(a) Notices-means of providing -
(1) To the Commission. Unless instructed otherwise by the Commission, all mandatory or discretionary notices to be given to the Commission under this subpart shall be directed by electronic mail to [email protected]. For purposes of this subpart, notice to the Commission shall be deemed to be given only upon actual receipt.
(2) To Customers. The trustee, after consultation with the Commission, and unless otherwise instructed by the Commission, will establish and follow procedures reasonably designed for giving adequate notice to customers under this subpart and for receiving claims or other notices from customers. Such procedures should include, absent good cause otherwise, the use of a prominent website as well as communication to customers' electronic addresses that are available in the debtor's books and records.
(b) Notices to the Commission and designated self-regulatory organizations -
(1) Of commencement of a proceeding. Each commodity broker that is a futures commission merchant and files a petition in bankruptcy shall as soon as practicable before, and in any event no later than, the time of such filing, notify the Commission and such commodity broker's designated self-regulatory organization of the anticipated or actual filing date, the court in which the proceeding will be or has been filed and, as soon as known, the docket number assigned to that proceeding. Each commodity broker that is a futures commission merchant and against which a bankruptcy petition is filed or with respect to which an application for a protective decree under SIPA is filed shall immediately upon the filing of such petition or application notify the Commission and such commodity broker's designated self-regulatory organization of the filing date, the court in which the proceeding has been filed, and, as soon as known, the docket number assigned to that proceeding.
(2) Of transfers under section 764(b) of the Bankruptcy Code. As soon as possible, the trustee of a commodity broker that is a futures commissions merchant, the relevant designated self-regulatory organization, or the applicable clearing organization must notify the Commission, and in the case of a futures commission merchant, the trustee shall also notify its designated self-regulatory organization and clearing organization(s), if such person intends to transfer or to apply to transfer open commodity contracts or customer property on behalf of the public customers of the debtor in accordance with section 764(b) of the Bankruptcy Code and § 190.07(c) or (d).
(c) Notices to customers -
(1) Specifically identifiable property other than open commodity contracts. In any case in which an order for relief has been entered, the trustee must use all reasonable efforts to promptly notify, in accordance with paragraph (a)(2) of this section, any customer whose futures account, foreign futures account, or cleared swaps account includes specifically identifiable property, other than open commodity contracts, which has not been liquidated, that such specifically identifiable property may be liquidated commencing on and after the seventh day after the order for relief (or such other date as is specified by the trustee in the notice with the approval of the Commission or court) if the customer has not instructed the trustee in writing before the deadline specified in the notice to return such property pursuant to the terms for distribution of specifically identifiable property contained in § 190.09(d)(1). Such notice must describe the specifically identifiable property and specify the terms upon which that property may be returned, including if applicable and to the extent practicable any substitute customer property that must be provided by the customer.
(2) Open commodity contracts carried in hedging accounts. To the extent reasonably practicable under the circumstances of the case, and following consultation with the Commission, the trustee may treat open commodity contracts of public customers identified on the books and records of the debtor as held in a futures account, foreign futures account, or cleared swaps account designated as a hedging account in the debtor's records, as specifically identifiable property of such customer.
(i) If the trustee does not exercise such authority, such open commodity contracts do not constitute specifically identifiable property.
(ii) If the trustee exercises such authority:
(A) The trustee shall use reasonable efforts to promptly notify, in accordance with paragraph (a)(2) of this section, each relevant public customer of such determination.
(B)
(1) Where, in the judgment of the trustee, the books and records of the debtor reveal a clear preference by a relevant public customer with respect to transfer or liquidation of open commodity contracts, the trustee shall endeavor, to the extent reasonably practicable, to comply with that preference.
(2) Where, in the judgment of the trustee, the books and records of the debtor do not reveal a clear preference by a relevant public customer with respect to transfer or liquidation of open commodity contracts, the trustee will request the customer to provide written instructions whether to transfer or liquidate such open commodity contracts. Such notice must specify the manner for providing such instructions and the deadline by which the customer must provide instructions.
