Serious Organised Crime Agency v Szepietowski and Others: ChD 15 Oct 2010

The court was asked whether, as second mortgagee on the defendant’s properties, the claimant agency had the equitable power of marshalling of prior charges. The first chargee had charges over two properties, and sold the first, satisfying it debt, but leaving the Agency with no effective return. The bank’s same debts had also been secured on other property. The agency wished the bank instead to take its money under the other charge. The defendant argued that a settlement agreement was a full statement of the Agencies rights.
Held: The Court granted the Agency a declaration that it was entitled to have (i) its security over specified properties of the first defendant, and (ii) the securities of the second defendant bank over the same properties and over the first defendant’s family home, marshalled pursuant to the court’s equitable jurisdiction. The words of the agreement were not sufficiently wide to preclude a marshalling claim.
Marshalling is a doctrine with its own peculiar and distinct characteristics, and is not governed by the general principles of other subrogation remedies. The ‘two debts’ condition of marshalling was satisfied and the objection to its apoplication failed. The claimant was therefore subrogated to the bank in that bank’s charge over the remaining property.

Henderson J
[2010] EWHC 2570 (Ch), [2010] NPC 101, [2011] Lloyd’s Rep FC 81
Bailii
England and Wales
Citing:
See AlsoDirector of the Assets Recovery Agency v Szepietowski and others Admn 29-Sep-2006
The respondent had objected that the appointment of an interim receiver had been based upon information obtained in the course of investigations undertaken in connection with different proceedings and allegations.
Held: The enforcement agency . .
See AlsoSzepietowski v Assets Recovery Agency Admn 28-Nov-2006
The first respondent applied for the freezing and receiving orders in relation to two properties and chattels obtained by the first respondent under the 2002 Act to be discharged on the footing that the Agency Director has not shown that she has a . .
See AlsoSerious Organised Crime Agency v Szepietowski and Others (No 2) ChD 1-Jul-2009
The Agency asked to have set aside four orders allowing the defendant to have excluded from his assets subject to an interim receiving order to allow payment of his legal expenses.
Held: There was no rule that assets once excluded from an . .
See AlsoAssets Recovery Agency v Szepietowski and Others ChD 19-Mar-2009
The applicant defendants sought to have excluded from the effect of restrictions on their dealing with property, property which was held under trusts.
Held: The applications were rejected. There were well established rules allowing trustees . .
See AlsoAssets Recovery Agency v Szepietowski and others CA 24-Jul-2007
The defendant had had set aside an interim order for assets recovery. The director appealed against a finding by the court below that he did not have ‘a good arguable case’, justifying an interim recovery order.
Held: The appeal succeeded. On . .
CitedSerious Organised Crime Agency v Szepietowski and others ChD 27-Feb-2009
Several of the defendants applied for assets to be excluded from an interim receiving order in order to enable them to meet legal expenses. . .
CitedAldrich v Cooper, Durham v Lankester, Durham v Armstrong 26-Apr-1803
Lord Eldon LC discussed the equitable principle of marshalling and said: ‘two estates [were] mortgaged to A; and one of them mortgaged to B. He has no claim under the deed upon the other estate. It may be so constructed that he could not affect that . .
CitedCheltenham and Gloucester Plc v Appleyard and Another CA 15-Mar-2004
The owners had purchased their property with a loan from the BBBS. A charge was then given to BCCI, which charge said no further charge could be registered without BCCI ‘s consent. The C and G agreed to lend a sum to refinance the entire borrowings, . .
CitedBank of Credit and Commerce International SA v Ali, Khan and others (No 1); BCCI v Ali HL 1-Mar-2001
Cere Needed Releasing Future Claims
A compromise agreement which appeared to claim to settle all outstanding claims between the employee and employer, did not prevent the employee later claiming for stigma losses where, at the time of the agreement, the circumstances which might lead . .
CitedUCB Group Ltd v Hedworth CA 4-Dec-2003
The defendant challenged the claimant’s right to possession under a legal charge. She appealed a finding that she had not established the undue influence of her husband, a solicitor.
Held: A lender who received a voidable security was entitled . .
CitedBanque Financiere De La Cite v Parc (Battersea) Ltd and Others HL 16-Apr-1998
The making of an order for restitution after finding an unjust enrichment by subrogation, is not dependant upon having found any common or unilateral intention of the parties. The House distinguished between contractual subrogation of the kind most . .
CitedInvestors Compensation Scheme Ltd v West Bromwich Building Society HL 19-Jun-1997
Account taken of circumstances wihout ambiguity
The respondent gave advice on home income plans. The individual claimants had assigned their initial claims to the scheme, but later sought also to have their mortgages in favour of the respondent set aside.
Held: Investors having once . .
CitedBank of Credit and Commerce International SA (No 8) CA 1997
A security was granted to secure a debt owed by a third party. . .
CitedBanque Financiere De La Cite v Parc (Battersea) Limited Omnicorp Overseas Limited CA 29-Nov-1996
. .

Cited by:
At First InstanceSzepietowski v The National Crime Agency SC 23-Oct-2013
S owned several propertie in charge to the bank, but the Agency said that each had been acquired with the proceeds of criminal activity. The parties had settled the claim by the grant of a second charge in favour of the Agency. However when that . .
Appeal fromSzepietowski v The Serious Organised Crime Agency CA 21-Jul-2011
The claimant owned properties subject to charges in favour of a bank. The Agency alleged that the properties represented the proceeds of crime. The agency had settled its claim by taking a second charge over one property. When that was sold, only . .

Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Land, Equity

Updated: 09 November 2021; Ref: scu.425361