Deeds of Arrangement Act (Cap 84)

1. Short title

2. Interpretation

3. Deeds of arrangement to which this Act applies PART II AVOIDANCE OF DEEDS OF ARRANGEMENT WHERE STATUTORY CONDITIONS NOT COMPLIED WITH

4. Avoidance of unregistered deeds of arrangement

5. Avoidance of deeds of arrangement unless assented to by a majority of creditors PART III REGISTRATION OF DEEDS OF ARRANGEMENT

6. Mode of registration

7. Form of register

8. Rectification of register

9. Time for registration

10. Inspection of register and registered deeds PART IV PROVISIONS AS TO TRUSTEES

11. Security by trustee

12. Penalty on trustee acting when deed of arrangement void

13. Transmission of accounts to official receiver

14. Transmission of accounts to creditors

15. Audit of accounts

16. Payment of undistributed moneys into court

17. Preferential payment to creditor an offence Section

18. Power to High Court to appoint new trustee

19. Protection of trustees under void deeds

20. Notice to creditors of avoidance of deed

21. Payment of expenses incurred by trustees

22. Application of Part IV PART V GENERAL

23. Courts in which applications for enforcement of trusts to be made

24. Relation to bankruptcy law

25. Office copies

26. Prescribed fees

27. Rules

28. Affidavits

29. Repeal and savings CHAPTER 93 DEEDS OF ARRANGEMENT 58of 1968 13of 1994 An Act to make provision for and to regulate deeds of arrangement made in respect of the affairs of a debtor otherwise than in pursuance of the law relating to bankruptcy; and to provide for matters connected with the foregoing. [3rd January, 1969] PART I PRELIMINARY

1. This Act may be cited as the Deeds of Arrangement Act. Short title

2. (1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires- Interpretation "creditors generally" includes all creditors who may assent to, or take the benefit of, a deed of arrangement; "official receiver" means the official receiver appointed under the Cap. 82 Bankruptcy Act; "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act; "property" includes money, goods, things in action, land and every description of property whether real or personal and whether situate in Zambia or elsewhere; and also obligations, easements, and every description of estate, interest and profit, present or future, vested or contingent, arising out of or incidental to property as above defined; "registrar" means the registrar appointed under the Lands and Deeds Cap. 185 Registry Act; "rules" includes forms. (2) For the purpose of determining the number of creditors for whose benefit a deed is made, any two or more joint creditors shall be treated as a single creditor.

3. (1) A. deed of arrangement to which this Act applies shall include Deeds of any instrument of the classes hereinafter mentioned whether under seal arrangement to or not- which this Act applies (a) made by, for or in respect of the affairs of a debtor for the benefit of his creditors generally; (b) made by, for or in respect of the affairs of a debtor who was insolvent at the date of the execution of the instrument for the benefit of any three or more of his creditors; otherwise than in pursuance of the law for the time being in force relating to bankruptcy. (2) The classes of instrument hereinbefore referred to are- (a) an assignment of property; (b) a deed of or agreement for a composition; and (c) in cases where creditors of the debtor obtain any control over his property or business- (i) a deed of inspectorship entered into for the purpose of carrying on or winding up a business; (ii) a letter of licence authorising the debtor or any other person to manage, carry on, realise or dispose of a business with a view to the payment of debts; and (iii) any agreement or instrument entered into for the purpose of carrying on or winding up the debtor's business, or authorising the debtor or any other person to manage, carry on, realise or dispose of the debtor's business with a view to the payment of his debts. PART II AVOIDANCE OF DEEDS OF ARRANGEMENT WHERE STATUTORY CONDITIONS NOT COMPLIED WITH

4. A deed of arrangement shall be void unless it is registered with Avoidance of the registrar within ninety clear days after the first execution thereof by unregistered the debtor or any creditor, or if it is executed in any place out of deeds of Zambia, then within ninety clear days after the time at which it would, arrangement in the ordinary course of post, arrive in Zambia, if posted within one week after the execution thereof, and unless it is duly stamped with the proper stamp duty.

