Registered office problem
We often allow clients to use our office as their company registered office, in line with many other firms. This is usually fine, but I have encountered a problem with one client who has several companies registered at our office. The client (sole director/shareholder of the companies) has stopped communicating with us, does not return calls or e-mails and appears to have moved as post is being returned to us.
We have a pile of post building up for his companies, including quite a few letters from debt collectors and solicitors. We are not opening the post as it is no longer any of our business, and until recently we were sending it all to him, unopened. But now we can't get an up to date address for him, we're a bit stuck. I could send it all back 'return to sender' but given that our office is still legally the registered office, that seems wrong somehow.
We have sent him the forms to change the registered office a couple of times but he hasn't done it. We are not company secretary so can't change it for him, and even if we were, where would we change it to?
Really unsure what to do for the best with this one.
do nothing else
Provided you have made reasonable attempts to contact the director I would leave it there.
Keep the letters from Companies House so that when (ha ha - if) he comes in you can give them to him.
Companies House will raise penalties etc on him, not on you.
Don't waste the cost of the stamps.
Change it
Simples :)
This often happens in my firm and either:
(i) if we have the online code we go on to CH and change the RO to last known address
(ii) if not we do the form manuall, pp it, and post it off
The above if I'm feeling generous
(iii) write to CH and ask them to commence striking off on the grounds the company and its officers cannot be contacted
The above if I'm feeling less generous.
Re (i) or (ii) - I have a provision on the firms standard terms of business to allow this to be done. In any event if the client has absconded I have the moral highground.