Rivista del Diritto Commerciale e del diritto generale delle Obbligazioni

Abstract: Obligation and over-indebtedness – The essay compares the law of obligations and the law of over-indebtedness with the aim of examining whether and to what extent they interact. To this end, the Author highlights the diversity of assumptions and effects -which is first and foremost a diversity of perspective-between them and then clarifies their relationship in terms of alternativity and self-sufficiency. On these premises, it is argued that despite the reported differences, the over-indebtedness rules are capable of changing the face of the obligation in more than one respect. In particular, the possibility of a fresh start offered to “any debtor” undermines the idea of an essentially enforceable bond and marks the demise of the Civil Code obligation as the prototype of market relations.  

Sommario: 1. Disciplina generale dell’obbligazione e sovraindebitamento: due mondi lontani. – 2. L’indifferenza del vincolo alle vicende del patrimonio. – 3. Inadempimento e sovraindebitamento. 4. – Esdebitazione e inesigibilità. – 5. Obiettivi di policy. – 6. Il bivio sulla strada dell’obbligazione. – 7. Esdebitazione e responsabilità patrimoniale: un’illusione ottica.  

Keywords: Over-indebtedness — Obligation — Discharge — Bankruptcy Law.