what is service of the notice of assignment and charge

Assignments: why you need to serve a notice of assignment

It's the day of completion; security is taken, assignments are completed and funds move. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief. At this point, no-one wants to create unnecessary paperwork - not even the lawyers! Notices of assignment are, in some circumstances, optional. However, in other transactions they could be crucial to a lender's enforcement strategy. In the article below, we have given you the facts you need to consider when deciding whether or not you need to serve notice of assignment.

What issues are there with serving notice of assignment?

Assignments are useful tools for adding flexibility to banking transactions. They enable the transfer of one party's rights under a contract to a new party (for example, the right to receive an income stream or a debt) and allow security to be taken over intangible assets which might be unsuitable targets for a fixed charge. A lender's security net will often include assignments over contracts (such as insurance or material contracts), intellectual property rights, investments or receivables.

An assignment can be a legal assignment or an equitable assignment. If a legal assignment is required, the assignment must comply with a set of formalities set out in s136 of the Law of Property Act 1925, which include the requirement to give notice to the contract counterparty.

The main difference between legal and equitable assignments (other than the formalities required to create them) is that with a legal assignment, the assignee can usually bring an action against the contract counterparty in its own name following assignment. However, with an equitable assignment, the assignee will usually be required to join in proceedings with the assignor (unless the assignee has been granted specific powers to circumvent that). That may be problematic if the assignor is no longer available or interested in participating.

Why should we serve a notice of assignment?

The legal status of the assignment may affect the credit scoring that can be given to a particular class of assets. It may also affect a lender's ability to effect part of its exit strategy if that strategy requires the lender to be able to deal directly with the contract counterparty.

The case of General Nutrition Investment Company (GNIC) v Holland and Barrett International Ltd and another (H&B) provides an example of an equitable assignee being unable to deal directly with a contract counterparty as a result of a failure to provide a notice of assignment.

The case concerned the assignment of a trade mark licence to GNIC . The other party to the licence agreement was H&B. H&B had not received notice of the assignment. GNIC tried to terminate the licence agreement for breach by serving a notice of termination. H&B disputed the termination. By this point in time the original licensor had been dissolved and so was unable to assist.

At a hearing of preliminary issues, the High Court held that the notices of termination served by GNIC , as an equitable assignee, were invalid, because no notice of the assignment had been given to the licensee. Although only a High Court decision, this follows a Court of Appeal decision in the Warner Bros Records Inc v Rollgreen Ltd case, which was decided in the context of the attempt to exercise an option.

In both cases, an equitable assignee attempted to exercise a contractual right that would change the contractual relationship between the parties (i.e. by terminating the contractual relationship or exercising an option to extend the term of a licence). The judge in GNIC felt that "in each case, the counterparty (the recipient of the relevant notice) is entitled to see that the potential change in his contractual position is brought about by a person who is entitled, and whom he can see to be entitled, to bring about that change".

In a security context, this could hamper the ability of a lender to maximise the value of the secured assets but yet is a constraint that, in most transactions, could be easily avoided.

Why not serve notice?

Sometimes it's just not necessary or desirable. For example:

• If security is being taken over a large number of low value receivables or contracts, the time and cost involved in giving notice may be disproportionate to the additional value gained by obtaining a legal rather than an equitable assignment.
• If enforcement action were required, the equitable assignee typically has the option to join in the assignor to any proceedings (if it could not be waived by the court) and provision could be made in the assignment deed for the assignor to assist in such situations. Powers of attorney are also typically granted so that a lender can bring an action in the assignor's name.
• Enforcement is often not considered to be a significant issue given that the vast majority of assignees will never need to bring claims against the contract counterparty.

Care should however, be taken in all circumstances where the underlying contract contains a ban on assignment, as the contract counterparty would not have to recognise an assignment that is made in contravention of that ban. Furthermore, that contravention in itself may trigger termination and/or other rights in the assigned contract, that could affect the value of any underlying security.

What about acknowledgements of notices?

