Central American Islands

Anguilla

Secured Transactions Law in Anguilla is fragmented and contained in various different laws. There is no unified registry for security interests.

Antigua and Bermuda

Secured Transactions Law in Antigua and Bermuda is fragmented and contained in various different laws, including:

  • Bills of Sale Act
  • Companies Act
  • Hire-Purchase Act
  • Sale of Goods Act
  • Co-opeerative Societies Act
  • Bills of Sale (Amendment Act)
  • Stamp Act
  • Pawnbrokers Act
  • Multiple intellectual property laws

There is no unified registry for security interests

St. Kitts and Nevis

Secured Transactions Law in St Kitts and Nevis is fragmented and contained in various different laws. There is no unified registry for security interests.

Dominica

Secured Transactions Law in Dominica is fragmented and contained in various different laws. There is no unified registry for security interests. Rather, there are multiple registries for the different kinds of security interests

Saint Lucia

Currently, there is no unified security interest law or centralised register for security interests in Saint Lucia. However, there is an ongoing project to reform the law based on the UNCITRAL Model Law, and the draft bill is currently being finalised. The reform is sponsored by the International Finance Corporation and the World Bank Group, in order to improve access to credit. The new law is expected to expand the scope of assets that may be used as security interests, The current law only allows for houses or land to be used as non-possessory security interests, but the new law will expand this to movables, everything from inventory to accounts receivable, or in other words, anything that is valuable to the business. The bill will also include implementation of an online unified registry.

Further Reading:

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Secured Transactions Law in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is fragmented and contained in various different laws. There is no unified registry for security interests. Rather, there are multiple registries for the different kinds of security interests

Grenada

Secured Transactions Law in Grenada is fragmented and contained in various different laws. There is no unified registry for security interests. Rather, there are multiple registries for the different kinds of security interests

Trinidad and Tobago

Secured Transactions Law in Trinidad and Tobago is fragmented and contained in various different laws. However, there are plans for reform. The government is planning to create a new secured transactions framework and collateral registry to improve access to credit, especially for small or medium sized businesses. This new framework would allow for movable property, including everything from agricultural equipment to intellectual property to be the subject of security interests.

Further reading

Last Checked October 2020

If you have any questions or would like to suggest an update please email magda.raczynska@ucl.ac.uk