(C) Such notice must also inform the customer that:
(1) (Where instructions have been requested pursuant to paragraph (c)(2)(ii)(B)(2) of this section), if the customer does not provide instructions in the prescribed manner and by the prescribed deadline, the customer's open commodity contracts will not be treated as specifically identifiable property under this part;
(2) Any transfer of the open commodity contracts is subject to the terms for distribution contained in § 190.09(d)(2);
(3) Absent compliance with any terms imposed by the trustee or the court, the trustee may liquidate the open commodity contracts; and
(4) Providing (or having provided) instructions may not prevent the open commodity contracts from being liquidated.
(3) Involuntary cases. Prior to entry of an order for relief, and upon leave of the court, a trustee appointed in an involuntary proceeding pursuant to section 303 of the Bankruptcy Code may notify customers, in accordance with paragraph (a)(2) of this section, of the commencement of such proceeding and may request customer instructions with respect to the return, liquidation, or transfer of specifically identifiable property.
(4) Notice of bankruptcy and request for proof of customer claim. The trustee shall promptly notify, in accordance with paragraph (a)(2) of this section, each customer that an order for relief has been entered and instruct each customer to file a proof of customer claim containing the information specified in paragraph (e) of this section. Such notice may be given separately from any notice provided in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section. The trustee shall cause the proof of customer claim form referred to in paragraph (e) of this section to set forth the bar date for its filing.
(d) Notice of court filings. The trustee shall promptly provide the Commission with copies of any complaint, motion, or petition filed in a commodity broker bankruptcy which concerns the disposition of customer property. Court filings shall be directed to the Commission addressed as provided in paragraph (a)(1) of this section.
(e) Proof of customer claim. The trustee shall request that customers provide, to the extent reasonably practicable, information sufficient to determine a customer's claim in accordance with the regulations contained in this part, including in the discretion of the trustee:
(1) The class of commodity contract account upon which each claim is based (i.e., futures account, foreign futures account, cleared swaps account, or delivery account (and, in the case of a delivery account, how much is based on cash delivery property and how much is based on the value of physical delivery property);
(2) Whether the claimant is a public customer or a non-public customer;
(3) The number of commodity contract accounts held by each claimant, and, for each such account:
(i) The account number;
(ii) The name in which the account is held;
(iii) The balance as of the last account statement for the account, and information regarding any activity in the account from the date of the last account statement up to and including the filing date that affected the balance of the account;
(iv) The capacity in which the account is held;
(v) Whether the account is a joint account and, if so, the amount of the claimant's percentage interest in that account and whether participants in the joint account are claiming jointly or separately;
(vi) Whether the account is a discretionary account;
(vii) Whether the account is an individual retirement account for which there is a custodian; and
(viii) Whether the account is a cross-margining account for futures and securities;
(4) A description of any accounts held by the claimant with the debtor that are not commodity contract accounts;
(5) A description of all claims against the debtor not based upon a commodity contract account of the claimant or an account listed in response to paragraph (e)(4) of this section;
(6) A description of all claims of the debtor against the claimant not included in the balance of a commodity contract account of the claimant;
(7) A description of and the value of any open positions, unliquidated securities, or other unliquidated property held by the debtor on behalf of the claimant, indicating the portion of such property, if any, which was included in the information provided in paragraph (e)(3) of this section, and identifying any such property which would be specifically identifiable property as defined in § 190.01;
(8) Whether the claimant holds positions in security futures products, and, if so, whether those positions are held in a futures account, a foreign futures account, or a securities account;
(9) Whether the claimant wishes to receive payment in kind, to the extent practicable, for any claim for unliquidated securities or other unliquidated property; and
(10) Copies of any documents which support the information contained in the proof of customer claim, including without limitation, customer confirmations, account statements, and statements of purchase or sale.
(f) Proof of claim form. A template customer proof of claim form which may (but is not required to) be used by the trustee is set forth in appendix A to this part.
(1) If there are no open commodity contracts that are being treated as specifically identifiable property (e.g., if the customer proof of claim form was distributed after the primary liquidation date), the trustee should modify the customer proof of claim form to delete references to open commodity contracts as specifically identifiable property.
(2) In the event the trustee determines that the debtor's books and records reflecting customer transactions are not reasonably reliable, or account statements are not available from which account balances as of the date of transfer or liquidation of customer property may be determined, the proof of claim form used by the trustee should be modified to take into account the particular facts and circumstances of the case.