5. (1) A deed of arrangement which either is expressed to be or is in Avoidance of fact for the benefit of a debtor's creditors generally, shall be void deeds of unless, before or within six weeks after the registration thereof, or arrangement within such extended time as the High Court may allow, it has received unless assented to the assent of a majority in number and value of the creditors of the by a majority of debtor. creditors (2) The list of creditors annexed to the affidavit of the debtor filed on the registration of the deed of arrangement shall be prima facie evidence of the names of the creditors and the amounts of their claims. (3) The assent of a creditor for the purposes of subsection (1) shall be established by his executing the deed of arrangement or sending to the trustee his assent in writing attested by a witness, but not otherwise. (4) The trustee shall file with the registrar at the time of the registration of a deed of arrangement, or, in the case of a deed of arrangement attested to after registration, within eight weeks after registration or within such extended time as the High Court may allow, a statutory declaration by the trustee that the requisite majority of the creditors of the debtor have assented to the deed of arrangement, which declaration shall, in favour of a purchaser for value, be conclusive evidence, and, in other cases, be prima facie evidence, of the fact declared. (5) In calculating a majority of creditors for the purposes of this section, a creditor holding security upon the property of the debtor shall be reckoned as a creditor only in respect of the balance (if any) due to him after deducting the value of such security, and creditors whose debts amount to sums not exceeding one hundred kwacha shall be reckoned in the majority in value, but not in the majority in number. PART III REGISTRATION OF DEEDS OF ARRANGEMENT

6. (1) The registration of a deed of arrangement under this Act shall be effected in the following manner: A true copy of the deed, and of every schedule or inventory thereto Mode of registration annexed, or therein referred to, shall be presented to and filed with the registrar within ninety clear days after the execution of the deed, together with an affidavit verifying the time of execution and containing particulars of the residential and postal addresses and occupation of the debtor, and of the place or places where his business is carried on, and the name or names under which he carries on such business, and an affidavit by the debtor stating the total estimated amount of property and liabilities included under the deed, the total amount of the composition (if any) payable thereunder and the names and addresses of his creditors. (2) No deed shall be registered under this Act unless the original of the deed, duly stamped with the proper stamp duty, is produced to the registrar at the time of such registration.

7. The registrar shall keep a register wherein shall be entered, as Form of register soon as conveniently may be after the presentation of a deed for registration, an abstract of the contents of every deed of arrangement registered under this Act, containing the following and any other prescribed particulars: (a) the date of the deed; (b) the name, residential and postal addresses and occupation of the debtor, and the place or places where his business was carried on at the date of the execution of the deed, and the name or names under which the debtor carried on business, and the name and postal address of the trustee (if any) under the deed; (c) a short statement of the nature and effect of the deed, and of the composition in the kwacha payable thereunder; (d) the date of registration; and (e) the amount of property and liabilities included under the deed, as estimated by the debtor.

8. The High Court, upon being satisfied that the omission to register Rectification of a deed of arrangement within the time required by this Act or that the register omission or misstatement of the name, residential or postal addresses, occupation or business name and address of any person was accidental, or was due to inadvertence, or to some cause beyond the control of the debtor and not imputable to any negligence on his part, may, on the application of any party interested, and on such terms and conditions as are just and expedient, extend the time for registration, or order the omission or misstatement to be supplied or rectified by the insertion in the register of the true name, residential and postal addresses, occupation and business name and address.

9. Where the time for registering a deed of arrangement expires on a Time for Sunday, or other day on which the registration office is closed, the registration registration shall be valid if made on the next following day on which the office is open.

10. Any person shall be entitled, at all reasonable times, to search Inspection of the register on payment of such fee as may be prescribed, and subject to register and such regulations as may be prescribed, and shall be entitled, at all registered deeds reasonable times, to inspect, examine, and make extracts from any registered deed of arrangement, without being required to make a written application or to specify any particulars in reference thereto, upon payment of such fee as may be prescribed: Provided that the extracts shall be limited to the dates of execution and of registration, the names, addresses, and occupations of the debtor and of the parties to the deed, the business name and address of the debtor, a short statement of the nature and effect of the deed, and any other prescribed particulars. PART IV PROVISIONS AS TO TRUSTEES

