Three days
The period runs from approval of the receiver, not from the former director’s convenience.
Not just paper
Databases, digital keys, credentials, contracts, archives and physical assets are covered.
Use an inventory
The record should show actual volume, condition, format and missing materials.
Who must transfer the records
Article 126 names the debtor’s director and temporary, administrative and external practitioners. An accountant, archive provider, shareholder or other holder may not conceal records, but the court verifies the legal basis and remedy against each person.
The duty arises in corporate liquidation proceedings. The handover supports the debtor asset inventory and formation of the estate.
What the record should contain
| Group | Examples | How to record |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate records | Charter, resolutions, minutes, shareholder register | Name, date, original or copy and page count |
| Accounting and tax | Ledgers, returns, source records and databases | Period, format, medium, credentials and backup |
| Contracts and disputes | Contracts, acts, claims and enforcement papers | Counterparty, number, performance stage and original location |
| Assets and access | Keys, seals, e-signatures, online banking, warehouses and vehicles | Identifier, condition, storage and access restriction |
Practical handover steps
- Obtain the court order appointing the receiver.
- List documents, systems, valuables and responsible persons.
- Create backups without altering source data.
- Reconcile assets and credentials with accounting and physical possession.
- Sign a handover record with an inventory and discrepancies.
- Transfer originals, media and keys securely.
- Describe missing items and restoration measures separately.
If records are withheld
The receiver may seek a court order for records and assets in a documentary separate dispute under Article 60(2). The court may impose a monetary sum for non-compliance. Damages, administrative liability and subsidiary liability are assessed independently.
Missing or distorted mandatory records that materially impede the procedure or estate formation create a rebuttable presumption under Article 61.11. This is related to, but not identical with, the general dispute on director subsidiary liability.
🗂️ A former director’s response to a records request
Added on 25 October 2026. Respond to a recovery application item by item. “Everything was handed over” is less useful than an inventory linked to dates, handover records and receipt evidence. Preserve original electronic data; do not backdate or alter records to remove discrepancies.
| Status | Explain | Support with |
|---|---|---|
| Already transferred | Recipient, date and inventory reference | Signed handover record with annex, receipt or delivery evidence |
| Available for transfer | Format, volume, location and proposed procedure | Inventory, proposed handover appointment and medium details |
| Held by another person | Holder, address and basis of custody | Archive/accounting contract, correspondence and return request |
| Missing or lost | Items, periods, reasons and search locations | Search results and restoration requests to banks, authorities and counterparties |
Illustrative reconciliation: 120 listed items less 93 recorded as delivered leaves 27 items to check. If 17 are ready and 10 are being restored, 93 + 17 + 10 = 120 checks completeness. These are inventory items, not pages; this arithmetic does not establish discharge of the duty.
Outline for the former director’s written response
“In response to the application dated […] in case No. […], I provide an item-by-item reconciliation. Items […] were transferred under the record dated […] (annex […]). Items […] are available and offered for delivery on […] by […]. For items […], I identify the custodian/reasons for absence and attach search and restoration evidence […]. Please assess evidenced performance in the relevant part and determine the procedure for the remaining records in light of these circumstances.” Attach inventories, handover records, correspondence and evidence of sending the position to dispute participants.
Distinguish the two procedural routes
Recovery of debtor records and valuables under Article 126(2) concerns transfer to the liquidation receiver and follows Article 60(2), generally without a hearing. The court may hold a hearing on its own initiative or a reasoned motion. Meet the court’s deadlines and submit written explanations instead of waiting for an invitation to speak.
Where a dispute participant needs a specific piece of evidence for the court, Commercial Procedure Code Article 66(4) requires identification of the document, the facts it proves, obstacles to obtaining it independently and its location. Identify an account and period, for example, rather than “all debtor records”. Attach your request and response, or evidence that no response arrived.
A recipient unable to comply with an evidence-production order specifically under Article 66, at all or within the time allowed, must notify the court with reasons within five days of receiving the order (paragraph 8). This does not replace or automatically extend Article 126’s three-day handover duty.
Legal check for this addition: Article 126(2), Article 60(2) of Federal Law No. 127-FZ and Commercial Procedure Code Article 66, effective on 25 October 2026. Future amendments have not been applied.
Frequently asked questions
Are scans sufficient?
Not always. Originals and working electronic databases may be required depending on the record and retention rules.
Who signs the record?
The transferring party and receiver, or authorised representatives whose authority is documented.
What if the receiver refuses delivery?
Send a written offer, inventory and proof of readiness, then seek a court-defined procedure if the dispute continues.
Can records be retained over unpaid fees?
Self-help retention of debtor records is highly risky; payment rights and the handover duty are resolved separately.
Official sources
Need to transfer or recover records?
We can prepare a verifiable inventory and procedural route without promising a particular liability finding.
Initial consultation