Since this is homework or a test, forgive me if I assume that you are a learner and not yet a professional and suggest the gist of this is: it [or he or she, depending on who the creditor is] understood that it would be unlikely to recover the [implied: full] amount owed, except for any amount paid out to the creditors when the insolvent estate is wound up. In other words, the small percentage that would be left over after creditors with a higher priority claim have been satisfied ...

Careful about confusing meanings of "realizzare" - more commonly means to realise a claim. Here, though, your "realise" is a good rendering for "comprendere".