A simple acknowledgement of service of notice is simply evidence of the notice having been received. However, these documents often contain commitments or assurances by the contract counterparty which increase their value to the assignee.

Best practice for serving notice of assignment

Each transaction is different and the weighting given to each element of the security package will depend upon the nature of the debt and the borrower's business. The service of a notice of assignment may be a necessity or an optional extra. In each case, the question of whether to serve notice is best considered with your advisers at the start of a transaction to allow time for the lender's priorities to be highlighted to the borrowers and captured within the documents.

For further advice on serving notice of assignment please contact Kirsty Barnes or Catherine Phillips  from our Banking & Finance team.

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What is a notice of assignment?

An assignment takes place when one party is holding a right to property, claims, bills, lease, etc., of another party and wishes to pass it along (or sell it) to a third party. As complicated as that sounds, it really isn’t. Strangely enough, many assignments can be made under the law without immediately informing, or obtaining the permission, of the personal obligated to perform under the contract. An example of this is when your mortgage is sold to another mortgage company. The original mortgage company may not inform you for several weeks, and they certainly aren’t going to ask your permission to make the sale.

If a person obligated to perform has received notice of the assignment and still insists on paying the initial assignor, the person will still be obligated to pay the new assignee according to the agreement. If the obligated party has not yet been informed of the assignment and pays the original note holder (assignor), the assignor is obligated to turn those funds over to the new assignee. But, what are the remedies if this doesn’t take place? Actually, the new assignee may find themselves in a difficult position if the assignor simply takes off with their funds or payment. They are limited to taking action against the person they bought the note from (assignor) and cannot hold the obligator liable. Therefore, it is important to remember that if any note or obligation is assigned to another party, each party should be well aware of their responsibilities in the transaction and uphold them according to the laws of their state. Assignment forms should be well thought out and written in a manner which prevents the failure of one party against another.

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• Does your Agreement Require an Assignment Legal Form?
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• Why you need a Power of Attorney and How to Assign One

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Charges when Selling or Buying Leasehold Property

When you buy, own or sell a Leasehold property, many of your rights and obligations will be set out in your lease. One of your obligations will be to make certain payments to the person or the organisation responsible for administering and managing your building. That person might be a landlord, a management company, or a managing agent instructed by the landlord or management company (referred to below as "the landlord"). The typed of payments or charges can be divided into three groups. They are:

Ground Rent

Your lease may provide for you to make regular payments of ground rent as well as service charges. Although the lease may initially oblige you to pay a fixed amount of ground rent, it may also contain a clause which allows the landlord to increase the rent in years to come. When buying a leasehold property you should always ask your conveyancer to explain if there are any rent review clauses in your lease and explain what this would mean to you in financial terms.

Service Charge

Service charges normally vary according to the amount that is spent by the landlord each year on the upkeep of the building as a whole, including for example, cleaning the communal areas, gardening, maintaining and renewing the structure of the building (including the roof), building insurance. Usually, the lease will oblige you to pay a fixed percentage or a "reasonable proportion" of that amount. You should ask your conveyancer how the service charge is calculated, what it covers and whether the landlord has any plans for expensive remedial works to be carried out to the building for which you will be responsible.

Administration Charges

The landlord is likely to make an administration charge if you ask for a service connected with the buying or selling of a leasehold property. The following are examples of these charges you may have to pay,

When you are selling

1. Sellers leasehold pack: When you are selling a leasehold property it will be your responsibility to pay the landlord's charge to provide a Sellers leasehold pack (usually in the form of a Form LPE1) to provide the leasehold information required by your buyer and their lender.

2. Licence to Assign: It is possible that your lease requires you to obtain a licence from the landlord to sell the property. This involves the landlord approving the buyer as a new owner of the property. You may have to pay both the landlord's and landlord's solicitors charges for consenting to the sale and providing the Licence.

3. Exit or Transfer Fee: A retirement flat lease may include an "exit" or "transfer fee" payable by you from the sale proceeds and expressed as a percentage of the property value.

