消費者債務清理條例於2007年6月(8日)經立法院完成三讀,於2008年4月(11日)施行。此項立法雖係因應近年來消費金融過剩所引發之雙卡(現金卡、信用卡)風暴,而以解決卡債或卡奴等問題為契機,實則作為現代經濟社會中,清理消費者所負多重多額債務,俾利其重建經濟生活,而回復為健全成員之制度基盤。條例就消費者債務清理程序之建構,雖設置裁判外之協商程序與裁判上之更生及清算程序,但前者採前置主義,而後者則委諸債務人之選擇;在債務清理程序法方面,既將監督人及管理人改為非必設之程序機關,又使法院對於債權爭議所為確定裁定具有既判力;在債務清理實體法方面,不但賦予監督人及管理人撤銷、終止及解除權,以解消債務人在程序開始前所為之詐害、偏頗行為及未完全履行之雙務契約,而且在更生程序設立自用住宅借款特別條款及擔保權消滅聲明等制度,以維持債務人之自用住宅或其他財產。並且,在更生程序引進困難免責制度,於清算程序導入裁量免責制度,分別賦予債務人重新出發之機會。上述之新消費者債務清理制度,與現行之和解及破產程序相較,既有重大之變革,與德、日、美等國消費者倒產法制比較,亦殊具特色。此項新制可發揮簡易、迅速、經濟及有效清理消費者債務之機能,達成債權人集團性滿足之最大化、公平化,及謀求消費者經濟生活之更生等目的。
In June 2007, the Legislative Yuan ratified the Consumer Debt Clearance Act. This legislation is an attempt to resolve the card debts and card slaves resulting from the dual card (the cash card and credit card) storm caused by the consumer finance surplus. However, this Act also serves as a system base to clear the multiple or large debts imposed on consumers and assist them to restart an economic life as a sound society member. As for the architecture of consumer debt clearance procedure, this Act sets up the negotiation procedure outside the court and the rehabilitation and liquidation procedure in the court. The former is the precondition of entering rehabilitation or liquidation procedure, while the latter is a choice of the debtor. As for the procedure laws applicable to the debt clearance, while it positions the Supervisor and the Administrator as the non-mandatory entities, it also provides that the final judgment of the debt dispute concluded by the competent court has the binding effects. As for the substantial laws applicable to the debt clearance, this Act grants the Supervisor and the Administrator the rights to withdraw, terminate and rescind any fraudulent or unjust behaviors, as well as any mutual agreement which has not been fully performed, existing before the commencement of rehabilitation or liquidation. In addition, in order to maintain self-use residence and other properties owned by the debtor, in the rehabilitation procedure, this Act provides the special loan provision for the self-use residence and the extinguishment of security by statement. Furthermore, under this Act, the debtor's liabilities may be exempted in the case of insufficient solvency in the rehabilitation procedure or at court's discretion in the resolution procedure. Either of such mechanisms respectively provides an opportunity for the debtor to restart a healthier economic life. This new system can clear the debts in the simple, quick, economic and effective approach, satisfy the creditors fairly to its maximal extent, and rehabilitate the consumer's economic life.