The reactivity of the unusual d(8) trigonal-bipyramidal systems [MX(PP3)]X (X = Cl: M = Pd(1a), Pt(2a); X = Br: M = Pd(3a), Pt(4a); X = I: M = Pd(5a), Pt(6a); PP3 = tris[2-(diphenylphosphino)ethyl]phosphine) in CHCl3-CH3OH, the square-pyramidal compounds [MCl(NP3)]Cl (M = Pd(7a); Pt(8a); NP3 = tris[2-(diphenylphosphino)ethyl]amine) in CD3OD-DMF and the distorted square-planar mononuclear [MX(PNP)]X (M = Pd: X = Cl(10a); M = Pt: X = I(10b); PNP = bis[2-(diphenylphosphino)ethyl]amine) and the heteronuclear [PdAu2X4(PP3)] [X = I(9a), Cl(14a), Br(15a)] and [MAuX2(PP3)]X [M = Pd: X = Cl(16a); M = Pt: X = Cl(17a), Br(18a)] species in CDCl3 with PPh3 + SnX2 has been explored to establish the factors that influence the nature of the products. With the mononuclear precursors the course of the reaction is strongly dependent on the tripodal or linear arrangement of the polydentate ligand and in the former case on the halogen. Thus, while for chlorides (1a-2a, 7a-8a) and bromides (3a-4a) the reaction led to the trigonal-bipyramidal compounds [M(SnCl3)(AP3)][SnCl3] [A = P: M = Pd(1), Pt(2); A = N: M = Pd(7), Pt(8)], [MBr(PP3)][SnBr3] [M = Pd(4), Pt(6)] containing M-Sn and M-Br bonds, respectively, for iodides (5a-6a) resulted in the unknown neutral square-planar compounds [MI2(PP(PO)2)(SnI2)2] [M = Pd(9) and Pt(10)] bearing two dangling P=O-SnI2 units and P2MI2 environments. However, complexes of the type [PtCl(PP2PO)X]X' [X = SnCl2, X' = [SnCl3](-)(11)] and [M(PP(PO)2)2X4]X'2 [X = SnCl2, X' = [SnCl3](-): M = Pd(12), Pt(13)] showing P=O-SnCl2 arms were obtained by direct reaction of [PtCl(PP2PO)]Cl (11a) and [M(PP(PO)2)2]Cl2 [M = Pd(12a), Pt(13a)] with SnCl2 in CH3OH. Although complex 9 was also prepared by interaction of the heteronuclear iodide 9a with PPh3 + SnI2 in CDCl3, the use of the neutral and ionic heteronuclear chlorides and bromides (14a-18a) as starting materials afforded the distorted square-planar ionic systems [MAuX'(PP3)(PPh3)][SnX3]2 [M = Pd: X = Cl, X' = SnCl3(-)(14); X = Br, X' = SnBr3(-)(15); M = Pt: X = Cl, X' = SnCl3(-)(17); X = Br, X' = SnBr3(-)(18)] containing M-SnX3 and P-Au-PPh3 functionalities. It was found that these reactions where the heteronuclear species are the precursors proceed via the trigonal-bipyramidal halides not only with X = Cl and Br(1a-4a) but also I(5a). When the precursors were 10a and 10b the reaction occurred with formation of [Pd(PNP)(PPh3)][SnCl3]2 (23) and [Pt(PNP)(PPh3)][SnCl2I]2 (24) showing M-PPh3 units and trihalostannato counter anions.