When you are buying

1. Deed of Covenant: Some leases require a buyer to enter into a Deed with the landlord to confirm that you will be bound by the terms of the lease. The buyer has to pay this charge.

2. Notice of Assignment of Transfer and Charge: The landlord will require that a notice is sent to them notifying of the change of ownership and any mortgage lender. This is to ensure that the landlord has your contact details (these may be different from the address of the property you have purchased) for the purpose of sending you ground rent and service charge invoices, and details of works to be carried out to the building.

3. Certificate of Compliance: The landlord may be required to provide this to confirm to the Land Registry that the change of ownership requirements in the lease have been complied with.

4. Share or Membership Transfer Charge: If you are required to become a member of the Management Company then the landlord may make a charge to transfer the share or membership certificate into your name.

To ensure that you are aware of the above charges and procedures, when you are selling or buying leasehold property, you should ask your conveyancer to review the lease and property title at an early stage.

Hughes Paddison has an experienced residential property team who are able to advise on all aspects of leasehold conveyancing whether you are selling or buying. Please contact our residential property team, we will spend time discussing any queries you have concerning the leasehold property you are buying or selling, and provide you with a conveyancing quote.

The information contained on this page has been prepared for the purpose of this blog/article only. The content should not be regarded at any time as a substitute for taking legal advice.

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Notice of Assignment | Practical Law

Notice of Assignment

Practical law standard document 2-508-6945  (approx. 11 pages).

Fourteenth Amendment , Section 1:

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

The Supreme Court has explained that “[a]n elementary and fundamental requirement of due process in any proceeding which is to be accorded finality is notice reasonably calculated, under all the circumstances, to apprise interested parties of the pendency of the action and afford them an opportunity to present their objections.” 1 Footnote Mullane v. Cent. Hanover Bank & Trust Co., 339 U.S. 306, 314 (1950) . See also Richards v. Jefferson Cnty., 517 U.S. 793 (1996) (res judicata may not apply where taxpayer who challenged a county’s occupation tax was not informed of prior case and where taxpayer interests were not adequately protected). The notice requirement may include an obligation to take “reasonable followup measures” that may be available upon learning that an attempt at notice has failed. 2 Footnote Jones v. Flowers, 547 U.S. 220, 235 (2006) (state’s certified letter, intended to notify a property owner that his property would be sold unless he satisfied a tax delinquency, was returned by the post office marked unclaimed; the state should have taken additional reasonable steps to notify the property owner, as it would have been practicable for it to have done so). In addition, notice must be sufficient to enable the recipient to determine what is being proposed and what he must do to prevent the deprivation of his interest. 3 Footnote Goldberg v. Kelly, 397 U.S. 254, 267–68 (1970) . Ordinarily, service of notice must be reasonably structured to assure that the person to whom it is directed receives it. 4 Footnote Armstrong v. Manzo, 380 U.S. 545, 550 (1965) ; Robinson v. Hanrahan, 409 U.S. 38 (1972) ; Greene v. Lindsey, 456 U.S. 444 (1982) . However, the notice need not describe the legal procedures necessary to protect one’s interest if the procedures are otherwise set out in published, generally available public sources. 5 Footnote City of West Covina v. Perkins, 525 U.S. 234 (1999) .

