Information as to Mortgages, Charges, &c.
93Registration of mortgages and charges in England and Ireland.
(1)Every mortgage or charge created after the first day of July nineteen hundred and eight by a company registered in England or Ireland and being either—
(a)a mortgage or charge for the purpose of securing any issue of debentures ; or
(b)a mortgage or charge on uncalled share capital of the company; or
(c)a mortgage or charge created or evidenced by an instrument which, if executed by an individual, would require registration as a bill of sale ; or
(d)a mortgage or charge on any land, wherever situate, or any interest therein ; or
(e)a mortgage or charge on any book debts of the company; or
(f)a floating charge on the undertaking or property of the company,
shall, so far as any security on the company's property or undertaking is thereby conferred, be void against the liquidator and any creditor of the company, unless the prescribed particulars of the mortgage or charge, together with the instrument (if any) by which the mortgage or charge is created or evidenced, are delivered to or received by the registrar of companies for registration in manner required by this Act within twenty-one days after the date of its creation, but without prejudice to any contract or obligation for repayment of the money thereby secured, and when a mortgage or charge becomes void under this section the money secured thereby shall immediately become payable :
Provided that—
(i)in the case of a mortgage or charge created out of the United Kingdom comprising solely property situate outside the United Kingdom, the delivery to and the receipt by the registrar of a copy of the instrument by which the mortgage or charge is created or evidenced, verified in the prescribed manner, shall have the same effect for the purposes of this section as the delivery and receipt of the instrument itself, and twenty-one days after the date on which the instrument or copy could, in due course of post, and if despatched with due diligence, have been received in the United Kingdom, shall be substituted for twenty-one days after the date of the creation of the mortgage or charge, as the time within which the particulars and instrument or copy are to be delivered to the registrar ; and
(ii)where the mortgage or charge is created in the United Kingdom but comprises property outside the United Kingdom, the instrument creating or purporting to create the mortgage or charge may be sent for registration notwithstanding that further proceedings may be necessary to make the mortgage or charge valid or effectual according to the law of the country in which the property is situate ; and
(iii)where a negotiable instrument has been given to secure the payment of any book debts of a company, the deposit of the instrument for the purpose of securing an advance to the company shall not for the purposes of this section be treated as a mortgage or charge on those book debts ; and
(iv)the holding of debentures entitling the holder to a charge on land shall not be deemed to be an interest in land.
(2)The registrar shall keep, with respect to each company, a register in the prescribed form of all the mortgages and charges created by the company after the first day of July nineteen hundred and eight and requiring registration under this section, and shall, on payment of the prescribed fee, enter in the register, with respect to every such mortgage or charge, the date of creation, the amount secured by it, short particulars of the property mortgaged or charged, and the names of the mortgagees or persons entitled to the charge.
(3)Where a series of debentures containing, or giving by reference to any other instrument, any charge to the benefit of which the debenture holders of that series are entitled pari passu is created by a company, it shall be sufficient if there are delivered to or received by the registrar within twenty-one days after the execution of the deed containing the charge or, if there is no such deed, after the execution of any debentures of the series, the following particulars :—
(a)the total amount secured by the whole series ; and
(b)the dates of the resolutions authorising the issue of the series and the date of the covering deed, if any, by which the security is created or defined ; and
(c)a general description of the property charged ; and
(d)the names of the trustees, if any, for the debenture holders ;
together with the deed containing the charge, or, if there is no such deed, one of the debentures of the series, and the registrar shall, on payment of the prescribed fee, enter those particulars in the register:
Provided that, where more than one issue is made of debentures in the series, there shall be sent to the registrar for entry in the register particulars of the date and amount of each issue, but an omission to do this shall not affect the validity of the debentures issued.
(4)Where any commission, allowance, or discount has been paid or made either directly or indirectly by the company to any person in consideration of his subscribing or agreeing to subscribe, whether absolutely or conditionally, for any debentures of the company, or procuring or agreeing to procure subscriptions, whether absolute or conditional, for any such debentures, the particulars required to be sent for registration under this section shall include particulars as to the amount or rate per cent. of the commission, discount, or allowance so paid or made, but an omission to do this shall not affect the validity of the debentures issued :
Provided that the deposit of any debentures as security for any debt of the company shall not for the purposes of this provision be treated as the issue of the debentures at a discount.
(5)The registrar shall give a certificate under his hand of the registration of any mortgage or charge registered in pursuance of this section, stating the amount thereby secured, and the certificate shall be conclusive evidence that the requirements of this section as to registration have been complied with.
(6)The company shall cause a copy of every certificate of registration given under this section to be endorsed on every debenture or certificate of debenture stock which is issued by the company, and the payment of which is secured by the mortgage or charge so registered :
Provided that nothing in this subsection shall be construed as requiring a company to cause a certificate of registration of any mortgage or charge so given to be endorsed on any debenture or certificate of debenture stock which has been issued by the company before the mortgage or charge was created.
(7)It shall be the duty of the company to send to the registrar for registration the particulars of every mortgage or charge created by the company and of the issues of debentures of a series, requiring registration under this section, but registration of any such mortgage or charge may be effected On the application of any person interested therein.
Where the registration is effected on the application of some person other than the company, that person shall be entitled to recover from the company the amount of any fees properly paid by him to the registrar on the registration.
(8)The register kept in pursuance of this section shall be open to inspection by any person on payment of the prescribed fee, not exceeding one shilling for each inspection.
(9)Every company shall cause a copy of every instrument creating any mortgage or charge requiring registration under this section to be kept at the registered office of the company :
Provided that, in the case of a series of uniform debentures, a copy of one such debenture shall be sufficient.
