Insolvency Service closes
down group of 61 companies for Companies Act breaches where the
directors failed to co-operate with investigators
Sixty-one
companies believed to be under the control of a foreign resident
director which filed false and misleading information and failed
to co-operate with investigators have been wound up in the High
Court following an investigation by Company Investigations of the
Insolvency Service.
The winding up orders were all made on 4 October 2011. None of
the companies were represented at court.
The investigation found that all of the companies (see full list
below) are somehow connected with a Mr Rainer Von Holst and Ms Ann
Von Holst who run a business offering English companies to German
clients when “bankruptcy or commercial difficulties threaten”.
The case against the Companies was not based on anything they had
done in the course of trading and in fact most, if not all, the
companies appeared to be dormant. The investigation uncovered a
serious lack of transparency as to who controlled the companies
with the named directors proving entirely unresponsive.
Commenting on the case, Geoff Hanna, an Investigation manager,
said;
"This action was based on a serious
disregard for the laws which govern all limited liability
companies; laws which are intended to ensure that limited
liability is not abused and that members of the public can
contact the companies and regulators can obtain information. We
will not allow the reputation of the UK corporate regime to be
tarnished by allowing such abuses to continue with
impunity."
The grounds for winding up the companies included,
Incorrect particulars filed at Companies House. Breaches of the
Companies Act 2006Lack of transparency; andFailure to co-operate
with the investigators
At one time all 61 companies had their registered office address
at 4 Priory Road, Kenilworth, Warwickshire. The same address was
also used by the directors and company secretaries of the
companies. There was no evidence they had any right to use the
address and had no presence there. The companies were in breach of
the requirements to keep certain statutory records at their
registered offices. There have been breaches of the requirement in
the Companies Act 2006 to have a natural person as a director.The
4 Priory Road, Kenilworth address did not lead to those in control
of the companies and there was no other means of contacting the
companies or finding out who controlled them.Responses received by
investigators from Ranier Von Holst and Ann Von Holst were
inconsistent; ranging from querying the investigators’ entitlement
to information, to claiming it would take ‘some time’ to collate
the information, to alleging that the enquiries would be passed to
‘those responsible’ without specifying whom.In the event no
documents were ever produced to the investigators.
The petitions to wind up these companies in the public interest
were presented to the High Court under s.124A of the Insolvency
Act 1986 on various dates between 6 th and 21 st May 2011.
Notes to Editors
1. A full list of the companies, their dates of incorporation
and registered office addresses: Name Date of Incorporation
Registered OfficeArche Noah Invest Limited06/07/2007LTDONLINE FW
Ist Floor Office 1 Business Resource NetworkWhateleys Drive
Kenilworth CV8 2GY 1 Bevinvest Limited01/05/2007LTDONLINE FW Ist
Floor Office 1 Business Resource NetworkWhateleys Drive Kenilworth
CV8 2GY 2 Bevinvest Limited01/05/2007LTDONLINE FW Ist Floor Office
