Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act

Marginal note:Security for unpaid wages, etc. — bankruptcy

• 81.3 (1) The claim of a clerk, servant, travelling salesperson, labourer or worker who is owed wages, salaries, commissions or compensation by a bankrupt for services rendered during the period beginning on the day that is six months before the date of the initial bankruptcy event and ending on the date of the bankruptcy is secured, as of the date of the bankruptcy, to the extent of $2,000 — less any amount paid for those services by the trustee or by a receiver — by security on the bankrupt’s current assets on the date of the bankruptcy.

• Marginal note:Commissions

  (2) For the purposes of subsection (1), commissions payable when goods are shipped, delivered or paid for, if shipped, delivered or paid for during the period referred to in that subsection, are deemed to have been earned in that period.

• Marginal note:Security for disbursements

  (3) The claim of a travelling salesperson who is owed money by a bankrupt for disbursements properly incurred in and about the bankrupt’s business during the period referred to in subsection (1) is secured, as of the date of the bankruptcy, to the extent of $1,000 — less any amount paid for those disbursements by the trustee or by a receiver — by security on the bankrupt’s current assets on that date.

• Marginal note:Rank of security

  (4) A security under this section ranks above every other claim, right, charge or security against the bankrupt’s current assets — regardless of when that other claim, right, charge or security arose — except rights under sections 81.1 and 81.2 and amounts referred to in subsection 67(3) that have been deemed to be held in trust.

• Marginal note:Liability of trustee

  (5) If the trustee disposes of current assets covered by the security, the trustee is liable for the claim of the clerk, servant, travelling salesperson, labourer or worker to the extent of the amount realized on the disposition of the current assets and is subrogated in and to all rights of the clerk, servant, travelling salesperson, labourer or worker in respect of the amounts paid to that person by the trustee.

• Marginal note:Claims of officers and directors

  (6) No officer or director of the bankrupt is entitled to have a claim secured under this section.

• Marginal note:Non-arm’s length

  (7) A person who, in respect of a transaction, was not dealing at arm’s length with the bankrupt is not entitled to have a claim arising from that transaction secured by this section unless, in the opinion of the trustee, having regard to the circumstances — including the remuneration for, the terms and conditions of and the duration, nature and importance of the services rendered — it is reasonable to conclude that they would have entered into a substantially similar transaction if they had been dealing with each other at arm’s length.

• Marginal note:Proof by delivery

  (8) A claim referred to in this section is proved by delivering to the trustee a proof of claim in the prescribed form.

• Marginal note:Definitions

  (9) The following definitions apply in this section.

  compensation

  compensation includes vacation pay but does not include termination or severance pay. (rémunération)

  receiver

  receiver means a receiver within the meaning of subsection 243(2) or an interim receiver appointed under subsection 46(1), 47(1) or 47.1(1). (séquestre)