Debtor’s home and other heritable property
Section 19 – Debtor’s home and other heritable property
73.Subsection (1) amends section 32 of the 1985 Act by inserting new subsections (9A) and (9B) into that section. Subsection (9A) provides that, when a trustee gives heritable property back to a debtor, written notification by the trustee is evidence that the debtor is now the owner of the property. Subsection (9B) provides that the trustee must register the notice of abandonment in the Register of Inhibitions. This ensures that anyone dealing with the debtor can see from a search of that register that the debtor is the owner. A search of that register would reveal the existence of the sequestration and without evidence of the notice of abandonment it would appear to a searcher that the property was still owned by the trustee for the creditors in the sequestration. The form of the notice will be prescribed by the Scottish Ministers.
74.Subsection (2) inserts new section 39A into the 1985 Act.
New section 39A – Debtor’s home ceasing to form part of sequestrated estate
75.Section 39A provides for the ownership or other right in a debtor’s family home, which is part of the sequestrated estate, to be returned to the debtor if the trustee has not taken any action in relation to that property within 3 years of the date of sequestration. If the trustee discovers the interest in the property at a later date, the 3-year period runs from the date the trustee became aware of the property.
76.Subsection (3) of section 39A lists the types of action the trustee may take which would prevent the home being returned to the debtor. The Scottish Ministers may modify that list by regulations.
77.Subsection (8) of section 39A gives the Scottish Ministers power to make regulations setting out circumstances in which the 3-year period may be shortened or where section 39A will not apply or where the sheriff may decide that the section does not apply. The regulations can also make provision for compensation. These regulations are subject to negative resolution procedure.
