Template:Amending security interests: Difference between revisions

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===[[amendment|Amending]] [[security interest]]s===
===[[amendment|Amending]] [[security interest]]s===
[[Security]] is deep Eagle lore. Even sensible, experienced, senior, inhouse lawyers will get the shivers whenever the topic of taking security comes up. From childhood they have been raised on gruesome stories of what happens to legal eaglets who are careless with security interests. An obscure German children’s author, {{Otto}}  wrote [[Cruwwelpeter]], a book of cautionary tales about misbehaviour with ''Geschäftsanteilsverpfändung'', and it has thrown a long, nervous shadow over the practice of banking law ever since. In it, Little Harriet played with duration mismatches and burned herself to death.  Little Johnny Head-in-Air forgot to register his ''Sicherungsdarlehen'' and was struck off the wharf and floated away, never to be seen again. Fidgety Philip amended his security package and rendered it void for want of [[consideration]]. And most gruesomely of all, was the story of Samuel, little Nick-a-Fund, who — well:
[[Security]] is deep Eagle lore. Even sensible, experienced, senior, inhouse lawyers will get the shivers whenever the topic of taking security comes up. From childhood they have been raised on gruesome stories of what happens to legal eaglets who are careless with security interests.  
 
One day Mamma said “Samueldear, <br>
I must go out and leave you here. <br>
But mind now, Samuel, what I say, <br>
Don’t use customer funds while I’m away. <br>
The great tall regulator comes <br>
To little boys who nick client funds; <br>
And ere they dream what he’s about, <br>
He takes his great big baton out,<br>
And bops  and carts them off, ''toute suite'' —  <br>
This is what happens to boys who cheat.”<br>
<br>
 
Mamma had scarcely turned her back, <br>
He’s pocketed the lot: Alack! Alack! <br>
The door flew open, in he ran, <br>
The great, long, red-legged enforcer-man. <br>
Oh! children, see! the bopper’s come <br>
And caught out little Nick-a-Fund. <br>
Snip! Snap! Snip! the scissors go; <br>
And Samuel cries out “Oh! Oh! Oh!” <br>
Snip! Snap! Snip! They go so fast, <br>
Both his wrists are in cuffs so fast! <br>
 
Mamma comes home: there Sam stands, <br>
And looks quite sad, and shows his hands; <br>
“Ah!” said Mamma, “I knew he’d come <br>
To naughty little Nick-a-Fund.” <br>


If you amend a document granting a [[security interest]] you risk the argument that you have terminated the old [[security interest]] and created a new one, thereby re-starting any [[voidable preference]] period, potentially invalidating any previously registered charge at [[Companies House]], and of course relegating your interest behind those of anyone who has registered a [[security interest]] over the same assets in the mean time.
If you amend a document granting a [[security interest]] you risk the argument that you have terminated the old [[security interest]] and created a new one, thereby re-starting any [[voidable preference]] period, potentially invalidating any previously registered charge at [[Companies House]], and of course relegating your interest behind those of anyone who has registered a [[security interest]] over the same assets in the mean time.

Revision as of 10:54, 1 February 2023

Amending security interests

Security is deep Eagle lore. Even sensible, experienced, senior, inhouse lawyers will get the shivers whenever the topic of taking security comes up. From childhood they have been raised on gruesome stories of what happens to legal eaglets who are careless with security interests.

If you amend a document granting a security interest you risk the argument that you have terminated the old security interest and created a new one, thereby re-starting any voidable preference period, potentially invalidating any previously registered charge at Companies House, and of course relegating your interest behind those of anyone who has registered a security interest over the same assets in the mean time.

Some of these risks have been de-complicated by the financial collateral regulations (insofar as they've done away with registration requirements for financial collateral arrangements altogether), and while this is a bit of a mine-field, basic common sense should avoid anyone but the most headless chicken-licken standing on any landmines.

For one thing, to run any risk you have to actually be amending the security interest itself, rather than other related legal or economic terms. So, if you have — ooh, say a prime brokerage agreement which contains a charge but a lot of other stuff besides — you are (in the humble opinion of this bear of little brain) most likely to be amending other things and not the actual charge provision, which tends to be dull and workpersonlike. You may tweak rehypothecation limits, financing rates, transaction terms and so on — but the security package will remain intact.

In any case, the following magic words should help: “These amendments will not affect the effectiveness, time of original execution or priority of any security interests.”