Recent Developments in Secured
Financing by Way of Instalment
Sale, Leasing and Lease
Sterling H. DIETZE
Abstract
Instalment sales contracts, leasing (crédit-bail) and leases
are frequently used in secured financings in the Province of Que-
bec. Until recently, rights of vendors and lessors did not need to be
registered in order to be enforceable as against third parties.
Recent legislative changes to the Civil Code of Quebec require reg-
istration of rights of secured creditors relating to leasing contracts
and certain instalment sales contracts and long term leases. This
article briefly reviews the regime prior to such legislative chan-
ges. The specific provisions of such modifications concerning
instalment sales contracts, leasing and leases, as well as assign-
ment, are then analysed. Finally, the transitional rules are exam-
ined. If the regime applicable to a movable hypothec without
delivery is taken as a benchmark, certain important issues in the
area of secured financing by way of instalment sales contracts,
leasing and leases are not addressed by the modifications to the
Civil Code of Quebec. The reform has also introduced a number of
uncertainties.
Résumé
Les contrats de vente à tempérament, crédit-bail et bail sont
fréquemment utilisés au Québec en matière de financement.
Jusqu’à récemment, les droits des vendeurs, crédit-bailleurs et
locateurs n’avaient pas à être inscrits afin d’être opposables aux
tiers. Suite aux récents amendements apportés au Code civil du
Québec, certains des droits de ces créanciers relativement aux
contrats de vente à tempérament, crédit-bail et bail à long terme
doivent être inscrits. Cet article passe en revue brièvement le
régime en vigueur avant que les amendements au Code civil du
Revue du Barreau/Tome 59/Printemps 1999 1