Part 5Civil recovery of the proceeds etc. of unlawful conduct
Chapter 2Civil recovery in the High Court or Court of Session
Interim receiving orders (England and Wales and Northern Ireland)
246 Application for interim receiving order
(1)
Where the enforcement authority may take proceedings for a recovery order in the High Court, the authority may apply to the court for an interim receiving order (whether before or after starting the proceedings).
(2)
An interim receiving order is an order for—
(a)
the detention, custody or preservation of property, and
(b)
the appointment of an interim receiver.
(3)
An application for an interim receiving order may be made without notice if the circumstances are such that notice of the application would prejudice any right of the enforcement authority to obtain a recovery order in respect of any property.
(4)
The court may make an interim receiving order on the application if it is satisfied that the conditions in subsections (5) and, where applicable, (6) are met.
(5)
The first condition is that there is a good arguable case—
(a)
that the property to which the application for the order relates is or includes recoverable property, and
(b)
that, if any of it is not recoverable property, it is associated property.
(6)
The second condition is that, if—
(a)
the property to which the application for the order relates includes property alleged to be associated property, and
(b)
the enforcement authority has not established the identity of the person who holds it,
the authority has taken all reasonable steps to do so.
(7)
In its application for an interim receiving order, the enforcement authority must nominate a suitably qualified person for appointment as interim receiver, but the nominee may not be a member of the staff of the F1enforcement authority .
(8)
The extent of the power to make an interim receiving order is not limited by sections 247 to 255.
247 Functions of interim receiver
(1)
An interim receiving order may authorise or require the interim receiver—
(a)
to exercise any of the powers mentioned in Schedule 6,
(b)
to take any other steps the court thinks appropriate,
for the purpose of securing the detention, custody or preservation of the property to which the order applies or of taking any steps under subsection (2).
(2)
An interim receiving order must require the interim receiver to take any steps which the court thinks necessary to establish—
(a)
whether or not the property to which the order applies is recoverable property or associated property,
(b)
whether or not any other property is recoverable property (in relation to the same unlawful conduct) and, if it is, who holds it.
(3)
If—
(a)
the interim receiver deals with any property which is not property to which the order applies, and
(b)
at the time he deals with the property he believes on reasonable grounds that he is entitled to do so in pursuance of the order,
the interim receiver is not liable to any person in respect of any loss or damage resulting from his dealing with the property except so far as the loss or damage is caused by his negligence.