BSOG 3.3 Terms of a Transfer

This section discusses the provisions of the 1986 Act which prescribe the terms of a transfer which must be included in the Transfer Agreement and the restrictions on terms which may be included. It also discusses the formation of, and protective provisions for, specially formed companies and the status of existing companies. Section 97(4) of the 1986 Act provides that in order to transfer its business to a company, inter alia, a society must agree conditionally with its successor in a Transfer Agreement on the terms of the transfer which, in so far as they are "regulated terms" (as defined in Section 97(12)), comply with Sections 99 and 100 of the 1986 Act and with the Transfer Regulations. In the case of a specially formed company, a society must also secure that the articles of association of the successor company have the requisite protective provisions prescribed by Section 101(2) of the 1986 Act.

The choice of Qualifying Day is important because it is a determining factor in deciding which members must have conferred upon them a right to the Statutory Cash Bonus provided by Section 100 of the 1986 Act. It may also be relevant in deciding which members may receive certain rights under a proposed distribution of funds or of shares in the successor company. The Commission's view was that there can be only one Qualifying Day for these purposes, which must be clearly distinguished from any other "reference dates" which may be chosen by a society for the purposes of its transfer scheme. Subsection (13) of Section 100 defines the Qualifying Day as the day specified in the Transfer Agreement as the qualifying day for the purposes of that subsection. This does not appear to restrict the society's choice of qualifying day. A number of arguments for such a restriction have been advanced, including that the use of the past tense "which expired with the qualifying day" in subsection (9), read in the context of Section 100 as a whole, indicates that the Qualifying Day must pre-date the Transfer Agreement. The Authorityhas not been required to express a view on the matter (and see paragraphs 4.20 and 17.4 of the Commission's Decision to confirm the transfer of the business of Cheltenham & Gloucester Building Society to a subsidiary of Lloyds Bank plc).

For completeness, it should be noted that the Authoritytakes the view that the conditional Transfer Agreement must have been signed by the society and its successor company and commenced (albeit conditionally) before the Authoritycan approve the Transfer Statement. This is because the Authoritymust be satisfied, before it approves the Transfer Statement, that the Statement correctly describes the proposed terms of the transfer as provided by the Transfer Agreement, and the Agreement cannot properly be said to exist until it has been signed by the parties concerned. The Transfer Agreement, as is made clear by its definition in Section 97(12) of the 1986 Act, is necessarily conditional, inter alia, on the society's members' approval of the Transfer Resolutions under Section 97(4)(c), and confirmation of the transfer by the Authority(which includes confirmation by the Banking Regulator that it expects to authorise the successor company) under Section 98(2) of the 1986 Act.

Section 100(2)(a) and (3) of the 1986 Act provide that the terms of a transfer must require the successor company to assume as from the vesting date a liability in respect of a deposit to every member of the society equal to the value of the shares held by such member immediately before the vesting date. In other words, amounts held in share accounts on the eve of the vesting date must become identical amounts held in deposit accounts from the start of the vesting date.

Section 100(2)(b) and (4) of the 1986 Act provide that the terms of a transfer must confer a right to a distribution of funds by way of bonus, whether paid by the society or its successor company, on every member of the society who held shares in the society on the Qualifying Day but was not eligible to vote on the shareholding members' resolution. Where the account is in joint names, see also paragraph BSOG 3.3.12 G, Schedule 2 to the 1986 Act and the Rules of a society prescribe who is eligible to vote (see section 5). Broadly speaking, members who are not entitled to vote on the resolution are those who are under 18 years of age on the date of the meeting or, if the Rules so provide, those who had less than the qualifying shareholding (usually £100) on the qualifying shareholding date or who ceased to hold shares in the period between the qualifying shareholding date and the voting date. However, the High Court declared in Abbey National Building Society v The Building Societies Commission that, in order to qualify for the Statutory Cash Bonus, in addition to having held shares in the society on the Qualifying Day, a member also must have held shares continuously between the Qualifying Day and the vesting date. In coming to this judgement, the Vice Chancellor found the sequence of tenses used in subsection (4) of Section 100 of the 1986 Act to be illuminating: "It says that a member is ... a qualifying member if he held ... shares in the society on the qualifying day and was not ... eligible to vote ... The subsection is therefore looking at somebody who at a particular point of time is a member and who had certain qualifications in the past ... the relevant date for establishing membership is the vesting day ... it is implicit in subsection (4) that the person ... must have been a member on the qualifying day and have remained a member thereafter continuously through until the vesting day". In settling the terms of the declaration, the Vice Chancellor confirmed that when referring to the member remaining a member between the two dates, he intended to mean as a member holding shares.

