Compulsory Liquidation

When a company fails to pay its debts, creditors can petition the courts to have your company placed in compulsory liquidation.

This version of liquidation is the closure of your business against your will and usually only happens when creditors believe they have exhausted all other avenues.

Often, many attempts will have been made to retrieve money owed, which will be the final stage of debt recovery.

The liquidation of your company will involve liquidating the assets so creditors can be paid – and your company wound up.

If you find yourself caught in the compulsory liquidation process and feel like there is nowhere to turn for help, the Future Strategy can help guide you and give you the best possible of a better outcome.

You must seek help as a matter of urgency—otherwise, the small window of time when we can help you could quickly shut.

What is Compulsory Liquidation?

Compulsory Liquidation is the process used by a creditor (someone who is owed money) to force an insolvent company into liquidation – in an effort to make it pay back that debt.

The process is typically started by outstanding creditors of a limited company to which a business owes money through a court order known as a Winding Up Petition (WUP). 

The process ends with the company being forcibly shut down.

Sometimes known as winding up, compulsory liquidation is a procedure under the Insolvency Act and is usually led by a creditor pursuing the company for money.

It’s worth noting that even after the compulsory liquidation process has started, there may still be enough time to implement Creditor’s Voluntary Liquidation (also known as a CVL, which wouldn’t be confused with an MVL).

However, this type of liquidation is initiated by the company’s directors rather than by its creditors.

These kinds of options are where Future Strategy can help you secure the best result. If you get in touch with our team today, we can talk you through what may be possible.

What Happens During a Compulsory Liquidation Process?

The process goes through the following steps:

• Winding Up Petition. The first step of the compulsory liquidation process. It is sometimes referred to as a WUC is for a creditor to issue a WUP against a company. 
• Winding Up Order. Next, the petition will be heard by a Judge who will decide the next step; if the court is satisfied that the company should be liquidated, they will issue a Winding Up Order. If trading hasn’t stopped by this point, it must now.
• Official Receiver Appointed. Sometimes known as a liquidator, the receiver will take over control of the company and the day-to-day running of the business. 
• Assets Are Sold Off. Stock, vehicles, property, or machinery will be liquidated so creditors and debts can be paid off as much as possible. This includes any cash in the company bank account.
• The company is struck off. The business is officially removed from the Companies House register and no longer exists.

This process is challenging and can be extremely worrying. Contact our team if you need help.

What Options are there for Avoiding Compulsory Liquidation?

If you fail to stop a winding-up petition, it could eventually collapse your company and prevent it from trading – so it’s essential to act quickly.

If you fail to take the appropriate steps after seven days, your company’s financial situation will be made known to the public, resulting in freezing its bank account.

It will remove your ability to trade and prevent company directors from disposing or borrowing against any assets. 

There are steps you can take to avoid being forced into the process of liquidating a company that we can help guide you with.

The best thing you can do is seek expert advice from an Insolvency Practitioner (IP) through Future Strategy.

Try to do this as early in the process as possible, so they have the chance to assess your situation and act accordingly.

Here are some crucial steps to help prevent a winding-up petition:

1. Pay your creditors in full.
   
   You can stop the winding up of your company if you have the means to settle the petitioning creditor. However, it is strongly advised that you appoint an Insolvency Practitioner (IP) to handle this on your behalf.

   Be very careful about transferring any assets once a winding-up petition has been issued to your company. A liquidator can recover said assets if a winding-up order is later obtained.

2. Contact a specialist firm.
   
   An insolvency firm such as Future Strategy will negotiate with creditors on your behalf. A quick arrangement should be made with the creditor issuing the petition if the company can repay the debt within a reasonable timeframe.

   A hearing petition will still hold even if the creditor accepts. However, the court will adjourn the case, giving the company more time to settle its debt.

3. Dispute the debt.
   
   Your company can apply for an injunction if there is a legitimate dispute against the debt’s validity. A legitimate dispute could allow you to apply for an injunction to postpone the public advertisement of the petition or even remove the winding-up petition from the court’s records.

   However, this can only happen if you genuinely believe the petition is wrong, and you must have evidence to back up these claims. You would also require assistance from a licensed IP.

4. Enter administration.

   Pre-pack or traditional administration will halt all legal action against a company. This will also stop creditors from winding up the company and give you time to explore your options.

   At this stage, you may also consider voluntary liquidation, which will give you time to prepare to handle obligations such as personal guarantees, redundancies, and lease terminations.

5. Implement a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA).
   
   A CVA is a legally binding contract between an insolvent company (one that cannot pay off debts) and its creditors to pay off their debt, in part and over a fixed term. When this happens, each party must abide, and 75% of creditors are required to agree to terms.

   A CVA can help save an insolvent business from being forced to close its doors entirely. Creditors often support it as they know they will have a better chance of getting back funds than if the company is liquidated.

   It is a frequently-used method used to stop winding-up petitions.

   You could also attempt an informal financial arrangement, though this is not legally binding and may cause difficulty if you default on payments.

What Happens if I Do Nothing?

If you fail to act, your company will likely face serious issues when receiving a winding-up petition. In addition, the petition will be made known to the public, as the creditor will advertise it in the London Gazette.

This will then alert the company’s bank, other creditors, and the public to its situation. As a result, its bank accounts will be frozen, and it will be forced to stop trading.

If no action is taken, there will be a hearing after eight to ten weeks to determine if the court will issue a compulsory winding-up order.

When this happens, the business will be forced into compulsory liquidation and will be prevented from trading in the future.

If your company is subject to a winding-up petition, or you’re worried it might be, don’t hesitate to contact the Future Strategy team today.

What Does the Compulsory Liquidation Process Mean for Directors?

As part of the liquidation process, the Official Receiver will investigate your conduct during your time as director.

If there is any evidence of wrongful trading or if you deliberately or knowingly caused the company to become insolvent, you could be held personally responsible for the company’s debts or possibly be disqualified from being a director in the future.

In most cases, you are free to start trading again and set up another limited company.