Part VIE+W+S Miscellaneous Provisions Applying to Companies Which are Insolvent or in Liquidation

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C2Pts. 1-4, 6, 7 applied to limited liability partnerships (with modifications) (E.W.S.) (6.4.2001) by S.I. 2001/1090, reg. 5, Schs. 3, 4 (as amended (4.3.2004) by S.I. 2004/355, art. 10; (1.10.2005) by S.I. 2005/1989, reg. 3, Sch. 2 (with reg. 4); (8.12.2017) by S.I. 2017/1119, reg. 1(1), Sch. 1 Pts. 2, 3; (temp.) (retrospective to 27.4.2020) by Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (c. 12), Sch. 10 paras. 8(1)(2), 14, Sch. 12 para. 6 (with ss. 2(2), 5(2); (26.6.2020) by S.I. 2020/643, reg. 1(1), Sch. 1 (with reg. 2); (26.6.2020) by Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (c. 12), s. 49(1), Sch. 12 para. 6 (with ss. 2(2), 5(2), 14(4)); and (16.2.2021) by S.I. 2021/60, reg. 1(1), Sch. 1 (with reg. 3(2)))

C4Pt. 6 (ss. 230–246) modified by Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 (c. 46, SIF 27), ss. 21(2), 25

Pt. 6 (ss. 230-246) applied (1.12.1994) by S.I. 1994/2421, art. 6(3)(b)

Pt. 6 (ss. 230-246) applied (1.12.1994) by S.I. 1994/2421, art. 10(2)(3)(6), Sch. 4 Pt. II

Pt. 6 (ss. 230-246) applied (with modifications) (1.12.1994) by S.I. 1994/2421, art. 8(4)(5)(8)(9)

Pt. 6 (ss. 230-246) applied (with modifications) (1.12.1997) by 1986 c. 53, Sch. 15A para. 1(1)(2)(a) (as inserted by 1997 c. 32, s. 39(2), Sch. 6); S.I. 1997/2668, art. 2, Sch. Pt. I(i); and as amended (13.3.2018) by The Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 (Consequential Amendments, Savings and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/208), regs. 1(3), 2(3); and (26.6.2020) by Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (c. 12), s. 49(1), Sch. 12 para. 3 (with ss. 2(2), 5(2), 14(4)))

Pt. 6 (ss. 230-246) amended (1.12.2001) by S.I. 2001/3538, art. 2(1)

C5First Group of Parts (Pts. 1-7) applied (with modifications) (15.12.2006) by The Banks (Former Authorised Institutions) (Insolvency) Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/3107), art. 3, Sch. (as amended (1.4.2013) by S.I. 2013/472, art. 1(1), Sch. 2 para. 117; and (13.3.2018) by S.I. 2018/208, regs. 1(3), 11)

C6Pt. 6 applied (with modifications) in part (E.W.) (2.1.2013) by The Charitable Incorporated Organisations (Insolvency and Dissolution) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/3013), reg. 1, Sch. para. 1(2)(a)(3)-(7) (as amended (26.6.2020) by Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (c. 12), s. 49(1), Sch. 3 para. 49(3) (with ss. 2(2), 5(2)); (7.7.2020) by S.I. 2020/710, regs. 1, 4 (with reg. 6) (which affecting legislation is revoked and this amendment reversed (13.8.2020) S.I. 2020/856, regs. 1(2), 2); and (13.8.2020 immediately after the coming into force of S.I. 2020/856, reg. 2) by S.I. 2020/856, regs. 1(3), 5 (with reg. 7))

C8Pt. 6 applied (with modifications) (S.) by S.S.I. 2001/128, reg. 4, Schs. 2, 3 (as amended (26.6.2020) by Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (c. 12), s. 49(1), Sch. 12 para. 7 (with ss. 2(2), 5(2), 14(4)))

C10Pt. 6 applied (with modifications) (8.7.2021) by The Payment and Electronic Money Institution Insolvency Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/716), reg. 2, Sch. 1 para. 3 (with reg. 5) (as amended (4.1.2024) by S.I. 2023/1399, regs. 1(2), 4)

Adjustment of prior transactions (administration and liquidation)E+W+S

238 Transactions at an undervalue (England and Wales).E+W

(1)This section applies in the case of a company where—

[F1(a)the company enters administration,]

(b)the company goes into liquidation;

and “the office-holder” means the administrator or the liquidator, as the case may be.

