THE SUPREME COURT ASSESSED THE RESTORATION OF THE DEADLINE FOR FILING A BANKRUPTCY COMPLAINT

THE SUPREME COURT ASSESSED THE RESTORATION OF THE DEADLINE FOR FILING A BANKRUPTCY COMPLAINT

THE SUPREME COURT ASSESSED THE RESTORATION OF THE DEADLINE FOR FILING A BANKRUPTCY COMPLAINT
In the bankruptcy case, the issue of inclusion in the register of the claim was resolved. Two creditors were against it, but soon signed a settlement agreement with the newly minted creditor. Three years later, the former director of the debtor demanded to restore the missed deadline for filing a complaint against the court decision that approved the settlement agreement (case no. A65-28716/2017).


The Court of Cassation considered the petition of the former director of the debtor and granted it. And two months later, he sent the case for a new hearing to the court of first instance. The cassation explained: the former director has the right to restore the term, since he was brought to subsidiary responsibility and this dispute is directly related to its size. Since the appeal in his direction was sent only three years later, he had no grounds for contesting earlier, and the deadline was missed through no fault of his.

In the cassation complaint, the applicant (a creditor admitted to the register) indicated that two organizations with which he signed a settlement agreement three years ago have close ties with the debtor: their only participant is the brother of the former director. In this regard, the applicant has every reason to believe that the debtor and creditors who opposed the inclusion of the claim in the register have common interests and act in concert. This means that the director had the opportunity to file a complaint against the court's decision on time through affiliated creditors. The applicant also noted that two years earlier another person controlling the debtor had filed a petition for the restoration of the term in similar circumstances and was refused.

The Supreme Court evaluated the arguments presented and sided with the creditor. The circumstances indicated in the complaint were not properly assessed and it is impossible to consider restoring the term without studying them. The decision was canceled, the case was sent for a new hearing to the court of cassation instance.


05.09.2023