While due process often requires the government to provide a person with notice and an opportunity for a hearing before depriving the person of a protected interest, 6 Footnote E.g. , Twining v. New Jersey, 211 U.S. 78, 11 (1908) (stating that those requirements “seem to be universally prescribed in all systems of law established by civilized countries” ); Jacob v. Roberts, 223 U.S. 261, 265 (1912) . there are some circumstances in which the Court has held those procedural protections are not required. 7 Footnote Notice and a hearing is not always needed before collection of taxes. See Amdt14.S1.5.7.1 State Taxes and Due Process Generally. For instance, persons adversely affected by a law cannot challenge the law’s validity on the ground that the legislative body that enacted it gave no notice of proposed legislation, held no hearings at which the person could have presented his arguments, and gave no consideration to particular points of view. 8 Footnote Bi-Metallic Invest. Co. v. State Bd. of Equalization, 239 U.S. 441, 445–46 (1915) . See also Bragg v. Weaver, 251 U.S. 57, 58 (1919) . Cf. Logan v. Zimmerman Brush Co., 455 U.S. 422, 432–33 (1982) . Similarly, when an administrative agency engages in a legislative function, for example by drafting regulations of general application, it need not hold a hearing prior to promulgation. 9 Footnote United States v. Fla. E. Coast Ry., 410 U.S. 224 (1973) . On the other hand, if a regulation affects an identifiable class of persons, the Court employs a multi-factor analysis to determine whether notice and hearing is required and, if so, whether it must precede such action. 10 Footnote Id. at 245 (distinguishing between rule-making, at which legislative facts are in issue, and adjudication, at which adjudicative facts are at issue, requiring a hearing in latter proceedings but not in the former). See Londoner v. City of Denver, 210 U.S. 373 (1908) . One factor the Court considers in this analysis is whether agency action is subject to later judicial scrutiny. Anderson Nat’l Bank v. Luckett, 321 U.S. 233, 246–47 (1944) .

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What is a Notice of Assignment?

• What is a Notice of…

A factoring contract can contain many parts, but few are as important as the Notice of Assignment.

What are the parts of a notice of assignment.

A notice of assignment contains a few standard parts. First, it informs your customers that you are factoring your invoices and that your factoring company has been assigned as the payee for your accounts receivables. Next, a notice of assignment provides your customer with an updated remittance address for all current and future payments to be sent to. Third, it contains explicit instructions that all payments should be made to the factoring company’s remittance address only, and that no other payments should be made to any other address without explicit permission from the factoring company. It also contains verbiage that states that payments made in conflict to this notice of assignment will not be considered to have discharged a customer’s obligation for payment to the factoring company. Lastly, the factoring client signs the notice of assignment to prove it is valid.

Why do my customers need to know that I’m factoring?

The right to receive payments for amounts owed is one of the main protections a factoring company has in the factoring process. It is an essential part of almost every factoring program. In order to assure that payments are directed appropriately, a factoring company must contact a customer to verify that the notice of assignment has been accepted and the remittance address has been updated.

Why does my factoring company receive payments for invoices that weren’t factored?

A notice of assignment gives your factoring company the right to collect for ALL payments owed to you by your customer. Some factoring companies require that you factor every invoice for your customers, making this a non-issue. However, if you are working with a factoring company that allows you to pick and choose which invoices to factor for a customer, your factoring company will also receive payments for those unfactored invoices.

This happens for two reasons. First, allowing multiple remittance addresses for a payee exponentially increases the chance of a misdirected payment being made. Second, asking the customer to shoulder the additional workload of keeping track of which payments should be made to which remittance address would make invoice factoring unattractive for many customers, and thus limit the number of companies willing to work with a business that was factoring. All factoring companies have policies to efficiently deal with unfactored payments when they arrive.

What happens if I receive a payment that should have been sent to my factoring company?

Most factoring companies understand that accidents happen, and mistakes will be made. If an error in payment occurs in good faith, factoring companies have processes in place to deal with the issue. Firstly, it is important that a factoring client does not deposit the payment into their account, but rather they should immediately notify their factoring company of the errant payment and send it immediately to their factoring company. If a factoring client fails to do so, or attempts to hide the payment from their factoring company, then that client will be responsible for a misdirected payment, which often carries heavy penalties in the factoring contract.

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THE NOTICE OF ASSIGNMENT: A REFRESHER COURSE

Allen J. Heffner Nov 20, 2023

The Notice of Assignment is probably the single most important document for a Factor. Understanding what needs to be included in the Notice of Assignment, how to send it, and who to send it to can mean the difference between getting paid and not. Despite the fact that every Factor is (or should be) familiar with legal requirements relating to Notices of Assignment, we still find that many of our factoring clients who end up in litigation make basic mistakes relating to their Notices of Assignment. The article focuses on what information needs to be included in the Notice, who the Notice should be sent to, and how the Notice should be delivered.

