Hey everyone, I’m dealing with a frustrating situation. I was a shareholder and former employee of a company that went into voluntary liquidation. I was owed £18,740 as a severance payment, which was reserved by the accountant. But the director had the funds transferred to himself, claiming I was ‘unreachable’ even though I was in regular contact with others from the company and on social media. The accountant confirmed they have all records, and the director even admitted in recent emails that he took the money but needs to ‘dig into his records’ for details. Action Fraud says there’s no line of inquiry. What should I do next? Could I appeal their decision or go through Companies House? Any advice would be amazing.
Ugh, this sounds like such a mess. Did Action Fraud explain what ‘no line of inquiry’ means?
Marlow said:
Ugh, this sounds like such a mess. Did Action Fraud explain what ‘no line of inquiry’ means?
Not really. From what I gather, they think there’s nothing actionable for the police to investigate, even with all the records.
Marlow said:
Ugh, this sounds like such a mess. Did Action Fraud explain what ‘no line of inquiry’ means?
Action Fraud doesn’t actually investigate—they just assess if the info can be passed to local forces. Maybe try filing a complaint about their decision?
Could Companies House help since the liquidation process didn’t follow the rules? Sounds like a breach of procedure.
Marlow said:
Could Companies House help since the liquidation process didn’t follow the rules? Sounds like a breach of procedure.
Yeah, I was thinking about that too. I never got the required documents during the liquidation. Might be worth contacting them.
Marlow said:
Could Companies House help since the liquidation process didn’t follow the rules? Sounds like a breach of procedure.
For sure! If the liquidation wasn’t lawful, Companies House should investigate. They might be able to flag this.
You could try small claims court if it’s within the claim limit. Could cost less than full litigation.
Oli said:
You could try small claims court if it’s within the claim limit. Could cost less than full litigation.
Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that. Do you know if I need a lawyer for small claims?
Oli said:
You could try small claims court if it’s within the claim limit. Could cost less than full litigation.
Not necessarily. Small claims are designed to be DIY-friendly. You’d just need to present your evidence clearly.
That director sounds dodgy. Have you tried contacting the liquidator directly about this?
Marlo said:
That director sounds dodgy. Have you tried contacting the liquidator directly about this?
Yeah, they confirmed they have all the records of his instructions. They didn’t seem to take any action, though.
Marlo said:
That director sounds dodgy. Have you tried contacting the liquidator directly about this?
If the liquidator knows the law wasn’t followed, they might have a duty to report it. Push them for more clarity!
IDK much about fraud cases, but can you escalate this to a higher authority like the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC)?
Shane said:
IDK much about fraud cases, but can you escalate this to a higher authority like the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC)?
Yeah, I’ve seen that’s an option. Might have to try if there’s no other progress.
Shane said:
IDK much about fraud cases, but can you escalate this to a higher authority like the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC)?
Worth a shot! They review police decisions, so they might reopen your case.