11. (1) The trustee under a deed of arrangement shall, within seven Security by days from the date on which the statutory declaration certifying the trustee assent of the creditors is filed, give security in the prescribed manner to the Registrar of the High Court in a sum equal to the estimated assets available for distribution amongst the unsecured creditors as shown by the affidavit filed on registration, to administer the deed properly and account fully for the assets which come to his hands, unless a majority in number and value of the debtor's creditors, either by resolution passed at a meeting convened by notice to all the creditors, or by writing addressed to the trustee, dispense with his giving such security: Provided that, when such a dispensation has been so given, the trustee shall forthwith make and file with the registrar a statutory declaration to that effect, which declaration shall, in favour of a purchaser for value, be conclusive evidence, and in other cases, be prima facie evidence, of the facts declared. (2) If a trustee under a deed of arrangement fails to comply with the requirements of this section, the High Court, on the application of any creditor and after hearing such persons as it may think fit, may declare the deed of arrangement to be void, or may make an order appointing another trustee in the place of the trustee appointed by the deed of arrangement. (3) A certificate that the security required by this section has been given by a trustee, signed by the Registrar of the High Court and filed with the registrar, shall be conclusive evidence of the fact. (4) All moneys received by a trustee under a deed of arrangement shall be banked by him to an account to be opened in the name of the debtor's estate. (5) In calculating a majority of creditors for the purposes of this section, a creditor holding security upon the property of the debtor shall be reckoned as a creditor only in respect of the balance (if any) due to him after deducting the value of such security, and creditors whose debts amount to sums not exceeding one hundred kwacha shall be reckoned in the majority in value but not in the majority in number.

12. If a trustee acts under a deed of arrangement- Penalty on trustee (a) after it has to his knowledge become void by reason of acting when deed non-compliance with any of the requirements of this Act or any of arrangement enactment repealed by this Act; or void (b) after he has failed to give security within the time and in the manner provided for by this Act or any enactment repealed by this Act; he shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding fifteen penalty units for every day between the date on which the deed became void or the expiration of the time within which security should have been given, as the case may be, and the last day on which he is proved to have acted as trustee, unless he satisfies the court that his contravention of the law was due to inadvertence, or that his action had been confined to taking such steps as were necessary for the protection of the estate. (As amended by Act No. 13 of 1994)

13. (1) Every trustee under a deed of arrangement shall, at such Transmission of times as may be prescribed, or as he directs, transmit to the official accounts to receiver, an account of his receipts and payments as trustee, in the official receiver prescribed form and verified in the prescribed manner. (2) If any trustee fails to transmit such account, he shall be liable on Cap. 82 conviction to a fine not exceeding fifteen penalty units for each day during which the default continues, and a Judge of the High Court may, for the purposes of enforcing the provisions of subsection (1), exercise, on the application of the official receiver, all the powers conferred on the court by the Bankruptcy Act in cases of bankruptcy. (3) The accounts transmitted to the official receiver in pursuance of this section shall be open to inspection by the debtor or any creditor or other person interested, on payment of the prescribed fee, and copies of or extracts from the accounts shall, on payment of the prescribed fee, be furnished to the debtor, the creditors, or any other interested persons. (4) In this section, "trustee" shall include any person appointed to Cap. 82 distribute a composition or to act in any fiduciary capacity under any deed of arrangement, and "prescribed" means prescribed by rules under the Bankruptcy Act. (As amended by Act No. 13 of 1994)

14. Every trustee under a deed of arrangement shall, at the Transmission of expiration of six months from the date of the registration of the deed, accounts to and thereafter at the expiration of every subsequent period of six creditors months until the estate has been finally wound up, send to each creditor Cap. 82 who has assented to the deed a statement in the prescribed form of the trustee's accounts and of the proceedings under the deed down to the date of the statement, and shall, in his affidavit verifying his accounts transmitted to the official receiver, state whether or not he has duly sent such statements, and the dates on which the statements were sent; and, if a trustee fails to comply with any of the provisions of this section, the High Court may, for the purpose of enforcing those provisions, exercise, on the application of the official receiver, all the powers conferred on the court by subsection (3) of section ninety-eight of the Bankruptcy Act in cases of bankruptcy.