What needs to be included in the Notice of Assignment?

To be effective, there is certain information that must be included in the Notice of Assignment. The Uniform Commercial Code (“UCC”) requires that the notice must:

• Notify the Account Debtor that the amount due or to become due has been assigned;
• Notify the Account Debtor that payment is to be made to the Factor;
• Reasonably identify the rights assigned; and
• Be signed by the Factor or its client.

The Notice of Assignment should also include a remittance address so the Account Debtor is informed how and in what manner the Factor should be paid.

Additionally, while not explicitly required under the current version of the UCC, Factors should include language in their Notice of Assignment that: (i) the Client has assigned all of its present and future accounts receivable to Factor; (ii) the Factor holds a first priority security interest in all of the client’s accounts receivable; and (iii) all payments owing to the client must be paid to the Factor.

Who should the Notice of Assignment be sent to?

Notices of Assignment should not be sent directly to individuals with an Account Debtor. Sending the Notice to a specific individual may lead to issues relating to the authority of that individual to receive documents on behalf of the Account Debtor. Moreover, Factors that direct Notices of Assignment directly to individuals open themselves up to arguments that the Notices of Assignment was not properly delivered. For instance, our clients that have sent Notices of Assignment to individuals have ended up in situations where the individual to whom the Notice of Assignment was addressed no longer worked with the Account Debtor or the individual was located at a different office and the Notice of Assignment was not sent to the proper location. To be safe and to avoid unnecessary issues, Factors should send the Notice of Assignment to the Account Debtor’s accounts payable department.

Additionally, some states have specialized definitions for what constitutes “notice” on behalf of a company. If there is any question as to where a Notice of Assignment should be sent, Factors should check with their attorney to determine where these should be sent.

How should the Notice of Assignment be delivered?

The crucial issue for the enforceability of a Notice of Assignment is proof of receipt by the Account Debtor, not proof of delivery. Therefore, it is good business practice to send the Notice of Assignment either certified mail or other method that provides for proof of delivery.

Many of our clients have asked about whether it is proper to deliver the Notice of Assignment via e-mail asking the Account Debtor to confirm receipt or with “read receipts” turned on. Some Factors prefer this method because it is more cost efficient.

While sending Notices of Assignment via e-mail is enforceable, we would not recommend it as a general business practice. Sending the Notice in this manner requires delivering the Notice to a specific individual, which we have discussed above can be problematic. Sometimes officers and directors of companies have assistants or other personnel manage their e-mail accounts, raising the possibility that the individual to whom the Notice was sent, never saw the e-mail, even though the e-mail was “read.”

Last, there is no requirement that the Notice be signed by the Account Debtor and returned to the Factor. Often, we see our client’s Notice include a “confirmation of receipt” line for the Account Debtor to sign and return. Sometimes, the Factor will have proof of delivery to the Account Debtor but the Notice was not signed and returned by the Account Debtor. This adds unnecessary ambiguity as to whether the Notice was actually received by the Account Debtor. Therefore, we instruct our clients not to include such requests for proof of receipt.

Who should send the Notice of Assignment?

Some of our clients that have had bad experiences with Account Debtors after delivering a Notice of Assignment have chosen to have their Client be the one to deliver the Notice of Assignment. There is no legal requirement as to whether the Factor or the Client is the correct party to deliver the Notice of Assignment. However, we recommend the Factor be the one to deliver the Notice of Assignment. This way, the Factor is in complete control of the contents of the Notice of Assignment, how it is delivered, and receives confirmation of its delivery. We have been in situations in which the Factor allowed the Client to deliver the Notice of Assignment, but the Client did not deliver the Notice of Assignment in accordance with the law, leading to avoidable litigation.

