Bijural Terminology Records

Common Law

n/a

Civil Law

conditional or instalment sale

Title of the Legislative Text

Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, R.S.C. (1985), c. B-3

Provision

2. (1) In this Act,

...

"secured creditor" means a person holding a mortgage, hypothec, pledge, charge, lien or privilege on or against the property of the debtor or any part thereof as security for a debt due or accruing due to him from the debtor, or a person whose claim is based on, or secured by, a negotiable instrument held as collateral security and on which the debtor is only indirectly or secondarily liable;

Problem

Since the coming into force of the Civil Code of Québec, the exercise of the rights relating to some security mechanisms is governed by the rules applicable to the exercise of hypothecary rights. The harmonization of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act with the Civil Code of Québec requires that the holders of these rights be included in the definition of "secured creditor". In order to reflect the Civil Code, only the holders of security mechanisms governed by the rules applicable to the exercise of hypothecary rights are listed in paragraph (b).

Solution

Paragraph (b) is added to include categories of creditors governed by the rules relating to the exercise of the hypothecary rights of the Civil Code of Québec. These creditors include the vendors of any property sold under a conditional sale or instalment sale. Since paragraph 2(1)(b) refers exclusively to the Province of Quebec, it is not necessary to refer to any common law concept.

Harmonized Provision

2. (1) In this Act,

...

"secured creditor" means a person holding a mortgage, hypothec, pledge, charge or lien on or against the property of the debtor or any part of that property as security for a debt due or accruing due to the person from the debtor, or a person whose claim is based on, or secured by, a negotiable instrument held as collateral security and on which the debtor is only indirectly or secondarily liable, and includes.

...

(b) any of

  • (i) the vendor of any property sold to the debtor under a conditional or instalment sale,

  • (ii) the purchaser of any property from the debtor subject to a right of redemption, or

  • (iii) the trustee of a trust constituted by the debtor to secure the performance of an obligation,

    • if the exercise of the person's rights is subject to the provisions of Book Six of the Civil Code of Québec entitled Prior Claims and Hypothecs that deal with the exercise of hypothecary rights;

Federal Law-Civil Law Harmonization Act, No. 1, S.C. 2001, c. 4, s. 25.