THREE QUESTIONS ABOUT DUTCH CARIBBEAN PREJUDGMENT ATTACHMENT
FAQ
Question 1
How easily can one obtain permission to freeze assets?
The Netherlands Antilles Code of Civil Procedure provides the possibility to seize and freeze assets in anticipation of a court order to pay a certain amount or to return certain goods. This legal remedy is referred to as prejudgment attachment or seizure (conservatoir beslag).
In general, a petition for the attachment of assets is only marginally examined by the court and will therefore be granted in most cases. The claimant must then submit a writ of summons or claim form to the court, within a period determined by the court, …
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THREE QUESTIONS ABOUT DUTCH CARIBBEAN CIVIL PROCEEDINGS
FAQ
Question 1
Are there any particular issues that concern foreign plaintiffs in the Netherlands Antilles?
If proceedings on the merits are initiated by a non-resident plaintiff, the defendant may ask the court to order that the plaintiff provide security for damages, costs and interest which it might be liable to pay as a result of the judgment in aforementioned proceedings. This “cautio judicatum solvi” does not apply if there is a Convention (Treaty) on legal proceedings between the Netherlands Antilles and the plaintiff’s country.
Question2
Can attorney costs for legal proceedings be recovered?
Generally speaking, each party has to …
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THREE QUESTIONS ON DUTCH CARRIBBEAN BANKRUPTCY LAWS
FAQ
Question 1
In which cases and by whom may bankruptcy proceedings be initiated in accordance with Netherlands Antilles bankruptcy law?
Filing for bankruptcy may be done either by the debtor itself or by one or more of its creditors. If the debtor is a company, the managing directors do not have the authority to petition for bankruptcy of the company without authorization thereto from the general meeting, unless otherwise stipulated in the articles of association.
The pre-requisites for making a bankruptcy order on application, regardless of whether the application is made by the debtor or by any of the …
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NEW PRESIDENT CURACAO BAR ASSOCIATION
Meeting held on 12 December 2008
At the Curacao Bar Association’s annual meeting, Karel Frielink (Spigthoff) was formally elected to serve as President of the Curacao Bar Association for a two year-term. He is the successor of Eric de Vries (HBN Law).
Eric Bokkes (Bokkes Fontein Advocaten), Daniel Zahavi (ZL Law) and Chester Peterson (Sulvaran & Peterson) have been re-elected as board member of the Curacao Bar Association: Peterson as Vice-President, Bokkes as Treasurer and Zahavi as Secretary.
Frielink started practicing as an attorney in 1989 in Amsterdam, but moved to Curacao in 1997. He is a partner with Spigthoff …
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THE GENERAL PENSION FUND OF THE NETHERLANDS ANTILLES
The APNA is subject to supervision
The General Pension Fund of the Netherlands Antilles (‘Algemeen Pensioenfonds van de Nederlandse Antillen’; the “APNA”) is governed by its own State Ordinance (‘Landsverordening Algemeen Pensioenfonds van de Nederlandse Antillen’; “SOAPNA”).
The APNA is subject to supervision by the Netherlands Antilles Central Bank and, as far as the annual financial statements, amongst other things, are concerned it is subject to supervision by the General Auditor’s Office a.k.a. General Chamber of Audit (‘Algemene Rekenkamer’). The General Auditor’s Office audits government and government related activities, including government owned companies.
Netherlands Antilles pension funds are obliged to …
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DUTCH CARIBBEAN COURT DECISION IN TELECOM CASE
Scarlet about to enter telecom market in Sint Maarten
On 18 November 2008, the Administrative Court in Sint Maarten ruled that the Executive Council of Sint Maarten was not authorized to refuse Scarlet a business license for the provision and operation of international telecommunications services in Sint Maarten (click here for the judgment).
Scarlet, represented by Dr. Douwe Boersema of the law firm Spigthoff in Curaçao, appealed through the courts against the decision of the authorities in Sint Maarten to deny it such a license based on a moratorium on new telecom companies. The moratorium …
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INSURANCE BUSINESS IN THE DUTCH CARIBBEAN (III)
A broker must be registered
Under the National Ordinance on the supervision of the insurance brokerage business 2003 (Landsverordening toezicht assurantiebemiddelingsbedrijf 2003, “NOSA”), insurance brokers (assurantiebemiddelaars) are prohibited from providing services as an insurance broker unless they are registered in the relevant register administered by the Central Bank. “Insurance Broker” means anyone who, other than pursuant to an employment contract, acts as an intermediary in the conclusion of insurance policies.
There is no statutory definition of “to act as an intermediary”. However, this phrase aims to cover all acts that are intended to conclude an agreement between a potential insurant …
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INSURANCE BUSINESS IN THE DUTCH CARIBBEAN (II)
Limitations apply to a foreign insurance company
A foreign insurance company, i.e. a company not having its seat in the Netherlands Antilles and not operating through any kind of branch office (including a local representative), is allowed to insure a risk located in the Netherlands Antilles (for instance Curaçao), provided this occurs on an incidental basis (Explanatory Memorandum NOSI, Parliament of the Netherlands Antilles, Session 1987-1988, No. 3, p. 7).
In such cases, no license or registration requirements apply. The point is, however, that it is up to the Central Bank to decide whether this criterion has been met. Unfortunately …
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INSURANCE BUSINESS IN THE DUTCH CARIBBEAN (I)
A license is required
The insurance business in the Netherlands Antilles is regulated by the National Ordinance on the Supervision of the Insurance Business 1990 (Landsverordening toezicht verzekeringswezen, the “NOSI”).
The NOSI divides the insurance business into life insurance and indemnity insurance products. Indemnity insurance products are in turn divided into a number of categories: (i) accident and health insurance; (ii) motor vehicle insurance; (iii) maritime, transport and aviation insurance; (iv) fire insurance and other property insurance; and (v) other indemnity insurance.
Any person or entity wishing to conduct either life insurance or indemnity insurance business in or from the …
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SERVICE OF PROCESS IN THE DUTCH CARIBBEAN
This is done by a bailiff
What is the procedure for the service of foreign proceedings under Netherlands Antilles procedural law for a company having its registered address in, for instance Curaçao?
Under Netherlands Antilles procedural law, the service of proceedings on a Netherlands Antilles legal person will be done by means of a bailiff’s notification. This notification shall be served (i) on the person or residence of the president of the management board of the company or (ii) on the business and/or registered address of the company.
Netherlands Antilles procedural law does not provide for the possibility to serve …
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AGENCY AGREEMENTS IN THE DUTCH CARIBBEAN
An agent is entitled to commission
Under the Civil Code of the Netherlands Antilles (article 7:428), an agency agreement is defined as a contract for a fixed or indefinite period of time between a principal and an agent, whereby the agent agrees, against payment, to mediate in the conclusion of contracts and to eventually conclude these contracts in the name and for the account of the principal, without being subordinate to the principal.
An agent shall be entitled to a commission for the negotiation of commercial transactions concluded after the sales representation contract has been terminated:
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MASS LAY-OFF UNDER THE LAWS OF THE DUTCH CARIBBEAN
Permission required
The termination of the employment contracts of more than 25 employees or of 25% or more of the employees of a company is considered a mass lay-off. For such a mass lay-off permission is required from the Director of the Department of Labor and Social Affairs irrespective of the nature of the company’s activities. The Director must be informed by the employer at least two months prior to the (intended date of) termination of the employment contracts. Simultaneously, or at least within eight days of notifying de Director the employer must provide the Director with a redundancy arrangement …
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