Should a Factor respond to an Account Debtors questions regarding a Notice of Assignment?

Absolutely, yes. If requested by an Account Debtor, pursuant to the UCC, a Factor must furnish reasonable proof of the assignment for the Notice of Assignment to be valid. Too often we see situations in which requests are made or questions are posed by Account Debtors that the Factor ignores, thinking that because the Account Debtor received the Notice of Assignment, nothing else needs to be done. The Factor should respond to the Account Debtor and provide reasonable proof of the assignment. These communications can also provide invaluable insight as to the relationship between the client and the Account Debtor, how and when payments will be made, and can provide the Account Debtor a sense of trust with the Factor.

A Notice of Assignment is crucial for Factors because it provides legal protection, establishes priority of interest, prevents confusion, facilitates legal recourse, and enables effective communication with Account Debtors. Without this notice, Factors may encounter difficulties in asserting their rights and collecting payments from Account Debtors, potentially jeopardizing the financial transaction.

Bruce Loren and Allen Heffner of the Loren & Kean Law Firm are based in Palm Beach Gardens and Fort Lauderdale. For over 25 years, Mr. Loren has focused his practice on construction law and factoring law.  Mr. Loren has achieved the title of “Certified in Construction Law” by the Florida Bar. The Firm represents factoring companies in a wide range of industries, including construction, regarding all aspects of litigation and dispute resolution. Mr. Loren and Mr. Heffner can be reached at [email protected] or [email protected] or 561-615-5701

Bruce E. Loren · Michael I. Kean · Allen J. Heffner · Kyle W. Ohlenschlaeger · Frank Sardinha, III · Lucia E. DeFilippo

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What is a Notice of Assignment and How Does it Protect the Construction Business?

by CapitalPlus | Nov 8, 2023 | Blog

The Notice of Assignment, or NOA, is commonly used in business, including the construction industry. Let’s learn about the definition and how it protects us, construction businesses.

A Notice of Assignment is used when rights or obligations under a contract are transferred from one party to another. For example, if a company assigns its rights to payment under a construction contract to a third party like a factoring company , a Notice of Assignment would be sent to the party owing the payment to inform them of the new payee. The NOA helps to ensure that a construction company’s actions are transparent and that it has taken the necessary steps to inform and coordinate with all parties who may be impacted by its activities.

How does the “Notice of Assignment” protect construction trades?

Being a formal document, the Notice of Assignment states that a contract or obligation has been transferred from one party (the assignor) to another (the assignee). Here’s how it protects a construction company:

• Clarity of Responsibility : An NOA clearly delineates the transfer of rights or obligations under a contract, such as the right to receive payment or the duty to perform work, ensuring that all parties know who is now responsible.
• Proof of Notification : In the event of any disputes arising regarding the assignment, the NOA serves as legal proof that all parties were properly informed. This can be crucial in the event there is litigation or arbitration.
• Protection of Payment Rights : For a construction company that has sold or assigned its right to receive payment for work performed, the NOA informs the client or project owner of the Factoring company to which payments should be made, thus protecting the company’s financial interests.
• Avoidance of Duplication : The NOA prevents the original client from making payments to the assignor when the right to receive payment has been assigned to another entity, thus avoiding duplicate payments or financial confusion.
• Legal Requirement : In some jurisdictions, a NOA is a legal requirement to enforce the assignment against third parties. Without it, the assignee may not be able to legally claim their rights under the contract.
• Maintaining Business Relationships : By formally notifying clients of the assignment, the NOA provides the construction company transparency and trust in its business relationships, which is essential for ongoing and future business.

In summary, the Notice of Assignment ensures that all parties are informed about where contractual rights and obligations lie after an assignment has taken place.

If you have questions about NOAs or any other aspect of the invoice factoring process , feel free to reach out. We are glad to help.

Assignments by way of security

Published by a lexisnexis banking & finance expert.

Assignments by way of security can take different forms and it is important to understand how they are created and their effect. Security over choses in action such as debts and other contractual rights is often taken by way of an equitable or statutory assignment by way of security.

