Liquidation
Creditors Voluntary Liquidations Will Be Popular in 2011
Thousands of struggling company owners will voluntarily close their businesses this year, and most of those that do will use a Creditors Voluntary Liquidation (CVL) process. A CVL is perhaps more popular than a Compulsory Liquidation as it allows directors to put a company into liquidation with their shareholders’ approval and permission from creditors. If…
Read MoreAlways Read the Small Print of Finance Agreements – the Devil’s in the Detail
Over the past year, Yorkshire businessman Keith Elliot has launched a campaign to highlight what he claims are unscrupulous banking practices. A few years back, Elliot’s car business, Premier Motor Auctions, ran into trouble so he arranged a pre-packaged deal with accountants PwC for his bank, Lloyds TSB, to purchase a 15 per cent stake…
Read MoreWe Pay the Price When HMRC Bends Rules for Football Clubs
Accusations of corporate tax avoidance have plagued Top Shop owner Sir Philip Green and telecommunication giants Vodaphone in recent weeks, but football clubs are often the worst offenders. Take Plymouth Argyle for instance. The League One club has managed to accrue a whopping £7 million of debt including an £800,000 liability from Her Majesty’s Revenue…
Read MoreInsolvency Fees and Charges: Honda Dispute Highlights Need for Reform
A recent court ruling into the conduct of administrators at BDO and PKF highlights the need for an independent review into insolvency practitioners (IPs) and their regulations – something I’ve been blogging about for many months. The dispute centred on Formula One team Super Aguri whose directors appointed three joint administrators from PKF following the…
Read MoreImproved Business Models, Not Foreign Players, Will Save English Football
Over the past five months, I’ve posted several blogs highlighting the need for executives and club chairmen to change their business models if they want English football to maintain solvency. It seems English Football League Chairman Greg Clarke may have been following these posts and taken some of my advice as he’s embarked on an…
Read MoreWinding Up Petitions Increase, But Are They Being Served Correctly?
Winding up petitions issued by creditors against firms based in Central London increased by 39 per cent in October 2010 compared with 10.5 percent in the rest of the country, a new study has revealed. The increase is simply a reflection of the government cutbacks and will probably continue throughout 2011. It’s also evidence that…
Read MoreLiverpool FC Still on Rocky Ground Despite Buyout
Fans celebrating the takeover of Liverpool should be concerned that new owner John W Henry never offered a written guarantee promising not to load the football club with debt. Before the buyout, Henry and his 16 partners in New England Sports Ventures (NESV) made verbal commitments agreeing to pay £200m owed to Royal Bank of…
Read MoreDoomed Businesses Reliant Upon Public Sector Only Have Themselves to Blame
A new study by insolvency trade body R3 has found that almost 10% (148,000) of small businesses fear they could become insolvent if they lose public sector contracts. But any businesses largely dependent on the public sector have only themselves to blame if they become insolvent due to the imminent cuts ahead. Whilst you can…
Read MoreTake Control of Your Business before Creditors Do
If your business is in financial trouble, the earlier you address the problem, the more doors will be open for you to find a solution. The longer you leave it those doors will begin to close. Prompt action can prevent creditors from losing patience and issuing you with a winding up petition; leaving your business…
Read MoreDavid’s Cameron’s Insolvency Law U-Turn Will Please Creditors
It remains to be seen why David Cameron has made a u-turn over plans to radically reform insolvency laws. Before coming to power, the Prime Minister called for the introduction of US-style Chapter 11 rules, which would give struggling businesses ‘breathing space’ to get back on their feet without having to face liquidation. At the…
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