15. (1) Where, in the course of administration of the estate of a Audit of accounts debtor who has executed a deed of arrangement, or within twelve Cap. 82 months from the date when the final accounts of the estate were rendered to the official receiver, an application in writing is made to the official receiver by a majority in number and value of the creditors who have assented to the deed for an official audit of the trustee's accounts, the official receiver may cause the trustee's accounts to be audited, and in such case all the provisions of theBankruptcy Act relating to the institution and enforcement of an audit of the accounts of a trustee in bankruptcy (including the provisions as to fees) shall, with necessary modifications, apply to the audit of the trustee's accounts, and the official receiver shall have power on the audit to require production of a certificate for the taxed costs of any legal practitioner whose costs have been paid or charged by the trustee, and to disallow the whole or any part of any costs in respect of which no certificate is produced. (2) The official receiver may determine how and by what parties the costs, charges and expenses of and incidental to the audit (including any prescribed fees chargeable in respect thereof) are to be borne, whether by the applicants or by the trustee or out of the estate, and may, before granting an application for an audit, require the applicants to give security for the costs of the audit.

16. At any time after the expiration of two years from the date of the Payment of registration of a deed of arrangement, the High Court may, on the undistributed application of the trustee or a creditor, or on the application of the moneys into debtor, order that all moneys representing unclaimed dividends and court undistributed funds then in the hands of the trustee or under his control be paid into court.

17. If a trustee under a deed of arrangement pays to any creditor out Preferential of the debtor's property a sum larger in proportion to the creditor's payment to claim than that paid to other creditors entitled to the benefit of the deed, creditor an then, unless the deed authorises him to do so, or unless such payments offence are either made to a creditor entitled to enforce his claim by distress or are such as would be lawful in a bankruptcy, he shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding three thousand penalty units or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding twelve months, or to both. (As amended by Act No. 13 of 1994)

18. (1) The High Court may, whenever it is expedient to appoint a Power to High new trustee under a deed of arrangement and it is inexpedient or Court to appoint impracticable so to do without the assistance of the court, make an new trustee order for the appointment of such new trustee; and, in particular and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provision, the court may make an order for the appointment of a new trustee in substitution for a trustee who is convicted of felony, or is a mentally disordered person, or a defective, or is a bankrupt, or is a corporation which is in liquidation or has been dissolved., (2) An order under this section, and any consequential vesting order or conveyance, shall not operate further or otherwise as a discharge to any former trustee than an appointment of a new trustee under any power for that purpose contained in any deed of arrangement would have operated.

19. (1) Where a deed of arrangement is void by reason that the Protection of requisite majority of creditors has not assented thereto, or, in the case trustees under of a deed for the benefit of three or more creditors, by reason that the void deeds debtor was insolvent at the time of the execution of the deed and that the deed was not registered as required by this Act, but is not void for any other reason, and a receiving order is made against the debtor upon a petition presented after the lapse of three months from the execution of the deed, the trustee under the deed shall not be liable to account to the trustee in the bankruptcy for any dealings with or payments made out of the debtor's property which would have been proper if the deed had been valid, if he proves that at the time of such dealings or payments he did not know, and had no reason to suspect, that the deed was void. (2) Where a receiving order is made in lieu of commital against a Cap. 82 debtor under the Bankruptcy Act, this section shall apply if the receiving order was made after the lapse of three months from the execution of the deed.

20. When a deed of arrangement is void by virtue of this Act for any Notice to reason other than that, being for the benefit of creditors generally, it has creditors of not been registered within the time allowed for the purpose by this Act, avoidance of the trustee shall, as soon as practicable after he has become aware that deed the deed is void, give notice in writing thereof to each creditor whose name and address he knows, and file a copy of the notice with the registrar, and, if he fails to do so, he shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding six hundred penalty units. (As amended by Act No. 13 of 1994)

21. Where a deed of arrangement is avoided by reason of the Payment of bankruptcy of the debtor, any expenses properly incurred by the trustee expenses incurred under the deed in the performance of any of the duties imposed on him by trustees by this Act shall be allowed or paid him by the trustee in the bankruptcy as a first charge on the estate.

