Any ideas what to try now?

[2ono]

Long story short, took a company to court early part of this year, due to poor workmanship, 'won' at court, company applied to get set aside, they failed, original court order still stands, they ignored the CCJ.

High Court Sheriffs instructed they have now come back to me and said the registered company address is an accountants, the other office address is a virtual office, there is nothing else we can do.

I am owed just short of £10k. Other than going down the route of a Winding Up Petition, which will cost another chunk is there anything else anyone can suggest? Thanks in advance.

[Simpo Two]

Hmm. Visit a director's house maybe? Being a limited company doesn't make them completely immune I think.

[trickywoo]

I’d try another sheriff. Shouldn’t be that hard to find some company vans.

[Simpo Two]

The term is High Court Enforcement Officer (HCEO).

As explained here (first hit on Google, not a recommendation): https://www.qualitybailiffs.co.uk/news/ccj/differe...

Nothing to lose by trying another one I guess. Unfortunately the one I used successfully a while back is no longer trading so DYOR.

[Mad Maximus]

2ono said:

Long story short, took a company to court early part of this year, due to poor workmanship, 'won' at court, company applied to get set aside, they failed, original court order still stands, they ignored the CCJ.

High Court Sheriffs instructed they have now come back to me and said the registered company address is an accountants, the other office address is a virtual office, there is nothing else we can do.

I am owed just short of £10k. Other than going down the route of a Winding Up Petition, which will cost another chunk is there anything else anyone can suggest? Thanks in advance.

Ask why they can’t do anything else before moving on. Shirly as suggested the money and business must go somewhere.

[Cyberprog]

Did you use the Court Bailiffs, or did you transfer up to the High Court (Writ of Fi Fa IIRC) and engage a HCEO?

If the former is true, then do the latter. They are much more persuasive!

Ideally do a bit of research yourself on the business, i.e. where they are operating out of and where they might find a liveried up vehicle parked and when.

[AndyAudi]

Can’t remember what it was called but back in the day (Scotland)

Once we had judgement we did one of two things

Arrested a bank account (everything frozen until we were paid.

Or
Especially if we knew they had an overdraft, applied to arrest debts that were owed to them by their large customers directly. (Any businesses with a local government contract was an easy target)

[Terminator X]

This is why it is so difficult get money off of people if they simply won't pay. I charge people 80% upfront if they are new customers. If they don't like it I move on, bullet dodged imho.

TX.

[Panamax]

Terminator X said:

I charge people 80% upfront if they are new customers.

Christ on a bike. What businesses do you deal with in your life where you pay in advance? Off to the restaurant - thank you Sir, here's the menu, that'll be £30 please. Take car to the garage - good morning Sir, we need the keys and £200 please. Head to the supermarket - here's your trolley, we'll just scan £50 from your credit card and then you can come in.

[Inbox]

If the company is quite hi-tech and computerised, a bailiff in the server room who can start pulling plugs and switching things off will get someone's attention very quickly.

[Simpo Two]

Panamax said:

Terminator X said:

I charge people 80% upfront if they are new customers.

Christ on a bike. What businesses do you deal with in your life where you pay in advance? Off to the restaurant - thank you Sir, here's the menu, that'll be £30 please. Take car to the garage - good morning Sir, we need the keys and £200 please. Head to the supermarket - here's your trolley, we'll just scan £50 from your credit card and then you can come in.

Depends what the industry is. When I traded B2B everything was invoiced on completion of the job with 30 day terms. When I worked in the wedding industry, for the first three years I took a deposit of about 20% to confirm the booking, with balance on delivery. But then I came up against a Bridezilla who decided it would be clever not to pay. So after due process her car got towed away, and after that people paid in full up front. That's normal for the wedding industry and nobody objected.

Inbox said:

If the company is quite hi-tech and computerised, a bailiff in the server room who can start pulling plugs and switching things off will get someone's attention very quickly.

A good one was the HCEOs who shut down the arrivals desk of an airline. They paid quite quickly after that!

[Jack ketch]

Joseph on a trike; what restaurant, or garage, or supermarket allows you to leave with only a vague promise of payment in 30 days?

[Terminator X]

Panamax said:

Terminator X said:

I charge people 80% upfront if they are new customers.

Christ on a bike. What businesses do you deal with in your life where you pay in advance? Off to the restaurant - thank you Sir, here's the menu, that'll be £30 please. Take car to the garage - good morning Sir, we need the keys and £200 please. Head to the supermarket - here's your trolley, we'll just scan £50 from your credit card and then you can come in.

I must be doing something wrong I guess, only been in business since 2012.

TX.

[Griffith4ever]

Terminator X said:

Panamax said:

Terminator X said:

I charge people 80% upfront if they are new customers.

Christ on a bike. What businesses do you deal with in your life where you pay in advance? Off to the restaurant - thank you Sir, here's the menu, that'll be £30 please. Take car to the garage - good morning Sir, we need the keys and £200 please. Head to the supermarket - here's your trolley, we'll just scan £50 from your credit card and then you can come in.

I must be doing something wrong I guess, only been in business since 2012.

TX.

All my customers pay up front, and I pay all but one of my suppliers in advance. One of them insists on giving me credit. I settle the same day his invoice arrives. I used to work on the purchase ledger in a haulage co and we strung out settlements to 60 plus days. "cash in our bank is interest" was my boss's mantra. On the same hand, I often drove to haulage co.s to pick u cheques they owed us. They were all playing the same game. I hated it and hence I'm very thorough to keep on top of all settlements.

My brother on the other hand, is an architect and he's been stiffed for some big numbers. Different business, deifferent payment model.

[ConnectionError]

Panamax said:

Terminator X said:

I charge people 80% upfront if they are new customers.

Christ on a bike. What businesses do you deal with in your life where you pay in advance? Off to the restaurant - thank you Sir, here's the menu, that'll be £30 please. Take car to the garage - good morning Sir, we need the keys and £200 please. Head to the supermarket - here's your trolley, we'll just scan £50 from your credit card and then you can come in.

We charge 90% before work starts

In a previous life, hotel, we charged 105% prior to an event

[Red Devil]

Simpo Two said:

Inbox said:

If the company is quite hi-tech and computerised, a bailiff in the server room who can start pulling plugs and switching things off will get someone's attention very quickly.

A good one was the HCEOs who shut down the arrivals desk of an airline. They paid quite quickly after that!

I remember that one. Channel 5 Call the Bailiffs,Episode 5, September 2021. The debt was money owed for flight delay compensation. The HCEOs seized a £50m aircraft which prevented it taking off until the debt was paid.

[Simpo Two]

Red Devil said:

I remember that one. Channel 5 Call the Bailiffs,Episode 5, September 2021. The debt was money owed for flight delay compensation. The HCEOs seized a £50m aircraft which prevented it taking off until the debt was paid.

That sounds like a different case, but the TV series (others exist such as 'Can't Pay We'll take it Away' and 'The Sheriffs are Coming' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sheriffs_Are_Com... ) is well worth watching because you see slimeballs trying every trick in the book but still getting forced to pay. It also shows you what good things can happen if you're unfortunate enough to be owed money.