with or relation to the bankrupt or his estate, or any particular creditor, might make it difficult for him to act with impartiality in the interest of the creditors generally; where in any other matter he has been removed from office on the ground of misconduct, the Board may remove him from his office, but, if the creditors by ordinary resolution disapprove of his removal, he or they may appeal against it to the High Court.

Jurisdiction

PART V.

CONSTITUTION, PROCEDURE, AND POWERS OF COURT.

Jurisdiction.

96. (1) The courts having jurisdiction in bankruptcy shall be the to be exercised High Court and the county courts.

by High Court and county courts.

(2) But the Lord Chancellor may from time to time, by order under his hand, exclude any county court from having jurisdiction in bankruptcy, and for the purposes of bankruptcy jurisdiction may attach its district or any part thereof to the High Court, or to any other county court or courts, and may from time to time revoke or vary any order so made. The Lord Chancellor may, in like manner and subject to the like conditions, detach the district of any county court or any part thereof from the district and jurisdiction of the High Court.

(3) The term "district," when used in this Act with reference to a county court, means the district of the court for the purposes of bankruptcy jurisdiction.

(4) A county court which at the commencement of this Act is excluded from having bankruptcy jurisdiction shall continue to be so excluded until the Lord Chancellor otherwise orders, and the districts existing at the commencement of this Act shall subsist until the Lord Chancellor otherwise orders.

(5) Periodical sittings for the transaction of bankruptcy business by county courts having jurisdiction in bankruptcy shall be held at such times and at such intervals as the Lord Chancellor prescribes for each such court.

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