THE CORPORATIONS LAW

CHAPTER 5 - EXTERNAL ADMINISTRATION

PART 5.7B - RECOVERING PROPERTY OR COMPENSATION FOR THE BENEFIT OF CREDITORS OF INSOLVENT COMPANY

Division 2 - Voidable transactions

SECTION 588FA   UNFAIR PREFERENCES  

588FA(1)  [What is unfair preference]  

A transaction is an unfair preference given by a company to a creditor of the company if, and only if:

(a)  the company and the creditor are parties to the transaction (even if someone else is also a party); and

(b)  the transaction results in the creditor receiving from the company, in respect of an unsecured debt that the company owes to the creditor, more than the creditor would receive from the company in respect of the debt if the transaction were set aside and the creditor were to prove for the debt in a winding up of the company;

even if the transaction is entered into, is given effect to, or is required to be given effect to, because of an order of an Australian court or a direction by an agency.

588FA(2)  [When secured debt to be unsecured debt]  

For the purposes of subsection (1), a secured debt is taken to be unsecured to the extent of so much of it (if any) as is not reflected in the value of the security.

588FA(3)  [Transaction part of continuing business relationship]  

Where:

(a)  a transaction is, for commercial purposes, an integral part of a continuing business relationship (for example, a running account) between a company and a creditor of the company (including such a relationship to which other persons are parties); and

(b)  in the course of the relationship, the level of the company's net indebtedness to the creditor is increased and reduced from time to time as the result of a series of transactions forming part of the relationship;

then:

(c)  subsection (1) applies in relation to all the transactions forming part of the relationship as if they together constituted a single transaction; and

(d)  the transaction referred to in paragraph (a) may only be taken to be an unfair preference given by the company to the creditor if, because of subsection (1) as applying because of paragraph (c) of this subsection, the single transaction referred to in the last-mentioned paragraph is taken to be such an unfair preference.