The court fined the Nord company for delaying bankruptcy

Brief retelling from RIA II

The Arbitration Court of the Yaroslavl Region fined the Nord company 100 thousand rubles for unreasonably extending the deadline for considering the bankruptcy case of citizen Pavel Dorofeev.

The Judicial Collegium for Economic Disputes of the Supreme Court of Russia completed the bankruptcy case of Dorofeev and released him from further fulfillment of obligations to all creditors, except the Federal Tax Service.

The panel noted that the court has remedies to counter party abuse, including a court fine and imposing costs on the abusive party.

MOSCOW, October 5 – RIA Novosti. The Arbitration Court of the Yaroslavl Region fined the Nord company 100 thousand rubles, which deliberately delayed the bankruptcy procedure of debtor-citizen Pavel Dorofeev, which lasted almost eight years, according to materials reviewed by RIA Novosti.

In August, the Judicial Collegium for Economic Disputes of the Supreme Court of Russia completed the Dorofeev bankruptcy case and came to the conclusion that “the deliberate actions of the Nord company are aimed at an obviously unreasonable extension of the time frame for consideration of this case.” The board considered it “necessary to initiate consideration of the issue of imposing a judicial fine on society.”

Dorofeev’s bankruptcy case was initiated at the request of the debtor himself in December 2018. During the bankruptcy procedure, only one object was included in the bankruptcy estate - an apartment that was pledged to Alfa Bank, through the sale of which 6.8 million rubles were repaid (more than 60% of the bank’s original claim), as well as 13.4 thousand rubles at the request of the Federal Tax Service.

Meanwhile, according to statements from the creditor Nord, the court has been considering a number of separate disputes for several years. In particular, the creditor challenges the debtor's mother's purchase of two vehicles. The consideration lasted almost five years, during which time meetings on it were postponed 42 times, and representatives of the creditor itself did not appear at some of the meetings. Two more disputes were postponed 17 and 15 times.

Dorofeev appealed the next ruling issued in June 2025 to extend bankruptcy, believing that replenishment of the bankruptcy estate is impossible, and the creditor is in bad faith preventing the completion of the case. The courts of appeal and cassation rejected the complaint, after which he appealed to the Supreme Court.

The Collegium of the RF Armed Forces supported the debtor. She noted that “trial proceedings must be carried out by the courts within a reasonable time” and that in order to comply with the deadlines, the court must exercise “organizational leadership of the process.” In particular, the panel noted, the court may limit the time limits for participants to present evidence, oblige them to submit documents in electronic form, which ensures the most rapid review, etc.

The panel's ruling states that the court has means to counteract the abuse of the parties - a court fine, imposition of costs on the abusive participant, refusal to accept evidence submitted untimely.