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During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments implemented eviction moratoria to prevent landlords from removing tenants due to unpaid rent. Rather than reduce evictions, what if these new tenant protections merely shifted the tactics used by landlords to displace tenants? This study draws on an original survey, administrative data, and in-depth interviews with low-income tenants to uncover the changing role of formal and informal evictions and eviction tactics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings indicate that the moratorium was associated with fewer formal evictions and eviction tactics, but this coincided with a higher prevalence of informal evictions and eviction tactics. Landlords unable to use housing courts to formally evict a tenant turned to informal, and often illegal, actions to remove tenants. These findings highlight the importance of measuring informal evictions and eviction tactics and the limitations of eviction moratoria in protecting low-income renters from displacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on debt enforcement and insolvency law in Switzerland. Despite the absence of strict lockdown measures, many sectors of the Swiss economy suffered significant losses. The government responded by introducing generous public support schemes to keep businesses afloat. The article focuses on the modifications made to Swiss law during the pandemic to avoid mass bankruptcies and facilitate restructurings. The government first introduced a general stay of proceedings, preventing debt collection but not affecting the underlying obligation to pay, and later the Covid-19 Ordinance on Insolvency Law, which provided relief to companies, especially SMEs, to implement the necessary restructuring measures. Some unsuccessful initiatives, such as a special moratorium introduced for SMEs, are also discussed. Finally, the article considers the limited take-up of some of the insolvency measures and discusses the possible consequences of the obligation to repay Covid-19 loans in the future. Overall, it provides a comprehensive overview of the impact of the pandemic on debt enforcement and insolvency law in Switzerland and the measures taken to mitigate its effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work aims to analyze and compare the development of the legal solutions for the eviction crisis that were introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic in the New York State by each branch of the authorities. The issue will be studied by analyzing documents introduced by the legislature, executive branch and judiciary, dealing with the prohibition of evicting tenants from residential and commercial premises during the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper will analyze short-term solutions in the form of ordinances, as well as long-term solutions in the form of laws. Furthermore, it will try to demonstrate the minor contradictions, problems, and complexities involved with the bifurcation of the introduced legal solutions, and to show that eviction moratoria in the New York State did not provide total protection and assistance to tenants, as well as that their solutions were rather short-term. The paper will also present solutions from the federal level and compare them to state solutions in order to show the difference in approach. The article will also demonstrate that acting at the state and local level, on a smaller scale, is more effective because it is easier to reach a specific group of stakeholders. Moreover, a change in the nature of legal solutions introduced at the state level will be observed, which was caused by the change of a governor general of the New York State and the Supreme Court's ruling that one of the laws was illegal -- the paper will show how this ban was circumvented by the new state authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 outbreak forced Slovakia to quickly adapt its bankruptcy legislation and introduce temporary measures to alleviate the pandemic's economic impact. However, the uptake of these pandemic-specific insolvency provisions remained modest, possibly due to extensive government financial support. As the pandemic wanes, future economic challenges, such as rising inflation and interest rates, may test the durability and effectiveness of these legislative adjustments. This period of regulatory adjustment underscores a broader shift in insolvency laws, signalling a shift towards prioritising business continuity and value in the face of economic crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ihsan is the pursuit of excellence in worship and daily activities to achieve success and happiness so as to be rewarded with sweetness of faith and Paradise for doing something beyond what is required. A person who does not pursue ihsan is not considered as zalim (wrongful or unjust) or failing his religious obligations as long as he is just and fair. The main goal of Islamic banking institutions is to avoid all forms of zulm (injustice, cruelty, oppression, exploitation) in transactions and to distinguish Islamic transactions from conventional financial practices. In order to ensure quality and harmony, muamalat practice must be assessed and reviewed from the perspective of ihsan to gain the blessings and pleasure of Allah SWT. The purpose of this study is to analyze and evaluate the rationalization in restructuring Islamic financing from the perspective of ihsan to ensure the objectives and functions of Islamic financial institutions are achieved. This research is qualitative using the method of content analysis. The data were analyzed using descriptive and deductive methods. The results show that the recommendations from the Central Bank of Malaysia and rationalization of Islamic financing restructuring procedure fulfills the principle of ihsan in past implementation and during the Covid-19 pandemic crisis. Islamic banking institutions have been responsible and exercised forbearance by providing facilities and eliminating difficulties to assist customer dealings. Customers also have the responsibility to banks that have provided financing facilities and accommodated their financial affairs. Hence, this study can serve as a guide to all parties in applying the principle of ihsan to any action and practice to ensure a more meaningful life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microfinance sector has played a vital role in economic development and financial inclusion in India. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic affecting economic activities, microfinance institutions (MFIs) were impacted adversely. The Government of India introduced a moratorium to borrowers for loan repayments. This study examines the impact of the government's initiative of easing borrowers' financial burdens and the number of active COVID-19 cases on the operational efficiency of MFIs in Indian states. Additionally, the analysis explores the macro-economic determinants of MFI performance. The study incorporates the random effects robust regression model. The findings suggest that interest rate and inflation impact every MFI performance criterion while national income only affects the loan penetration efficiency of MFIs. It is also found that the moratorium significantly helped borrowers, whereas, it had adverse effects on the loan penetration by MFIs. Lastly, it is shown that MFIs remained resilient to COVID-19 cases, except in the case of reduced number of borrowers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the moratorium on loan repayments, which was intended to relieve debtors in a difficult situation during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, various aspects of such moratoria are critically discussed and compared from an international perspective. Some debtors were significantly hit hard by the pandemic, whereas others were no. But should the moratoria apply to all of them? The free-rider problem, or even harm to some clients, are among the unintended results of the moratorium. Moreover, the loan repayment moratorium has different effects on the traditional banking sector and on P2P lending platforms. Such differences were not discussed sufficiently before adopting the moratoria. The different effects might have a negative impact on some debtors, on some creditors, or on the market and society in general. Along with using some traditional legal research methods, this paper takes a comparative perspective on loan repayment moratoria in different EU countries among. The conclusions of the paper may help regulators and lawmakers prepare more balanced regulations of loan repayments in the next crisis. Future regulations should reflect the perspectives of both debtors and creditors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Business Consultant / Poslovni Konsultant is the property of FINconsult Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The lock-down measures applied in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic have generated a number of negative effects for all Member States of the European Union and felt by both citizens and economic entities (SMEs). In relation to these, the European Union through its legislative institutions has proposed to the Member States exceptional temporary measures to mitigate the impact of the corona virus pandemic, while identifying, together with the Union financial sector, ways to develop best practices to provide additional support. Such a measure consists in postponing the payment of credit rates, in order to protect debtors who encounter difficulties generated either by job loss or by a substantial reduction in income. In Romania, the aspects regarding the deferral of the payment of the obligations from the loan agreements were regulated by the Emergency Ordinance no. 37/2020 on granting facilities for loans granted by credit institutions and non-bank financial institutions in Romania to certain categories of debtors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]