Legal Practice Act, 2014 (Act No. 28 of 2014)

Chapter 7 : Handling of Trust Monies

91. Rights of banks in respect of trust accounts

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(1)
(a)Any bank at which a trust account practice keeps its trust account, or any separate account forming part of a trust account, is not, by reason only of the name or style by which the account concerned is distinguished, deemed to have knowledge that the trust account practice is not entitled to all money paid into that account or with which that account is credited.
(bThe provisions of paragraph (a) do not relieve the bank from any liability or obligation which legally exists and to which it would be subject apart from the provisions of this Act.

 

(2)Despite subsection (1), a bank at which a trust account practice keeps its trust account, or any separate account forming part of a trust account, does not, in respect of any liability of the trust account practice to that bank not being a liability arising out of, or in connection with, any such account, have or obtain any recourse or right, whether by way of set-off, counter-claim, charge or otherwise, against money standing to the credit of that account.

 

(3)This section does not—
(a)deprive any bank of any existing right;
(b)take away or affect any claim, lien, counter-claim, right of set-off, or charge of any kind which a trust account practice has against, or on, any money held or received on account of any person; or
(c)relieve any trust account practice which has invested any money referred to in subsection (1) in a trust or other interest-bearing account referred to in section 86, of any liability in respect thereof.

 

(4)Any bank at which a trust account practice keeps its trust account or any separate account forming part of its trust account, must, if so directed by the Council or the Board, furnish the Council or the Board with a signed transaction history of that account for the period determined by the Council or the board, as the case may be.

[Section 91(4) substituted by section 6 of Act No. 16 of 2017]