Written ByRobert Moore
Marketing Manager
Rob has over a decade of experience in web and general marketing. He has extensive knowledge of the Insolvency sector and has helped many worried directors with their questions.
Rob is now working with the Board at KSA Group Ltd to develop strategic marketing programmes to support the business plan and drive more company rescues.
As a company director, lenders, some suppliers, and landlords may request that you sign a Personal Guarantee (PG). This guarantee acts as security for a company’s liabilities such as debt repayments or rent. By so doing, the creditor will make you personally liable for the debt owed to them in the event the company becomes insolvent. This means that the protection normally given to directors of limited liability companies is taken away, or in more legalease “pierces the corporate veil of protection”
If you have been asked to sign a PG, you should always seek independent legal advice. Terms can vary, and it is not uncommon for the banks to request a legal charge over your home at the same time. It is also worth noting that most banks will keep a PG on file indefinitely, even once the borrowing has been repaid.
In insolvency, we do get asked sometimes what happens with a personal guarantee. It is a stressful time when a business is in difficulty, and people hope for the best but fear the worse. However, the thorny problem of personal guarantees (PGs) does loom up. You simply cannot get out of a personal guarantee. The only way is to either renegotiate the contract so that your lender no longer insists on a PG. If it is called in, then;
If the personal guarantee has been done properly and is legally sound then it is enforceable. However, it can sometimes be the case that documents have been lost or the guarantor didn’t actually realise what they were signing. The latter situation is hard to prove as directors have to hold up to a higher standard than normal consumers signing contract. It is risky to think that personal guarantees are unenforceble as this is rarely the case. Besides do you have the resources to go to court?
If a PG is called upon, the next step can vary. This depends on the creditor, and the amount being called on. The usual routes are:
If a PG is called upon, the first route is to get legal advice to ensure it is valid. If it has not been drawn up and/or executed correctly, it could well be invalid. The second route is to talk to the creditor (if you haven’t already). Legal action can be a lengthy and costly affair, and most creditors would accept a negotiated settlement, as long as there is a strong commercial case for them to do so.
The best way to protect yourself would be to seek professional help prior to the default event, which causes a PG to be called upon. The earlier the professionals get involved, the more tools they have at their disposal to help you. If you have a PG that is being called upon, do remember there is still help at hand, but the available options are somewhat reduced. Talk to us re the personal guarantee issue or Keith Steven re the company’s problems on 0800 9700539.
Some insurers offer personal guarantee insurance, which may go a little way to covering costs should the worst happen. The cost of this insurance will depend on the level of cover or the risk involved. Insurers will also look at cash flow forecasts, any previous defaults in payment and the type of industry the company is in. Often the insurers will cap the liability at 80% of the amount that migh be claimed upon.
As of December 2020 HMRC has moved ahead of floating charge holders in order of creditor priority, such as invoice finance, who incidentally often ask for personal guarantees, in getting paid in insolvency situations. This will mean more claims on PGs against directors by their lenders. Therefore if you think your company could be rescued don’t delay.
A word of warning. A personal guarantee is personal and has nothing to do with the company. A lender may be able to place a charge over your property so that they can recover the debt in the event that you cannot pay.
Also, be aware, that paying creditors, who have a personal guarantee from you, before creditors that do not can be considered as paying a preference . This will mean that in a terminal insolvency event such as liquidation or administration the payments could could be reversed.
The answer is simply, no. Why? because a personal guarantee is not registered on any public document. It is simply a private contract between the parties. Of course, if your personal guarantee is called in and you get into financial difficulty then it will affect your rating. There have been calls for a register of personal guarantees that exists in some jurisdictions in Continental Europe.
Perhaps the most important thing we can do is try and ensure that the guarantee is not called in. I.e. can we find a way to save your business? If the company is not viable and has to go into liquidation, then we can help you talk to whoever has insisted on a guarantee, and try and come to some sort of settlement.
Landlords do often ask for personal guarantees for rent arrears and the liabilities under the lease. It should be remembered that landlords can and do try and call these in. However, if you are building up arrears with the rent, then you must take advice. Lease obligations can be bound in a CVA, and the power of a CVA enables you to vacate premises if necessary. It may be possible to assign the lease to another operator to ensure that you are not on the hook for the remainder of the rent.
Talk to us for more information. You can call and talk to a director anytime on 07833 240747.
What Does Going Into Administration Mean?