This Practice Note explains:

what assignments by way of security are

which types of assets they are used for

whether they take legal, statutory or equitable form and the advantages of the statutory form

why it is important to serve notice of an assignment by way of security

What is an assignment by way of security?

Assignments by way of security are a type of mortgage. They involve:

an assignment (ie transfer) of rights by the assignor to the assignee

subject to:

an obligation to reassign those rights back to the assignor upon the discharge of the obligations which have been secured

When the obligations that have been secured have been discharged,

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Related legal acts:

• Law of Property Act 1925 (1925 c 20)
• Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 (2015 c 26)

Key definition:

Assignor definition, what does assignor mean.

The entity disposing of an asset by an assignment .

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Issue a notice of assignment or charge on your leasehold property

Transactions such as sales and remortgages require a notice of assignment, or transfer, and/​or charge being served to us. Your lease says we must be told about this.

Costs for this service

• Notice of assignment - £35
• Notice of charge - £35
• Notice of assignment and notice of charge - £70

What you need to know...

Notice of assignment (transfer).

When a lease is sold or passed to someone else it’s known as an assignment to the new owner or owners. The lease says that the council must be told about this.

If you've recently sold your property it is the responsibility of the buyer's solicitor to send us a notice of transfer and pay the fee so that we can update our records. The notice should be issued by the seller's solicitor within one month.

Notice of charge

This is a notice confirming that a mortgage has been secured as a charge against the land registry. This notice should be served alongside the notice of transfer if you are registering a purchase.

You'll also need to issue a notice of charge if you:

• buy a property with a mortgage
• add someone to your mortgage
• remortgage the property (get a new mortgage, or borrow more money on your existing mortgage).

Do it online

Pay for a notice of assignment

Pay for a notice of charge

Pay for a notice of assignment and charge

1.915-859-8900 Get a Free Quote

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Factoring Notice of Assignment (NOA): Everything You Need to Know

A factoring notice of assignment (NOA) is usually required when you factor your invoices. Rest assured, NOAs are quite common in business and aren’t a cause for concern. However, it helps to understand what they are and how they work so that you can explain them to your customers as needed.

Assignment of Debt Explained

Companies transfer debt, along with all associated rights and obligations, to third parties all the time. One example of this occurs with collection companies. In these cases, the business, also referred to as the creditor, sells its uncollectable balances or assigns specific debts to the collection company. The collection company is then authorized to collect those specific balances on behalf of the creditor.

Assignment of debt may also come into play when businesses outsource their receivables and leverage certain types of funding, among other situations.

What Does Notice of Assignment Mean?

The customer, also referred to as the debtor, must be informed when a creditor assigns their debt to a third party. The document used in this process is referred to as a notice of assignment of debt.

What is a Notice of Assignment in Factoring?

When you leverage invoice factoring , you’re selling an unpaid B2B invoice to a factoring company at a discount. In exchange, you receive up to 98 percent of the invoice’s value right away and get the remaining sum minus a small factoring fee when your client pays. This means you’re not waiting 30, 60, or more days for payment. This cash flow acceleration helps businesses bridge cash flow gaps caused by slow-paying customers, seasonality, rapid growth, and more. Plus, the cash can be used for anything the business needs. This unique process means businesses can receive immediate funding without creating debt like other funding sources.

A notice of assignment is required in factoring because you’re assigning debt to a third party – the factoring company – and the customers involved need to know.

The Role of Notice of Assignment for Cash Flow

Invoice factoring stands out as a solution for businesses seeking to improve their cash flow. When a company decides to use invoice factoring, it enters into a factoring relationship, where accounts receivable and financial rights are handled differently than usual. This process involves the NOA, a pivotal document in factoring transactions. Essentially, NOA is a simple letter informing customers that the payment terms have changed and future payments should be made payable to the factoring company.