(2)Where the company has at a relevant time (defined in section 240) entered into a transaction with any person at an undervalue, the office-holder may apply to the court for an order under this section.

(3)Subject as follows, the court shall, on such an application, make such order as it thinks fit for restoring the position to what it would have been if the company had not entered into that transaction.

(4)For the purposes of this section and section 241, a company enters into a transaction with a person at an undervalue if—

(a)the company makes a gift to that person or otherwise enters into a transaction with that person on terms that provide for the company to receive no consideration, or

(b)the company enters into a transaction with that person for a consideration the value of which, in money or money’s worth, is significantly less than the value, in money or money’s worth, of the consideration provided by the company.

(5)The court shall not make an order under this section in respect of a transaction at an undervalue if it is satisfied—

(a)that the company which entered into the transaction did so in good faith and for the purpose of carrying on its business, and

(b)that at the time it did so there were reasonable grounds for believing that the transaction would benefit the company.

Textual Amendments

F1S. 238(1)(a) substituted (15.9.2003) by 2002 c. 40, ss. 248(3), 279, Sch. 17 para. 25 (with s. 249(1)-(3)(6)); S.I. 2003/2093, art. 2(1), Sch. 1 (subject to arts. 3-8 (as amended by S.I. 2003/2332, art. 2))

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C11S. 238 excluded (25.4.1991) by Companies Act 1989 (c. 40), ss. 154, 155, 165(1)(a); S.I. 1991/878, art. 2, Sch. .

C12S. 238 restricted (25.4.1991) by Companies Act 1989 (c. 40), s. 182(4), Sch. 22 para. 8(1)(a); S.I. 1991/878, art. 2, Sch. .

S. 238 restricted (31.3.1996) by 1995 c. 20, s. 110(1), Sch. 4 para. 3(5)(a); S.I. 1996/517, art. 3(2) (subject to transitional provisions and savings in arts. 4-6, Sch. 2) (which amending Act was itself repealed (1.4.1996) by 1995 c. 40, ss. 6(1), 7(2), Sch. 5 (with Sch. 3 paras. 3, 16))

S. 238 restricted (1.4.1996) by 1995 c. 43, ss. 44, 50(2), Sch. 2 para. 3(5)

S. 238 restricted (11.12.1999) by S.I. 1999/2979, reg. 17(1)(a)

S. 238 restricted (24.3.2003) by 2002 c. 29, ss. 427(1)-(5), 458(1)(3); S.I. 2003/333, art. 2, Sch. (subject to arts. 3-13 as amended by S.I. 2003/531)

C13S. 238 applied (with modifications) (4.4.2006) by The Cross-Border Insolvency Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/1030), reg. 2, Sch. 1 Art. 23 paras. 1-3 (subject to Sch. 1 Art. 23 paras. 6-9)

C14S. 238 applied (with modifications) (17.2.2009 for certain purposes, otherwise 21.2.2009) by Banking Act 2009 (c. 1), ss. 103, 263(1)(2) (with s. 247); S.I. 2009/296, arts. 2, 3, Sch. para. 2

C15S. 238 applied (with modifications) (17.2.2009 for certain purposes, otherwise 21.2.2009) by Banking Act 2009 (c. 1), ss. 145, 263(1)(2) (with s. 247); S.I. 2009/296, arts. 2, 3, Sch. para. 3

C17Ss. 238-241 applied (with modifications) (31.1.2019) by Technical and Further Education Act 2017 (c. 19), s. 47(2), Sch. 3; S.I. 2018/1161, reg. 3(c)

C18Ss. 238-241 applied (with modifications) (31.1.2019) by Technical and Further Education Act 2017 (c. 19), s. 47(2), Sch. 4; S.I. 2018/1161, reg. 3(d)

C19S. 238 applied (with modifications) (8.7.2021) by The Payment and Electronic Money Institution Insolvency Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/716), regs. 2, 37 (with reg. 5) (as amended (4.1.2024) by S.I. 2023/1399, regs. 1(2), 4, 11)