Section 16 — Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act: Security to be given by trustee

Every trustee duly appointed shall, as soon as they are appointed, give security in cash or by bond or suretyship of a guaranty company satisfactory to the official receiver for the due accounting for, the payment and the transfer of all property received by the trustee as trustee and for the due and faithful performance of the trustee’s duties. The security required to be given under subsection (1) shall be given to the official receiver in favour of the creditors generally and may be enforced by any succeeding trustee or by any one of the creditors on behalf of all by direction of the court, and may be increased or reduced by the official receiver. The trustee shall, as soon as possible, take possession of the deeds, books, records and documents and all property of the bankrupt and make an inventory, and for the purpose of making an inventory the trustee is entitled to enter, subject to subsection (3.1), on any premises on which the deeds, books, records, documents or property of the bankrupt may be, even if they are in the possession of an executing officer, a secured creditor or other claimant to them. Where the premises referred to in subsection (3) are occupied by a person other than the bankrupt, the trustee may not enter the premises without the consent of that other person except under the authority of a warrant issued under section 189. The trustee shall, in relation to and for the purpose of acquiring or retaining possession of the property of the bankrupt, be in the same position as if he were a receiver of the property appointed by the court, and the court may on his application enforce the acquisition or retention accordingly. No person is, as against the trustee, entitled to withhold possession of the books of account belonging to the bankrupt or any papers or documents, including material in electronic form, relating to the accounts or to any trade dealings of the bankrupt or to set up any lien or right of retention thereon.