22. The provisions of this Part, except such of those provisions- Application of (a) as relate to the transmission of accounts to the official receiver; Part IV (b) as provide for the protection of trustees under void deeds; (c) as require a notice to be given to creditors of avoidance of deeds; (d) as provide for the payment of expenses incurred by trustees; shall not apply to a deed of arrangement made for the benefit of any three or more of the debtor's creditors unless it is in fact for the benefit of the debtor's creditors generally. PART V GENERAL

23. Any application by the trustee under a deed of arrangement, Courts in which which either is expressed to be or is in fact for the benefit of the applications for debtor's creditors generally, or by the debtor or by any creditor entitled enforcement of to the benefit of such a deed of arrangement, for the enforcement of the trusts to be made trusts or the determination of questions under it, shall be made to the High Court.

24. (1) If the trustee under a deed of arrangement, which either is Relation to expressed to be or is in fact for the benefit of the debtors' creditors bankruptcy law generally, serves in the prescribed manner on any creditor of the debtor notice in writing of the execution of the deed and of the filing of the statutory declaration certifying the creditors' assents with an intimation that the creditor will not, after the expiration of one month from the service of the notice, be entitled to present a bankruptcy petition against the debtor founded on the execution of the deed or on any other act committed by him in the course or for the purpose of the proceedings preliminary to the execution of the deed as an act of bankruptcy, that creditor shall not, after the expiration of that period, unless the deed becomes void, be entitled to present a bankruptcy petition against the debtor founded on the execution of the deed or any act so committed by him as an act of bankruptcy. (2) Where such a deed of arrangement as aforesaid has become void by virtue of this Act or any enactment repealed by this Act, the fact that a creditor has assented to the deed shall not disentitle him to present a bankruptcy petition founded on the execution of the deed of arrangement as an act of bankruptcy. (3) Save as otherwise expressly provided by this Act, nothing in this Act shall be construed as repealing or shall affect any provision of the law for the time being in force in relation to bankruptcy or shall give validity to any deed or instrument which by law is an act of bankruptcy or void or voidable.

25. Subject to the provisions of this Act and to any rules made Office copies thereunder, any person shall be entitled to have an office copy of, or extract from, any deed registered under this Act, upon paying for it at the like rate as for office copies of judgments of the High Court, and any copy or extract purporting to be an office copy or extract shall, in all courts and before all arbitrators or other persons, be admitted as prima facie evidence thereof, and of the fact and date of registration as shown thereon.

26. There shall be taken, in respect of the registration of deeds of Prescribed fees arrangement, and in respect of any copies or extracts or official searches made by the registrar, such fees as may be from time to time prescribed; and nothing in this Act contained shall make it obligatory on the registrar to do, or permit to be done, any act in respect of which any fee is specified or prescribed, except on payment of such fee.

27. The Attorney-General may, from time to time, by statutory Rules instrument, make rules for carrying into effect the objects of this Act, and may, from time to time, alter, amend, or revoke all or any of such rules.

28. An affidavit required by or for the purpose of this Act may be Affidavits sworn before any person before whom such an affidavit may under any law for the time being in force, be sworn.

29. (1) The Deeds of Arrangement Act, 1914, of the United Repeal and Kingdom (hereinafter referred to as "the Act of 1914") shall cease to savings apply in Zambia as part of the law thereof, and the Interpretation and Cap. 2 General Provisions Act shall apply in relation to this subsection as if the Act of 1914 had been hereby repealed. (2) This Act shall apply to proceedings commenced under the Act of 1914 and pending at the commencement of this Act, as if such proceedings had been commenced under this Act. (3) Until revoked or altered under this Act, rules made under the Act of 1914, and in force at the commencement of this Act, shall continue in force, and shall have effect as if made under this Act. (4) The provisions of this Act shall apply to and in respect of a deed of arrangement executed before the commencement of this Act if and so far as the corresponding provisions of the Act of 1914 would have applied to or in respect of such deed had this Act not been enacted.