Going into administration is when a company becomes insolvent and is put under the control of Licensed Insolvency Practitioners. The directors and the secured lenders can appoint administrators through a court process in order to protect the company and their position as much as possible. Going Into Administration - A Simple Guide Administration is a very powerful process for gaining control when a company has serious cashflow problems, is insolvent and facing serious threats from creditors. The Court may appoint a licensed insolvency practitioner as administrator. This places a moratorium around the company and stops all legal actions.The administration must have a purpose and the Government encourages the use of company rescue mechanisms after administration. The 3 purposes (or objectives) of Administration Rescuing the company as a going concern. (Note: this purpose is to rescue the Company as opposed to rescuing the business undertaken by the Company.)Company rescue as a going concern – this is usually a company voluntary arrangement. The company enters protective administration and is then restructured before entering into a CVA. The CVA would set out proposals for repayment of debts to secured, preferential and unsecured creditors. When the company has its CVA approved by creditors, then the administration process comes to an end after 28 days. Achieving a better result for the company's creditors This is as a whole than would be likely if the company was to be wound up (liquidation) See the differences between Administration and Liquidation. This better result is usually obtained by selling the BUSINESS as a going concern to one or more buyers. The company and the debts are “left behind”. The better result may include securing transfer or employees under TUPE, as well as selling goodwill, intellectual property and assets. Controlling and then selling property/debtors. This is called realising assets. Then the administrator makes a distribution to one or more secured or preferential creditors, in order of creditors priority. Usually the business ceases trading and employees are made redundant.Only if the first two options are deemed unattainable, can the administrator use this third option.Under the administration option, it is possible for the company and its directors (or a creditor like the bank) to apply to the court to put the company into administration through a streamlined process.However, the law requires that any finance provider (like a bank or lender), with the appropriate security, is contacted and the aims of the administration be discussed and approved. The finance provider must have a fixed and floating charge (usually under a debenture) and the charge holder will need to give permission for the process to go ahead. Five days clear notice is required. Be aware, though, that a secured lender can appoint administrators over a company without notice if it thinks its money is at risk. So communication with the secured lender is essential. How long does going into administration last? It depends very much on the circumstances. The administrators take on the employment contracts of the company after 14 days so it is desirable that the business is sold out of administration before that date. The insolvency practitioners are not allowed to run the business at a loss and so making the creditors position worse off. If there are large amounts of money to collect in or substantial realiseable assets then they may trade for longer periods. During this time they will need to report to the creditors at regular intervals.Who gets paid first if a business goes into administration? What is a pre-pack administration or administration pre-pack sale? The pre packaged administration sale used to be a very popular method of rescuing a business. However, there has been much media coverage of creditors' dismay at seeing their "debt dumped" by a former customer. In response there is now much increased regulation. How does it work? The company prepares itself to enter administration and sell its assets to a new company ("newco") or to an existing 3rd party company. This is a very powerful, far reaching process that can protect the BUSINESS and be a form of business rescue, however usually the old company (oldco) is liquidated afterwards. See our guide on Pre Pack Administration for more information. Alternatively call Keith Steven on 07974 086779 to discuss how a pre-pack administration may or may not work for your company? Alternatives to Administration As the principal purpose of administration is to rescue the business, the main alternatives are: Refinancing The shareholders, wanting to protect their investment, might be persuaded to provide further loans, equity or investment to the company to avoid administration, or new lending/refinancing/debt products may be required. Of course, raising new capital in the current markets may be extremely difficult, especially if the business cannot, over time, be returned to profitability and without fundamental changes. A Company Voluntary Arrangement A company voluntary arrangement or CVA for short is a legally binding agreement with your company’s creditors which allows a proportion of its preferential (HMRC) and unsecured debts to be paid back over time.The CVA period can be 6 months to 5-6 years. Once prepared the CVA proposal is put to all creditors and 75% of the preferential and unsecured creditors, by value, must vote in favour to ensure a successful approval of this voluntary scheme. It is hugely powerful too, for restructuring costs, reducing employment numbers, reducing overhead costs and improving cashflow. Once the proposal has been approved then all HMRC and unsecured creditors are bound by the arrangement. The company can carry on trading as usual, and the directors remain in control. Shareholders are not diluted and do not lose ownership. CVA can be a powerful alternative to administration and the process leaves the directors in control. Got questions on administration versus CVA and how each may work for your business? Speak to us free of charge now 0800 9700539 What is administration followed by CVA? Basically the company enters administration to get protection from creditors. The administrator then works with the company's directors to produce his/her administration proposals. Once these are accepted the administrator hands control back to the company's board using a CVA. This is powerful tool despite the fact that it is expensive and directors are not in control during the administration period. If you want to read more about the process then please see this page hereGot questions? For answers to all these questions read our guides or call us now on 08009700539. Our trained, high quality advisors will help you.
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What is Receivership?
