CITE
15 USC Sec. 78fff-2 01/08/2008
EXPCITE
TITLE 15 - COMMERCE AND TRADE
CHAPTER 2B091 - SECURITIES INVESTOR PROTECTION
HEAD
Sec. 78fff-2. Special provisions of a liquidation proceeding
STATUTE
(a) Notice and claims
(1) Notice of proceedings
Promptly after the appointment of the trustee, such trustee
shall cause notice of the commencement of proceedings under this
section to be published in one or more newspapers of general
circulation in the form and manner determined by the court, and
at the same time shall cause a copy of such notice to be mailed
to each person who, from the books and records of the debtor,
appears to have been a customer of the debtor with an open
account within the past twelve months, to the address of such
person as it appears from the books and records of the debtor.
Notice to creditors other than customers shall be given in the
manner prescribed by title 11, except that such notice shall be
given by the trustee.
(2) Statement of claim
A customer shall file with the trustee a written statement of
claim but need not file a formal proof of claim, except that no
obligation of the debtor to any person associated with the debtor
within the meaning of section 78c(a)(18) of this title or section
78c(a)(21) of this title, any beneficial owner of 5 per centum or
more of the voting stock of the debtor, or any member of the
immediate family of any such person or owner may be satisfied
without formal proof of claim.
(3) Time limitations
No claim of a customer or other creditor of the debtor which is
received by the trustee after the expiration of the six-month
period beginning on the date of publication of notice under
paragraph (1) shall be allowed, except that the court may, upon
application within such period and for cause shown, grant a
reasonable, fixed extension of time for the filing of a claim by
the United States, by a State or political subdivision thereof,
or by an infant or incompetent person without a guardian. Any
claim of a customer for net equity which is received by the
trustee after the expiration of such period of time as may be
fixed by the court (not exceeding sixty days after the date of
publication of notice under paragraph (1)) need not be paid or
satisfied in whole or in part out of customer property, and, to
the extent such claim is satisfied from moneys advanced by SIPC,
it shall be satisfied in cash or securities (or both) as the
trustee determines is most economical to the estate.
(4) Effect on claims
Except as otherwise provided in this section, and without
limiting the powers and duties of the trustee to discharge
obligations promptly as specified in this section, nothing in
this section shall limit the right of any person, including any
subrogee, to establish by formal proof or otherwise as the court
may provide such claims as such person may have against the
debtor, including claims for the payment of money and the
delivery of specific securities, without resort to moneys
advanced by SIPC to the trustee.
(b) Payments to customers
After receipt of a written statement of claim pursuant to
subsection (a)(2), of this section, the trustee shall promptly
discharge, in accordance with the provisions of this section, all
obligations of the debtor to a customer relating to, or net equity
claims based upon, securities or cash, by the delivery of
securities or the making of payments to or for the account of such
customer (subject to the provisions of subsection (d) of this
section and section 78fff-3(a) of this title) insofar as such
obligations are ascertainable from the books and records of the
debtor or are otherwise established to the satisfaction of the
trustee. For purposes of distributing securities to customers, all
securities shall be valued as of the close of business on the
filing date. For purposes of this subsection, the court shall,
among other things -
(1) with respect to net equity claims, authorize the trustee to
satisfy claims out of moneys made available to the trustee by
SIPC notwithstanding the fact that there has not been any showing
or determination that there are sufficient funds of the debtor
available to satisfy such claims; and
(2) with respect to claims relating to, or net equities based
upon, securities of a class and series of an issuer which are
ascertainable from the books and records of the debtor or are
otherwise established to the satisfaction of the trustee,
authorize the trustee to deliver securities of such class and
series if and to the extent available to satisfy such claims in
whole or in part, with partial deliveries to be made pro rata to
the greatest extent considered practicable by the trustee.
Any payment or delivery of property pursuant to this subsection may
be conditioned upon the trustee requiring claimants to execute, in
a form to be determined by the trustee, appropriate receipts,
supporting affidavits, releases, and assignments, but shall be
without prejudice to any right of a claimant to file formal proof
of claim within the period specified in subsection (a)(3) of this
section for any balance of securities or cash to which such
claimant considers himself entitled.
