Surety / Personal guarantee

Definição

A surety (borgtocht) is a contract in which a guarantor undertakes to fulfil a debtor obligation towards a creditor if the debtor fails to perform. It is accessory to the principal debt, so the surety can invoke the debtor defences and is released if the main debt lapses. For a private individual standing surety outside the course of business, additional protective formalities and consent rules apply.

Exemplo

A company director stands surety for a bank loan to the company, becoming personally liable if the company defaults.

Porque é um risco para a empresa

A surety exposes the guarantor to personal or group-level financial liability for obligations they do not directly control. The scope and duration of the surety commitment are frequently underestimated at the time of signing, particularly when the underlying obligation can grow or extend. For creditors, a surety is only as strong as the guarantor's balance sheet, which may deteriorate over the contract term.

Como gerir

• Define the maximum amount of the surety clearly; an unlimited surety is a significant risk and may be unenforceable in some circumstances.
• Specify the duration: does the surety terminate with the underlying contract, or does it continue for claims arising after termination?
• For a private individual surety, comply with the statutory formalities under BW 7:859, which require the surety to be established in writing and the amount to be stated in the guarantor's own hand.
• Obtain spousal or registered partner consent where required by law before accepting a personal surety from an individual.
• Monitor the financial health of the guarantor during the contract term and trigger a replacement security request if the guarantor's creditworthiness materially declines.

Referências jurídicas

• BW 7:850 Dutch Civil Code: surety (borgtocht) Direito neerlandês

Salvo indicação em contrário, as referências remetem para o direito neerlandês (Burgerlijk Wetboek, o Código Civil neerlandês); os instrumentos da UE, como o RGPD, aplicam-se em toda a UE. Esta é informação geral, não constitui aconselhamento jurídico. Outras jurisdições tratam estes conceitos de forma diferente. Verifique o texto em vigor e a sua situação com um advogado qualificado.