My lender has appointed a receiver. What happens now?
A receiver is appointed by a secured lender to take control of the assets it holds security over, usually so the debt can be recovered. The receiver acts for that lender, not for you. Directors normally stay in place but lose day to day control of whatever sits inside the appointment. What happens next depends on the security, the documents and how the receiver reads the business. Getting your own adviser involved early matters more than anything a broker can do.
What a receiver actually controls
A receiver’s job is narrow. They take control of the assets named in the security, sell or trade them and pay down the secured debt. Anything outside that appointment usually stays with the directors, which is why some businesses keep operating while a receiver deals with one property or one asset class. Expect the receiver to move quickly on cash, stock and equipment. Your notice will set out what has been appointed over and the timeframe involved, so read it closely with someone who does this for a living.
Where refinancing fits and who to call
Refinancing after a receiver is appointed is hard, though not always impossible. It turns on the security, the equity sitting behind it and whether the secured lender will discharge. Bono can look at whether a business loan or other commercial finance genuinely stacks up and say so plainly when it doesn’t. What no broker can do is unwind an appointment. This is where your own accountant or a registered insolvency adviser is the right call. The free Small Business Debt Helpline on 1800 413 828 costs nothing to ring.
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Last updated 15th July 2026. Reviewed by Authorised Credit Representative 554584 of Australian Credit Licence 414426.