(c) Customer related property
(1) Allocation of customer property
The trustee shall allocate customer property of the debtor as
follows:
(A) first, to SIPC in repayment of advances made by SIPC
pursuant to section 78fff-3(c)(1) of this title, to the extent
such advances recovered securities which were apportioned to
customer property pursuant to section 78fff(d) of this title;
(B) second, to customers of such debtor, who shall share
ratably in such customer property on the basis and to the
extent of their respective net equities;
(C) third, to SIPC as subrogee for the claims of customers;
(D) fourth, to SIPC in repayment of advances made by SIPC
pursuant to section 78fff-3(c)(2) of this title.
Any customer property remaining after allocation in accordance
with this paragraph shall become part of the general estate of
the debtor. To the extent customer property and SIPC advances
pursuant to section 78fff-3(a) of this title are not sufficient
to pay or otherwise satisfy in full the net equity claims of
customers, such customers shall be entitled, to the extent only
of their respective unsatisfied net equities, to participate in
the general estate as unsecured creditors. For purposes of
allocating customer property under this paragraph, securities to
be delivered in payment of net equity claims for securities of
the same class and series of an issuer shall be valued as of the
close of business on the filing date.
(2) Delivery of customer name securities
The trustee shall deliver customer name securities to or on
behalf of a customer of the debtor entitled thereto if the
customer is not indebted to the debtor. If the customer is so
indebted, such customer may, with the approval of the trustee,
reclaim customer name securities upon payment to the trustee,
within such period of time as the trustee determines, of all
indebtedness of such customer to the debtor.
(3) Recovery of transfers
Whenever customer property is not sufficient to pay in full the
claims set forth in subparagraphs (A) through (D) of paragraph
(1), the trustee may recover any property transferred by the
debtor which, except for such transfer, would have been customer
property if and to the extent that such transfer is voidable or
void under the provisions of title 11. Such recovered property
shall be treated as customer property. For purposes of such
recovery, the property so transferred shall be deemed to have
been the property of the debtor and, if such transfer was made to
a customer or for his benefit, such customer shall be deemed to
have been a creditor, the laws of any State to the contrary
notwithstanding.
(d) Purchase of securities
The trustee shall, to the extent that securities can be purchased
in a fair and orderly market, purchase securities as necessary for
the delivery of securities to customers in satisfaction of their
claims for net equities based on securities under section 78fff-
1(b)(1) of this title and for the transfer of customer accounts
under subsection (f) of this section, in order to restore the
accounts of such customers as of the filing date. To the extent
consistent with subsection (c) of this section, customer property
and moneys advanced by SIPC may be used by the trustee to pay for
securities so purchased. Moneys advanced by SIPC for each account
of a separate customer may not be used to purchase securities to
the extent that the aggregate value of such securities on the
filing date exceeded the amount permitted to be advanced by SIPC
under the provisions of section 78fff-3(a) of this title.
(e) Closeouts
(1) In general
Any contract of the debtor for the purchase or sale of
securities in the ordinary course of its business with other
brokers or dealers which is wholly executory on the filing date
shall not be completed by the trustee, except to the extent
permitted by SIPC rule. Upon the adoption by SIPC of rules with
respect to the closeout of such a contract but prior to the
adoption of rules with respect to the completion of such a
contract, the other broker or dealer shall close out such
contract, without unnecessary delay, in the best available market
and pursuant to such SIPC rules. Until such time as SIPC adopts
rules with respect to the completion or closeout of such a
contract, such a contract shall be closed out in accordance with
Commission Rule S6(d)-1 as in effect on May 21, 1978, or any
comparable rule of the Commission subsequently adopted, to the
extent not inconsistent with the provisions of this subsection.
(2) Net profit or loss
A broker or dealer shall net all profits and losses on all
contracts closed out under this subsection and -
(A) if such broker or dealer shows a net profit on such
contracts, he shall pay such net profit to the trustee; and
(B) if such broker or dealer sustains a net loss on such
contracts, he shall be entitled to file a claim against the
debtor with the trustee in the amount of such net loss.