The bonus is to be calculated as that proportion which the society's reserves bear to its total liability to its members in respect of shares, as shown in the latest balance sheet of the society, applied to the value of the shares held by the member on the Qualifying Day. If a Transfer Statement is approved and sent to the members just before, or shortly after, the end of the financial year of the society, it will be important to note that the Annual Report and Accounts for the year will have been published by the vesting date, when qualifying membership has to be established and the bonus is due to be paid. In those circumstances, "the latest balance sheet of the society" will be that published in the most recent Annual Accounts. The same considerations may apply when a society publishes half-yearly results.

The Authoritymay direct, however, where it confirms a transfer of a society's business to an existing company (i.e. only in a takeover), that no Statutory Cash Bonus is paid or that a lesser amount is paid than that referred to in paragraph BSOG 3.3.6 G, having regard to what is equitable between the members.

Section 100(1) of the 1986 Act provides that:

"Subject to subsections (2) to (10), the terms of a transfer of business by a building society to the company which is to be its successor may include provision for part of the funds of the society or its successor to be distributed among, or other rights in relation to shares in the successor conferred on, members of the society, in consideration of the transfer".

In respect of rights to shares, Section 100(8) of the 1986 Act provides that:

"Where, in connection with any transfer, rights are to be conferred on members of the society to acquire shares in priority to other subscribers, the right shall be restricted to those of its members who held shares in the society throughout the period of two years which expired with the qualifying day; and it is unlawful for any right in relation to shares to be conferred in contravention of this subsection"; and, in respect of a distribution of funds, Section 100(9) of the 1986 Act provides that:

"Where the successor is an existing company, any distribution of funds to members of the society, except for the distribution required by subsection (2)(b), shall only be made to those members who held shares in the society throughout the period of two years which expired with the qualifying day; and it is unlawful for any distribution to be made in contravention of the provisions of this subsection"; while, in respect of a transfer to a specially formed company, Section 100(10) of the 1986 Act provides:

"The following restrictions apply to any distribution of funds, or any conferring of rights in relation to shares, in connection with the transfer of its business from the society to its successor where the successor is a company specially formed by the society, that is to say-

(a) no distribution shall be made except that required by subsection (2)(b); and

(b) where negotiable instruments acknowledging rights to shares are issued by the successor within the period of two years beginning with the vesting date, no such instruments shall be issued to former members of the society unless they are also issued, and on the same terms, to all other members of the company;

and it is unlawful for any distribution of funds to be made in contravention of the provisions of this subsection".

The meanings of subsections (1), (8), (9) and (10) of Section 100 of the 1986 Act have been considered by the High Court in four cases: Cheltenham & Gloucester Building Society v The Building Societies Commission, in relation to distributions of funds, and Abbey National Building Society v The Building Societies Commission, The Building Societies Commission v Halifax Building Society and Leeds Permanent Building Society and R v The Building Societies Commission, ex parte Whitmey in relation to share distributions. These judgments related to specific proposals and may not necessarily be directly relevant in all respects to transfer schemes proposed by other societies in the future. A society must obtain its own advice when formulating proposals for a cash or share distribution scheme.

As is explained in paragraph BSOG 3.2.8 G, the Authoritywill have to see a fully specified description of the distribution scheme before it can form its own view of whether it is in conformity with the 1986 Act. The Authoritywould find it helpful if the society enclosed copies of the legal advice it has received when submitting a scheme for consideration.

