How do I claim money from a contractor that is in liquidation?

Answer

You file a proof of debt with the liquidator, with supporting documents such as the contract, valuations, invoices for completion costs, and any judgment or adjudication determination. Where the Official Receiver is liquidator, proofs can be filed online for a S$5 fee; a private liquidator will give you its own form. If you also owe the contractor money, the IRDA requires mutual debts to be set off, and only the balance is provable. Unsecured creditors are paid after liquidation costs and preferential debts.

From the RRD Field Guide, checked against the sources cited in Contractor Insolvency in Singapore: How Owners Protect Themselves If the Contractor Goes Bust. General information, not advice for your project.

The fuller picture

If your contractor becomes insolvent, the money you have not yet paid is your main protection. Pay only against work done, hold a performance bond and check its expiry, keep the right to terminate and step in, and use SOPA section 24 to pay unpaid subcontractors directly where needed. Anything the insolvent contractor still owes you becomes a proof of debt in its liquidation, usually recovered at a fraction.

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