{"id":3196,"date":"2024-01-29T13:06:01","date_gmt":"2024-01-29T13:06:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rfblegal.co.uk\/?post_type=insight&p=3196"},"modified":"2025-11-14T14:34:46","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T14:34:46","slug":"taux-dinteret-de-retard-des-preteurs-relais-la-haute-cour-estime-que-4-interets-de-retard-constituent-une-penalite-inapplicable","status":"publish","type":"insight","link":"https:\/\/rfblegal.co.uk\/fr\/perspectives\/taux-dinteret-de-retard-des-preteurs-relais-la-haute-cour-estime-que-4-interets-de-retard-constituent-une-penalite-inapplicable\/","title":{"rendered":"Taux d'int\u00e9r\u00eat de retard du pr\u00eateur relais : La Haute Cour consid\u00e8re les int\u00e9r\u00eats moratoires de 4% comme une p\u00e9nalit\u00e9 inapplicable"},"content":{"rendered":"

Note: The case has subsequently been dealt with by the Court of Appel<\/a>. You can read the outcome<\/a> of the Court of Appeal judgment in our new article \u201cPr\u00eats relais - Le taux d'int\u00e9r\u00eat par d\u00e9faut d'un pr\u00eateur relais constitue-t-il une p\u00e9nalit\u00e9 inapplicable ?\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

In a recent case \u2013\u00a0the High Court has held that a default<\/a> interest rate of 4% in a short-term loan agreement<\/a> secured by r\u00e9sidentiel<\/a> propri\u00e9t\u00e9<\/a> constituted a penalty and was unenforceable.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Les garanties et les conditions du pr\u00eat<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The lender (L) loaned \u00a31.9 million to another<\/a> company, owned by H and N, secured by mortgages on various properties, including their family home<\/a> and five buy-to-let<\/a> properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Loan agreement provided that in the event of a material breach<\/a>, L could appoint a receiver<\/a>, sell the properties, and impose a 4% par mois<\/em> taux d'int\u00e9r\u00eat de retard en cas de violation substantielle.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

D\u00e9terminer si un taux d'int\u00e9r\u00eat par d\u00e9faut constitue une p\u00e9nalit\u00e9<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The 4% monthly default interest<\/a> rate, a quadruple<\/em> leap from the standard<\/a> rate, proved to be an unenforceable penalty. Applying t<\/em>es principes de l'affaire El Makdessi \/ Cavendish Square Holdings BV<\/strong><\/a><\/em>, La question centrale pour d\u00e9terminer si un taux d'int\u00e9r\u00eat par d\u00e9faut est une p\u00e9nalit\u00e9 est la suivante si l'ampleur de l'augmentation s'explique de mani\u00e8re satisfaisante par la protection d'un int\u00e9r\u00eat l\u00e9gitime<\/em>. While, in principle, charging a higher rate on default could be commercially justified because of an enhanced credit<\/a> risk for a borrower, it was doubtful that this could be claimed here by L.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pourquoi des taux de d\u00e9faut plus \u00e9lev\u00e9s ne peuvent-ils pas \u00eatre justifi\u00e9s ?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

H\u2019s and N\u2019s credit issues could have legitimately led a lender to consider them to be a higher risk. However, there were suppl\u00e9mentaires<\/a> factors to consider:
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. L had previously priced in an increase to reflect the additional credit risk, moving the rate from 0.7% to 1% to reflect a judgment against N. L did not provide any evidence<\/a> as to why late payment justified an increase of a further 3% when a 0.3% increase had been sufficient in relation to the standard rate to adjust for creditworthiness
2. Le m\u00eame niveau d'int\u00e9r\u00eats moratoires est appliqu\u00e9 quelle que soit la nature du manquement.
3. Le taux de d\u00e9faillance a \u00e9t\u00e9 fix\u00e9 de mani\u00e8re centralis\u00e9e par L, ce qui signifie qu'il n'a pas pu \u00eatre fix\u00e9 en fonction des risques sp\u00e9cifiques de l'emprunteur ou du pr\u00eat en question. Des t\u00e9moignages d'experts ont sugg\u00e9r\u00e9 qu'un taux de d\u00e9faillance typique \u00e0 l'\u00e9poque du pr\u00eat \u00e9tait inf\u00e9rieur au taux de d\u00e9faillance en l'esp\u00e8ce.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Le point de vue juridique<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Le cas de souligne deux principes essentiels :
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Tarifs personnalis\u00e9s<\/strong>: Les taux d'int\u00e9r\u00eat doivent \u00eatre adapt\u00e9s \u00e0 chaque transaction afin de prot\u00e9ger l\u2018\u2019int\u00e9r\u00eat l\u00e9gitime\" du pr\u00eateur.
2. Des sanctions proportionn\u00e9es<\/strong>: Le taux doit \u00eatre proportionnel aux risques encourus par le pr\u00eateur en cas de d\u00e9faillance.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nous contacter<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Should you have any queries about<\/a> this topic please contact David Burns, associ\u00e9 principal en charge des litiges<\/em><\/strong><\/a> par courrier \u00e9lectronique \u00e0 l'adresse suivante D.Burns@rfblegal.co.uk<\/em><\/strong><\/a> ou par t\u00e9l\u00e9phone au 07762318409<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Informations compl\u00e9mentaires<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • Auteur de l'actualit\u00e9:David Burns<\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3197,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,46,19],"tags":[81],"class_list":["post-3196","insight","type-insight","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-property-litigation","category-regulatory-law","category-residential-property","tag-litigation-team-dj"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t