Deposit agreement

Definizione

A deposit agreement governs the holding of money, securities, goods or documents by a custodian on behalf of one or more parties, setting out the conditions for safekeeping and release. It is common where value must be parked safely pending a condition, such as a transaction closing or a dispute outcome, and overlaps with escrow arrangements. Core terms cover the custodian's duties, release triggers, fees and liability.

Esempio

In a share purchase, part of the price is placed under a deposit agreement and released only once warranty claims are cleared after closing.

Perché rappresenta un rischio aziendale

Ambiguous release conditions in a deposit agreement can paralyse a transaction if the parties disagree on whether the trigger has been met. If the custodian has wide discretion, a party may find itself unable to access its own funds until lengthy legal proceedings resolve the dispute. A poorly negotiated custodian liability cap can leave depositors without recourse if the custodian misapplies the funds.

Come gestirlo

• Define release conditions with objective, measurable triggers so there is no room for disagreement about whether they have been satisfied.
• Specify what happens if a release condition is not satisfied by a long-stop date: whether the deposit is returned, forfeited or held pending further agreement.
• Confirm the custodian's duties, liability and insurance so you understand the level of protection for the deposited assets.
• Track the long-stop date and any interim milestone dates in your contract system so you know when to expect or demand release.

Riferimenti normativi

• BW 7:600 Dutch Civil Code: safekeeping Diritto olandese

Salvo diversa indicazione, i riferimenti riguardano il diritto olandese (Burgerlijk Wetboek, il Codice Civile olandese); gli strumenti UE come il GDPR si applicano in tutta l'UE. Si tratta di informazioni generali, non di consulenza legale. Altre giurisdizioni trattano questi concetti in modo diverso. Verifichi il testo vigente e la propria situazione con un avvocato qualificato.