This notification ensures that there are no misdirected payments, which is a critical aspect when managing accounts payable and securing immediate cash. By using factoring, businesses can access working capital, which reduces the strain of slow-paying customers. It’s important for factoring clients to understand how factoring companies notify your customers and the implications of this process. The factoring contract typically outlines these details, ensuring that every party in a factoring transaction is aware of their responsibilities, especially regarding remittance addresses and payment information.

Factoring services offer an alternative to traditional lines of credit, providing businesses with high advances at low rates. This method is beneficial for companies that demand longer payment terms from their clients. By transferring the right to collect payments to the factoring company, the business can focus on its core operations while the finance company handles the receivables. Understanding the benefits of factoring and effectively communicating them to your customers may improve the factoring process and maintain healthy customer relationships, even when introducing new financial arrangements like invoice factoring.

The Importance of a Notice of Assignment in Factoring

Notice of Assignment in invoice factoring keeps your customers in the loop so they know who is collecting and why. It also lets them know where to send their payments. This streamlines the process and helps ensure there’s no confusion about where payments need to go.

Elements of a Factoring NOA Document

Each factoring company words its NOA a bit differently, but NOAs usually include:

• A statement that indicates the factoring company is now managing the invoice or invoices.
• A notice that payments should be made to the factoring company.
• Details on how payments can be made, including addresses, bank details, or payment portal information.
• What will occur if payments are sent to the business instead of the third party.
• A signature from someone at your business to show your customer that the NOA is authentic and a signature space for your customer to sign indicating that they’ve read and understand the document.

How Do Factoring Companies Notify Your Customers

A factoring notice of assignment is usually sent to customers by U.S. mail, though sometimes factoring companies use other delivery services or even digitize the NOA.

What Will Your Clients Think of You Factoring Your Invoices?

Sometimes, businesses that are new to invoice factoring have concerns about how customers will react to factoring or receiving an NOA. However, it’s usually not a cause for concern.

Although your factoring company isn’t an outsourcing company, it behaves quite similarly when collecting invoices. Nearly 40 percent of small businesses outsource at least one business process, Clutch reports. That means a significant portion of your customers already have some experience engaging with third parties. Furthermore, invoice factoring is growing in leaps and bounds and is expected to grow by eight percent in the coming years, per Grandview Research . Many of your customers already have experience with factoring or will very soon. Because most businesses have some exposure to factoring or will in the near future, it’s generally seen as an ordinary business practice – nothing more, nothing less.

However, even if factoring is entirely new to your customers, how they respond to your decision is often determined by how you present it. For instance, it accelerates payments without putting pressure on your customers to pay faster. It has benefits for them, too, and can help improve the relationship. This alone can actually help some businesses win bids or attract new customers. Explaining it to them this way can help soothe any concerns if customers come to you with questions.

How to Ensure Your Customer Relationships Are Protected

Most factoring companies will take good care of their customers because they are a reflection of you. Your repeat business helps ensure they’ll have repeat business. However, reviewing a factoring company’s testimonials and success stories is always a good idea to understand better how they operate before you sign up.

It’s also essential to work with a company like Viva that doesn’t send mass notifications to all its customers. We only notify those who are debtors on the invoices you’d like to factor to eliminate any confusion.

Lastly, it’s better to work with a company that provides you with 24/7 access to your account so you can see what’s paid and outstanding at a glance and can make decisions about orders using real-time data.

Request a Complimentary Invoice Factoring Quote

At Viva Capital, we always provide white glove care to the businesses we serve and their customers.As part of our service, we handle the Notice of Assignment with professionalism. Our collection experts make it easy for your customers to manage their bills and are happy to answer their questions. You’ll also have access to your personal Customer Account Portal so you can make informed decisions on the fly and always know what’s outstanding. To learn more or get started, request a complimentary invoice factoring quote .

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• 5 Benefits Factoring Companies Offer Other Than Factoring - February 9, 2024
• Factoring Notice of Assignment (NOA): Everything You Need to Know - January 4, 2024

About Armando Armendariz

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