3rd Party debt order question.

[Eleven]

I paid one of our contractors £6k on account for some work but it appears that a sum of about £4k has gone missing due to a payment leaving his account with the reference "3rd Party Order" which I take to be a debt order.

The contractor has worked for me for years and I believe him when he says that he has no unsatisfied CCJs that he knows of. So unless this is a fraud or mistake he has gained a CCJ that he is unaware of - perhaps at a previous address. He is not aware of his bank account having been frozen, which I believe is what normally happens prior to a 3rd party debt order being paid.

Now the problem for me is that the money wasn't his strictly speaking, it was mine. Without it he may be unable to continue the work contracted. Unless of course I give him more money.

I intend to help him find out what is going on, however if this is a genuine 3rd party debt order and it has been paid against money paid on account what if anything can we do?

Advice from anyone with experience in this area would be appreciated.

[Red Devil]

http://www.franciswilksandjones.co.uk/site/fwjsays...

Whether there has been a mistake, who knows? As soon as I hear the word contractor I tend think that the delicate touch of HMRC may be involved - http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/dmbmanual/dmbm66712...

What makes you think the money is still yours btw? Was it payment for work done or up front for services not yet performed?

[Eleven]

Red Devil said:

http://www.franciswilksandjones.co.uk/site/fwjsays...

Whether there has been a mistake, who knows? As soon as I hear the word contractor I tend think that the delicate touch of HMRC may be involved - http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/dmbmanual/dmbm66712...

What makes you think the money is still yours btw? Was it payment for work done or up front for services not yet performed?

Payment up front for services not yet performed and materials as yet not purchased.

My first thought was HMRC too.