Paragraph 7 of Schedule 2 to the 1986 Act deals with joint shareholders and defines the "representative joint holder" as "that one of the joint holders who is named first in the records of the society". Paragraphs 7(5) and (5A) of that Schedule provide that, for the purposes of Sections 87 and 93 to 102 of the 1986 Act, the shares shall be treated as held by the representative joint holder alone and, accordingly, joint holders, other than the representative joint holder, shall not be regarded as members of the society by reason only of being a joint holder of those shares. The effect of this provision (but subject to the provisions of Section 102A) is that if, for example, the representative joint holder dies, or the order of names on the account is changed in the two years preceding the Qualifying Day, any rights to a distribution under a transfer scheme, which are conferred on those who have held shares for two years up to the Qualifying Day, cannot devolve upon any other joint account holder, unless that holder is in his or her own right, by virtue of another account holding, a two-year shareholding member.

Section 102A, however, provides that, in certain circumstances, second named joint holders, who have themselves held shares in the society continuously during the two year qualifying period, whether as sole or joint holders of shares, may qualify for a right which otherwise could only have gone to a first named holder. Cases which would be covered by the provisions of Section 102A include: the death of the first named holder, including where, for example, a third named joint account holder would move up the scale if both the previous first named and second named holders were killed in the same car accident; the creation of a joint account, for example, on marriage; the division of a joint account on divorce or separation, or for any other reason, where the previous first named holder has ceased to hold shares in the society; and when there has been a change in the order of names within an account.

Points to note are that Section 102A applies only to joint share account holders (joint borrowers are not affected) and is only relevant where the application of the two year qualifying period prescribed by Section 100 is relevant to a proposed distribution of funds or conferring of rights to shares. The provisions of Section 102A are permissive, not mandatory (see paragraphs 13.2 to 13.5 of the Commission's Confirmation Decision on the application by National & Provincial Building Society) and are not "relevant requirements" of the 1986 Act (see paragraph BSOG 3.6.17 G). It is for the society's board when proposing a transfer scheme to decide whether to incorporate in its distribution scheme none, some, or all of the cases where Section 102A allows membership of a joint account, other than as the first named holder, to count towards the two year qualifying period. Finally, these provisions do not affect the position of the personal representatives or beneficiaries of deceased sole holders of share accounts. Societies should obtain their own advice on all these matters when considering how they wish to construct the terms of a proposed distribution scheme.

A member who holds funds in a share account, or holds a mortgage account, on trust for another person is not a Trustee Account Holder unless the following conditions are satisfied. Sections 102B to D of the 1986 Act require that, if the terms of a transfer include distributions of funds or of rights to shares to members of the society, then each Trustee Account Holder shall be treated by the society and its successor as not being disentitled from receiving, in addition to any distribution to which he or she may be entitled in any other capacity, a separate distribution in respect of each account which he or she holds in trust for certain categories of beneficiaries (provided that, as holder of that account, he or she meets the conditions for receipt of a distribution under the scheme). An account may be either a share account or a mortgage account of which the Trustee Account Holder may be the sole or representative joint holder. A member may receive only one distribution for each account he or she holds as a Trustee Account Holder (irrespective of the number of account holders or beneficiaries of that account) and a member who holds only one account may receive only one distribution in respect of that account whether as a member or, if he or she so decides, as a Trustee Account Holder. If a person is a qualifying beneficiary of more than one account held by a Trustee Account Holder (referred to in Section 102D(5) as "duplicate accounts"), then only a single distribution is required to be paid in respect of the duplicate accounts whether or not there are other qualifying beneficiaries of those accounts. A change in the identity of the Trustee Account Holder during any qualifying period for a distribution does not affect the entitlement to a distribution in respect of the account. The categories of qualifying beneficiaries of such accounts are persons who cannot reasonably practicably act in relation to the accounts themselves by reason of ill-health or old age or any physical or mental incapacity or disability.

A society will need to take its own legal advice as to the interpretation of these Sections and whether and, if so, what advice it should give to its members to help them decide whether they are Trustee Account Holders. The Authoritywill wish to see that advice to help it reach a view on whether the society's proposals appear to it to be lawful, while recognising that only the courts can interpret the law. With that important proviso in mind, the Authorityhas taken the view that a scheme may provide that a member is a Trustee Account Holder if the funds (or debt) in the relevant account are held either wholly or partly for one or more qualifying beneficiaries. PIBS do not appear to be share "accounts" as described by Sections 102B to D so that a person could not be a Trustee Account Holder in respect of a holding of PIBS.