Understanding Receivership: Receivership, also known as administrative receivership, is a legally sanctioned procedure where an entity, typically a lender like a bank, appoints a receiver. The primary role of this receiver is to "receive" and liquidate the company's assets, if necessary, to repay the lender. This process is particularly beneficial to creditors as it aids in the recovery of defaulted funds, potentially preventing the company from facing liquidation The introduction of a receivership simplifies the lender's task of securing owed funds in cases of borrower default.Receivership should not be confused with administration and a receiver can only be appointed by a holder of a qualifying floating charge created before September 2003. Changes to this procedure were brought in by The Enterprise Act 2002 which promoted company rescue and saving struggling businesses. Why would a company go into receivership?The company requires finance for its activities and borrows from a bank (or other secured lender). In consideration for providing the loan, the bank requires security. Normally the company will sign a debenture with a fixed and floating charge. This offers the bank security over the assets of the company. If the terms of the agreement are breached or the company does not conform to the bank's wishes, the charge holder can:Appoint investigating accountants to ascertain how secure or not the bank's debt is and determine the best route forward (not always receivership). Demand formal repayment of the loans without notice. Appoint a receiver to administer and receive the company's assets.The receiver has a duty to collect the bank's debts only,they are not generally concerned with the other unsecured creditors or shareholders' exposure.Receivership - A typical appointment: Having borrowed against a business plan that has not worked, a company finds that it is suffering cashflow problems. In an effort to survive, the company reports its problems to the bank and the bank asks for more information on the problems the company faces. Struggling with the problems of firefighting, the directors find it difficult to produce the information. Often the accountancy and reporting systems are not robust and a lot of time is needed to work out where the company is going, what the depth of the problems is and the necessary reporting to the bank is delayed.As time goes by, the company's overdraft is constantly at its limit, because monies don't come in fast enough from customers. Clearly this should set alarm bells ringing at the company - it most certainly does at the bank. They call this ceiling borrowing, and take it as a sign that the directors are losing control. When this happens the bank will review the account and will typically take some or all of the following steps: What the Bank will doThe bank will ask for a reduction in its exposure. It will ask for increased security from the directors or shareholders. Usually this takes the form of personal guarantees to support the security that the company has given through the debenture. It may ask for new capital to be introduced by the shareholders. Problem is though, occasionally, this only has the effect of reducing the bank exposure as the bank takes this cash to reduce the borrowing. It can ask for a new business plan from the directors, along with regular reporting. It may ask for the company to consider receivables finance (factoring) to remove its borrowing and move to a factor. Often the bank's own factoring company. If they are still not satisfied that the directors are in control and if the bank is concerned about its exposure it will ask for investigating accountants (or reporting accountants) to look at the business. Normally this is a large firm of accountants who send an insolvency practitioner (IP) into the business to ascertain:Is the business viable? Is the company stable? Does it have a long term future if the present difficulties can be overcome? Is the bank's exposure sufficiently covered in the event of a failure? In this report the IP calculates what the assets of the business are worth on a going-concern basis and in a forced sale scenario (or closure basis). Investigating accountants often recommend that the bank sticks with the business, but that the bank should limit any further borrowing to the fully secured variety - in other words the directors must secure it personally against property for example. If the IP thinks that the company is in serious risk of failure and that the banks may lose money in that event, he/she will usually recommend to the bank that they appoint a receiver or administrator. Usually the bank (bizarrely) requires the directors to "request the bank to appoint a receiver". This is face-saving, and designed to deflect criticism from the bank to the directors.At Company Rescue, we believe that it is wrong that the insolvency practitioner that carries out the investigation could also be the receiver - We think it is essential that his/her role as investigating accountant is limited to just that. However, fortunately most banks now agree that this is not a good approach. Once they are appointed what is the receiver's role and powers?A receiver will quickly ascertain what the prospects for business are and decide whether to sell some or all of the assets, the business as a whole, or to continue to trade whilst a better deal can be achieved. Because of the rules and case law, he may wish to get rid of the assets and staff as soon as possible. (They will have to adopt employment contracts 14 days after the appointment). They may remove directors and employees without impunity. They ultimately decides the way forward and will (often) not take advice from the directors. They must pay the preferential debts (employees claims for arrears of pay and holiday pay) first from any floating charge collections. If a deal is to be done with directors the receiver must first advertise the business and its assets for sale. They must conform to the tight rules and regulations governing receivership and report to the DBEIS. A receiver must investigate the conduct of the directors of the business and file a report with the DBEIS.Disadvantages of Receivership The company is rarely saved in its existing form. Its assets will be subject to "meltdown" ( most people know that in receivership or liquidation assets are sold at a knock down price), often jobs and economic activity are lost.The directors will typically lose their employment and any monies the company is due to them, and the company may cease to trade. In addition the director's conduct is investigated.From the creditors' perspective, it is unlikely that any unsecured creditors will receive any of their money back and often they lose a valuable customer. Clearly the cost of receivership can be very high and the bank has to underwrite the receiver's costs. Advantages of receivership The bank can take control where directors have maybe lost control. The receiver also has power to act to save the business quickly. The bank can ensure that its exposure is (at least) not increased and hopefully recover all of its money. For directors, the advantages are that it mitigates the risk of wrongful trading and may crystallise a very difficult position allowing them to get on with their lives.Preferential creditors may see their debts repaid by the receiver.Still got questions? Click here for Receivership FAQs. If there are still unanswered questions contact us by email or call 08009700539.If your business is in trouble and the relationship with the bank is breaking down, we suggest that you look carefully at the guides in this site. Receivership may be an option. Work out the viability of the business - can you trim costs? Work out the problems, set out the position and have a meeting of directors. Decide if the business can continue but needs to be restructured or if just not viable then consider administration or if the company's lenders have a debenture pre-dating 2003 then receivership.Please call us on 020 7887 2667 (London) or 08009700539 to talk to an expert turnaround advisor if you would like to talk through your company's options.
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My Business is failing – What Are The Options?
The most common causes of business failure are; Poor financial management
Extending too much credit, struggling to collect on outstanding invoices, unexpected costs, sudden change in business environment and ineffective marketing.