Insolvency Act, 1936 (Act No. 24 of 1936)119. Composition |
| (1) | At any time after the first meeting of the creditors of an insolvent estate, the insolvent may submit to the trustee of his estate a written offer of composition. |
| (2) | If the trustee is of the opinion that the creditors will probably accept the offer of composition, he shall as soon as possible after receipt of the offer post in a registered letter or deliver to every creditor who has proved his claim, a copy of the offer with his report thereon. |
| (3) | If the trustee is of the opinion that there is no likelihood that the creditors will accept the offer of composition, he shall inform the insolvent that the offer is unacceptable and that he does not propose to send a copy thereof to the creditors. |
| (4) | The insolvent may thereupon appeal to the Master who, after having considered a report from the trustee, may, if he considers the offer of composition sufficient for submission to the creditors, direct the trustee to post or deliver a copy of the offer to every creditor who has proved his claim. |
| (5) | Whenever the trustee posts or delivers to the creditors a copy of an offer of composition in terms of the preceding provisions of this section, he shall simultaneously convene and give notice to the creditors of a meeting for the purpose of considering the said offer and any other matter mentioned in the notice. |
| (6) | The said meeting shall be convened for a date not earlier than fourteen days and not later than twenty-eight days after the date upon which the said notice is posted or delivered to any creditor. |
| (7) | If the offer of composition has been accepted by creditors whose votes amount to not less than three-fourths in value and three-fourths in number (calculated in accordance with the provisions of section fifty-two) of the votes of all the creditors who proved claims against the estate, and payment under the composition has been made or security for such payment has been given as specified in the composition, the insolvent shall be entitled to a certificate under the hand of the Master of the acceptance of the offer: Provided that no offer may be so accepted if it contains any condition whereby any creditor would obtain as against another creditor any benefit to which he would not have been entitled upon the distribution of the estate in the ordinary way; and provided further that any condition which makes the offer of composition or the fulfilment thereof or of any part thereof subject to the rehabilitation or to the consent of the creditors to the rehabilitation of the insolvent shall be of no effect, and provided also that if the composition provides for the giving of any security, the nature of that security shall be fully specified, and if it is to consist of a surety bond or guarantee, every surety shall be named. |
| (8) | In subsection (7) the word "creditor" includes a creditor who has not proved a claim against the insolvent estate in question. |