A society is not required to notify its members of these provisions. However, unless it does so, it will not gain the protection of Section 102B(4) which provides that a Trustee Account Holder will not be entitled to a distribution in that capacity if the society has notified him that he must make a statutory declaration and the Trustee Account Holder has not made such a declaration before the date specified in the society's notice to him. Moreover, the Transfer Regulations require that the Transfer Statement must contain a forecast of the amount and proportion of the total consideration which is expected to be distributed to Trustee Account Holders (see paragraph BSOG 3.4.2G (3)).

It appears to the Authoritythat it will be desirable for the final date for receipt of statutory declarations from Trustee Account Holders to be shortly before the vesting date so that declarations may take account of any changes in the identity of the account holder or the status of the beneficiary or beneficiaries. Trustee Account Holders must also be able to make an informed judgement as to whether the terms of the distribution scheme are such that making a statutory declaration will be in the best interests of the beneficiary or beneficiaries of an account; they cannot do this until the full terms of the proposed scheme have been published in the Transfer Statement and made available for inspection in the Transfer Agreement. The Authorityexpects, therefore, that societies will issue notices under section 102B to Trustee Account Holders not later than despatch of notices of the SGM at which the Transfer Resolutions are to be considered, and that the specified date for returning statutory declarations by Trustee Account Holders will be on, or shortly before, the vesting date or, in any event, not less than 1 month after the despatch of the notices. No regulations have been made by the Treasury under Section 102D(11). However, to meet the requirement that the Transfer Statement must contain a forecast of distributions to Trustee Account Holders, and so that it can determine the qualifying conditions for, and estimate the value of distributions to members generally, and individually, particularly if the scheme includes a variable element, the Authorityexpects that a society will need to write to all its members at least 2 months before the Transfer Statement is expected to be issued advising them of the procedures for dealing with distributions to Trustee Account Holders, perhaps also with the notices envisaged by Section 102B(4), and asking them, if appropriate, to register their interest in making statutory declarations as Trustee Account Holders.

In a conversion, the successor company must be specially formed by the society (and by no others than its nominees) wholly or partly for the purpose of assuming and conducting the society's business in its place and must be a company within the meaning of the Companies Act 1985 or the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 which is a public company limited by shares (Section 97(12) of the 1986 Act) or a body corporate incorporated in another EEA State with power to offer its shares or debentures to the public (Section (97(13)). Section 98(3) of the 1986 Act provides that the Authorityshall not confirm the transfer if there is a substantial risk that the successor will not have such permission under the Act as will enable it to carry on the business which it will have as a result of the transfer. The society must secure that the successor company is formed having articles of association with the "requisite protective provisions" (Section 97(4)(a) of the 1986 Act).

The terms of the transfer must include provision to secure that the society ceases to hold any shares in the specially formed successor company by the date on which the society is to dissolve (Section 100(11) of the 1986 Act). The provisions of the 1986 Act concerning the dissolution of the society and the disposal of any shares in its successor are discussed in section 3.8.

The requisite protective provisions are the provisions of Section 101 of the 1986 Act which require the successor company to ensure that it does not allow one person, or two or more persons acting in concert, to hold more than 15% of the shares of the company during the period from the company's incorporation until 5 years after the vesting date. The purpose of this provision is, clearly, to protect the newly converted bank from takeover. The provisions will cease to apply if the Authorityso directs, or if the successor company acquires another financial institution, as defined in Section 101(6), or if the shareholders resolve to that effect by a majority representing at least 75% of the nominal value of shares giving voting rights.