To the extent that a net loss sustained by a broker or dealer
arises from contracts pursuant to which such broker or dealer was
acting for its own customer, such broker or dealer shall be
entitled to receive funds advanced by SIPC to the trustee in the
amount of such loss, except that such broker or dealer may not
receive more than $40,000 for each separate customer with respect
to whom it sustained a loss. With respect to a net loss which is
not payable under the preceding sentence from funds advanced by
SIPC, the broker or dealer shall be entitled to participate in
the general estate as an unsecured creditor.
(3) Registered clearing agencies
Neither a registered clearing agency which by its rules has an
established procedure for the closeout of open contracts between
an insolvent broker or dealer and its participants, nor its
participants to the extent such participants' claims are or may
be processed within the registered clearing agency, shall be
entitled to receive SIPC funds in payment of any losses on such
contracts, except as SIPC may otherwise provide by rule. If such
registered clearing agency or its participants sustain a net loss
on the closeout of such contracts with the debtor, they shall
have the right to participate in the general estate as unsecured
creditors to the extent of such loss. Any funds or other property
owed to the debtor, after the closeout of such contracts, shall
be promptly paid to the trustee. Rules adopted by SIPC under this
paragraph shall provide that in no case may a registered clearing
agency or its participants, to the extent such participants'
claims are or may be processed within the registered clearing
agency, be entitled to receive funds advanced by SIPC in an
amount greater, in the aggregate, than could be received by the
participants if such participants proceeded individually under
paragraph (1) and (2).
(4) "Customer" defined
For purposes of this subsection, the term "customer" does not
include any person who -
(A) is a broker or dealer;
(B) had a claim for cash or securities which by contract,
agreement, or understanding, or by operation of law, was part
of the capital of the claiming broker or dealer or was
subordinated to the claims of any or all creditors of such
broker or dealer; or
(C) had a relationship of the kind specified in section 78fff-
3(a)(5) of this title with the debtor.
A claiming broker or dealer shall be deemed to have been acting
on behalf of its customer if it acted as agent for such customer
or if it held such customer's order which was to be executed as a
part of its contract with the debtor.
(f) Transfer of customer accounts
In order to facilitate the prompt satisfaction of customer claims
and the orderly liquidation of the debtor, the trustee may,
pursuant to terms satisfactory to him and subject to the prior
approval of SIPC, sell or otherwise transfer to another member of
SIPC, without consent of any customer, all or any part of the
account of a customer of the debtor. In connection with any such
sale or transfer to another member of SIPC and subject to the prior
approval of SIPC, the trustee may -
(1) waive or modify the need to file a written statement of
claim pursuant to subsection (a)(2) of this section; and
(2) enter into such agreements as the trustee considers
appropriate under the circumstances to indemnify any such member
of SIPC against shortages of cash or securities in the customer
accounts sold or transferred.
The funds of SIPC may be made available to guarantee or secure any
indemnification under paragraph (2). The prior approval of SIPC to
such indemnification shall be conditioned, among such other
standards as SIPC may determine, upon a determination by SIPC that
the probable cost of any such indemnification can reasonably be
expected not to exceed the cost to SIPC of proceeding under section
78fff-3(a) of this title and section 78fff-3(b) of this title.
SOURCE
(Pub. L. 91-598, Sec. 8, as added Pub. L. 95-283, Sec. 9, May 21,
1978, 92 Stat. 261; amended Pub. L. 95-598, title III, Sec. 308(l),
(m), Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2675.)
PRIOR PROVISIONS
A prior section 8 of Pub. L. 91-598 was renumbered section 12 and
is classified to section 78hhh of this title.
AMENDMENTS
1978 - Subsecs. (a)(1), (c)(3). Pub. L. 95-598 substituted "title
11" for "the Bankruptcy Act".
EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1978 AMENDMENT
Amendment by Pub. L. 95-598 effective Oct. 1, 1979, see section
402(a) of Pub. L. 95-598, set out as an Effective Date note
preceding section 101 of Title 11, Bankruptcy.