Law firm appointed as liquidators of Public Safety Charitable Trust Ltd

Sept. 11, 2013 - PRLog -- The company was wound up on 8 July 2013 on the petition of one of the local authorities affected by its activities.  The winding up order followed a successful appeal against the company’s claim that it was entitled to charitable relief from payment of National Non-Domestic Rates (NNDR) in respect of commercial properties unoccupied other than for the location in and transmission from them of "public safety" messages from bluetooth transmitters.

Commenting on the winding-up order, Chris Garwood said: “The loss to the public purse in relation to the NNDR, which was subsequently correctly levied against the company, is many millions of pounds.  The total amount will only be fully quantified when we are able to examine the charity’s records and liaise with the local authorities, throughout the country, who have been affected by its activities.”

Wilkin Chapman LLP will be liaising with the Public Interest Unit of the Insolvency Service as well as other investigative authorities including the Charities Commission in respect of the the company’s activities and the conduct of its officers.

Chris added: "We shall, of course, look into what has happened to the significant amounts the charity has received from owners of the empty properties leased to it.  We will seek to recover as much as possible of those monies for the benefit of the many creditors."

This liquidation, although unique in its detail, is another example of innovative schemes that some companies employ to avoid liability for NNDR in relation to unoccupied commercial premises. The powers of the Insolvency Service to wind up companies in the public interest have previously been employed in respect of other avoidance schemes relating to NNDR for unoccupied properties and this latest phenomenon is one that Chris and his colleagues are encountering on an increasingly frequent basis following enquiries from the many local authorities to whom they provide advice and support.

Ends

Notes to editor:

1.    Wilkin Chapman LLP
Wilkin Chapman LLP delivers an unparalleled range of legal services to both private and commercial clients who are based locally, nationally and internationally.  It is one of the few firms in the country which has an authorised insolvency practitioner as one of its partners.

The firm has 44 partners and 305 staff at 9 offices across Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire.  It prides itself on delivering a specialised legal advice and a first class client service, for a fair price.

The firm is also recognised by leading legal directories, including:
The Legal 500, 2012, with rankings in 12 specific practice areas:
•    agriculture & estates,
•    corporate and commercial
•    commercial property
•    commercial litigation
•    criminal work
•    debt recovery and insolvency
•    employment
•    family
•    public law
•    social housing
•    personal injury/medical negligence
•    personal tax, trust & probate


Chambers, 2013, in practice areas of:
•    Agriculture
•    Corporate and commercial