For a takeover, an existing company, which is to assume and conduct the society's business in its place, is defined in Section 97(12) and (13) of the 1986 Act as a company within the meaning of the Companies Act 1985 or the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 which is a public company limited by shares, or a body corporate incorporated in another EEA State with power to offer shares or debentures to the public, "carrying on business as a going concern on the date of the transfer agreement". Section 98(3) provides that the Authorityshall not confirm the transfer if there is a substantial risk that the successor will not have such permission under the Act as will enable it to carry on the business which it will have a result of the transfer. The effect of these provisions is that the business of a society may be transferred to a body corporate incorporated in another EEA State which, at the date of the Transfer Agreement, is a going concern and which is acceptable as a deposit taker to the appropriate regulatory authority. To be a going concern, the company must actively be carrying on a business before it can enter into an agreement to acquire the business of a society. Conversely, it would not seem possible to use a company which carries on no substantive business, other than employing its capital, simply as a vehicle for taking over a society.

The successor company does not need to have the required permission under the Act at the time of the takeover offer or the Transfer Agreement; but it must be carrying on business as a going concern. However, the subsequent obtaining of the necessary permission is a key criterion. An offer will not be credible unless the company has first obtained an indication from the Authorityor other EEA competent authority that it is prepared to authorise, or to continue the authorisation of, the successor company, upon transfer on terms which will enable it to carry on the business it will have following the transfer. As a practical matter, the authorities would find it difficult to authorise an institution whose business from the time of authorisation was not predominantly banking or deposit taking and would require to be satisfied that the parent company (if any) as controller was fit and proper.

Any compensation for loss of office or diminution of emoluments attributable to the transfer which is proposed to be paid to directors and other officers must be approved by a separate special resolution, in addition to the Transfer Resolutions required to approve the terms of transfer as a whole (Section 99 of the 1986 Act). Loss of office includes loss of office in any other body held by virtue of the director's or other officer's position in the society. "Compensation" is not defined in the 1986 Act, except to the extent that Section 99(6) says that it includes benefits in kind. In the Authority'sopinion, compensation does not include statutory redundancy payments, damages for breach of contract, or other payments, for example, falling due under the terms of a pre-existing contract of employment, or a pre-existing arrangement giving rise to a reasonable expectation. However, it does include any proposed ex-gratia payments or other provision of benefits in money or money's worth. Societies should consider very carefully the extent to which any proposed payment may exceed the amount provided for by statute or contract. In view of the requirement in Section 99(4) that unauthorised payments must be repaid by the recipient, societies are advised to take legal advice on any payments which are not specifically authorised by the terms of a special resolution passed by the members in accordance with Section 99(2)(a). The Treasury has not made any regulations under Section 99(2)(b) and (3).

All proposed payments requiring approval by special resolution must be disclosed in the Transfer Statement. In addition, the Authoritywill require disclosure in the Transfer Statement of any other payments to directors or other officers arising directly from the transfer. So that members are aware of the direct interest of the directors or other officers in a transfer, societies should consider whether the amount, as distinct from the fact, of any statutory or contractual payments should be disclosed where these arise directly from the transfer. More generally, societies need to consider whether any facts relevant to any director or other officer, or to any person(s) connected with any director, should be disclosed where these are material to the decision of the members who are to be asked to vote on the proposed transfer.

Increased emoluments are defined by Section 99A of the 1986 Act as an increase in consequence of the transfer, and included in the terms of the transfer, for any director or other officer, whether by way of increased remuneration or the grant of share options or otherwise. The Authorityis of the view that this formulation would include the receipt of distributions of funds or of rights to shares in consideration of the transfer which are made to directors or other officers in their capacity as employees or pensioners of the society or any of its subsidiaries. However, this is a matter which can only be conclusively determined by the courts.

Any such increase in emoluments is required by Section 99A(2) of the 1986 Act to be put before a meeting of the society in an ordinary resolution approving such provision. However, although such an ordinary resolution must be put to a meeting, it is not required to be passed in order to authorise such increases which will be authorised by the general approval of the transfer and its terms provided by the passage of the Transfer Resolutions. Neither is it required that the ordinary resolution be put before the meeting which is to consider the Transfer Resolutions. However, as is explained below, any proposed increase in emoluments will have to be explained in the Transfer Statement, and the Authoritywill have to be satisfied that the requisite ordinary resolution was put before a meeting of the society when it considers a society's application for confirmation of a transfer.