94Registration of enforcement of security.
(1)If any person obtains an order for the appointment of a receiver or manager of the property of a company, or appoints such a receiver or manager under any powers contained in any instrument, he shall within seven days from the date of the order or of the appointment under the powers contained in the instrument give notice of the fact to the registrar of companies, and the registrar shall, on payment of the prescribed fee, enter the fact in the register of mortgages and charges.
(2)If any person makes default in complying with the requirements of this section he shall be liable to a fine not exceeding five pounds for every day during which the default continues.
95Filing of accounts of receivers and managers.
(1)Every receiver or manager of the property of a company who has been appointed under the powers contained in any instrument, and who has taken possession, shall, once in every half year while he remains in possession, and also on ceasing to act as receiver or manager, file with the registrar of companies an abstract in the prescribed form of his receipts and payments during the period to which the abstract relates, and shall also on ceasing to act as receiver or manager file with the registrar notice to that effect, and the registrar shall enter the notice in the register of mortgages and charges.
(2)Every receiver or manager who makes default in complying with the provisions of this section shall be liable to a fine not exceeding fifty pounds.
96Rectification of register of mortgages.
A judge of the High Court, on being satisfied that the omission to register a mortgage or charge within the time hereinbefore required, or that the omission or misstatement of any particular with respect to any such mortgage or charge, was accidental, or clue to inadvertence or to some other sufficient cause, or is not of a nature to prejudice the position of creditors or shareholders of the company, or that on other grounds it is just and equitable to grant relief, may, on the application of the company or any person interested, and on such terms and conditions as seem to the judge just and expedient, order that the time for registration be extended, or, as the case may be, that the omission or misstatement be rectified.
97Entry of satisfaction.
The registrar of companies may, on evidence being given to his satisfaction that the debt for which any registered mortgage or charge was given has been paid or satisfied, order that a memorandum of satisfaction be entered on the register, and shall if required furnish the company with a copy thereof.
98Index to register of mortgages and charges.
The registrar of companies shall keep a chronological index, in the prescribed form and with the prescribed particulars, of the mortgages or charges registered with him under this Act.
99Penalties.
(1)If any company makes default in sending to the registrar of companies for registration the particulars of any mortgage or charge created by the company, and of the issues of debentures of a series, requiring registration with the registrar under the foregoing provisions of this Act, then, unless the registration has been effected on the application of some other person, the company, and every director, manager, secretary, or other person who is knowingly a party to the default, shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding fifty pounds for every day during which the default continues.
(2)Subject as aforesaid, if any company makes default in complying with any of the requirements of this Act as to the registration with the registrar of any mortgage or charge created by the company, the company and every director, manager, and other officer of the company, who knowingly and wilfully authorised or permitted the default shall, without prejudice to any other liability, be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds.
(3)If any person knowingly and wilfully authorises or permits the delivery of any debenture or certificate of debenture stock requiring registration with the registrar under the foregoing provisions of this Act without a copy of the certificate of registration being endorsed upon it, he shall, without prejudice to any other liability, be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding one hundred pounds.
100Company's register of mortgages.
(1)Every limited company shall keep a register of mortgages and enter therein all mortgages and charges specifically affecting property of the company, giving in each case a short description of the property mortgaged or charged, the amount of the mortgage or charge, and (except in the case of securities to bearer) the names of the mortgagees or persons entitled thereto.
(2)If any director, manager, or other officer of the company knowingly and wilfully authorises or permits the omission of any entry required to be made in pursuance of this section, he shall be liable to a fine not exceeding fifty pounds.
101Right to inspect copies of instruments creating mortgages and charges and company's register of mortgages.
(1)The copies of instruments creating any mortgage or charge requiring registration under this Act with the registrar of companies, and the register of mortgages kept in pursuance of the last foregoing section, shall be open at all reasonable times to the inspection of any creditor or member of the company without fee, and the register of mortgages shall also be open to the inspection of any other person on payment of such fee, not exceeding one shilling for each inspection, as the company may prescribe.
(2)If inspection of the said copies or register is refused, any officer of the company refusing inspection, and every director and manager of the company authorising or knowingly and wilfully permitting the refusal, shall be liable to a fine not exceeding-five pounds, and a further fine not exceeding two pounds for every day during which the refusal continues ; and, in addition to the above penalty as respects companies registered in England or Ireland, any judge of the High Court sitting in chambers, or the judge of the court exercising the stannaries jurisdiction in the case of companies subject to that jurisdiction, may by order compel an immediate inspection of the copies or register.
102Right of debenture holders to inspect the register of debenture holders and to have copies of trust deed.
(1)Every register of holders of debentures of a company shall, except when closed in accordance with the articles during such period or periods (not exceeding in the whole thirty days in any year) as may be specified in the articles, be open to the inspection of the registered holder of any such debentures, and of any holder of shares in the company, but subject to such reasonable restrictions as the company may in general meeting impose, so that at least two hours in each day are appointed for inspection, and every such holder may require a copy of the register or any part thereof on payment of sixpence for every one hundred words required to be copied.
(2)A copy of any trust deed for securing any issue of debentures shall be forwarded to every holder of any such debentures at his request on payment in the case of a printed trust deed of the sum of one shilling or such less sum as may be prescribed by the company, or, where the trust deed has not been printed, on payment of sixpence for every one hundred words required to be copied.
(3)If inspection is refused, or a copy is refused or not forwarded, the company shall be liable to a fine not exceeding five pounds, and to a further fine not exceeding two pounds for every day during which the refusal continues, and every director, manager, secretary, or other officer of the company who knowingly authorises or permits the refusal shall incur the like penalty.