1 Business Resource NetworkWhateleys Drive Kenilworth CV8 2GY 5
Bevinvest Limited01/05/2007LTDONLINE FW Ist Floor Office 1
Business Resource NetworkWhateleys Drive Kenilworth CV8 2GY 6
Bevinvest Limited01/05/2007LTDONLINE FW Ist Floor Office 1
Business Resource NetworkWhateleys Drive Kenilworth CV8 2GY Meat
Me Limited (Formerly Bavarian Beverage Holding
Limited)02/05/2007Firmenwelten Accountancy House 4 Priory Road
Kenilworth CV8 1LLBest Money Holding Limited21/07/2008LTDONLINE FW
Ist Floor Office 1 Business Resource NetworkWhateleys Drive
Kenilworth CV8 2GY Confidential Media Limited13/09/2006FW
Accountancy House 4 Priory Road, Kenilworth, CV8 1LLCrossworx
Limited05/04/2007LTDONLINE FW Ist Floor Office 1 Business Resource
NetworkWhateleys Drive Kenilworth CV8 2GY DC Arche Noah Spirit
Vision's Limited13/07/2007Fw Accountancy House 4 Priory
Road, Kenilworth, CV8 1LLDeutschland Limited07/12/2007Firmenwelten
Accountancy House 4 Priory Road Kenilworth CV8 1LLDol Invest
Limited03/09/2008Firmenwelten Accountancy House 4 Priory Road
Kenilworth CV8 1LLE. Steger Limited02/05/2007Firmenwelten
Accountancy House 4 Priory Road Kenilworth CV8 1LLE+U First Invest
Limited06/05/2008Firmenwelten Accountancy House 4 Priory Road
Kenilworth CV8 1LLE+U Second Invest Limited06/05/2008Firmenwelten
Accountancy House 4 Priory Road Kenilworth CV8 1LLEnergie Plus
Umwelt Limited07/05/2008Firmenwelten Accountancy House 4 Priory
Road Kenilworth CV8 1LLEU Clinic Holding
Limited15/03/2007Firmenwelten Accountancy House 4 Priory Road
Kenilworth CV8 1LLEuroinvest Business
Limited18/09/2007Firmenwelten Accountancy House 4 Priory Road
Kenilworth CV8 1LLFirmenwelten Holding
Limited28/02/2007Firmenwelten Accountancy House 4 Priory Road
Kenilworth CV8 1LLFirmenwelten Investments
Limited01/04/2008Firmenwelten Accountancy House 4 Priory Road
Kenilworth CV8 1LLFirmenwelten Premium Partners Holding
Limited05/09/2008Firmenwelten Accountancy House 4 Priory Road
Kenilworth CV8 1LLFirmenwelten Service
Limited04/06/2008Firmenwelten Accountancy House 4 Priory Road
Kenilworth CV8 1LLFirmenwelten Rich Limited27/10/2006Firmenwelten
Accountancy House 4 Priory Road Kenilworth CV8 1LLFirmenwelten
Spot Limited19/03/2007Firmenwelten Accountancy House 4 Priory Road
Kenilworth CV8 1LLFirst Real Estate Invest
Limited28/03/2008Firmenwelten Accountancy House 4 Priory Road
Kenilworth CV8 1LLHund Invest Limited15/03/2007Firmenwelten
Accountancy House 4 Priory Road Kenilworth CV8 1LLInkoust24
Limited22/05/2006Firmenwelten Accountancy House 4 Priory Road
Kenilworth CV8 1LLIntegra Group Limited20/06/2007Firmenwelten
Accountancy House 4 Priory Road Kenilworth CV8 1LLIntegra Partners
Limited18/06/2007Firmenwelten Accountancy House 4 Priory Road
Kenilworth CV8 1LLIntegra Renditeleasing
Limited20/06/2007Firmenwelten Accountancy House 4 Priory Road
Kenilworth CV8 1LLIntegra Treuhand Limited20/06/2007Firmenwelten
Accountancy House 4 Priory Road Kenilworth CV8 1LLIntegra Utility
Limited20/06/2007Firmenwelten Accountancy House 4 Priory Road
Kenilworth CV8 1LLInvestment Verlag Limited29/12/2006Fw
Accountancy House 4 Priory Road, Kenilworth, CV8 1LLInvestpac
Limited20/09/2007Firmenwelten Accountancy House 4 Priory Road
Kenilworth CV8 1LLIsale Limited17/10/20064 Priory Road Kenilworth
CV8 1LLJowo Limited04/10/20064 Priory Road Kenilworth CV8
1LLJulia4romeo Limited12/09/20064 Priory Road Kenilworth CV8
1LLJura Invest Limited15/04/2008Firmenwelten Accountancy House 4
Priory Road Kenilworth CV8 1LLJurawelten
Limited15/04/2008Firmenwelten Accountancy House 4 Priory Road
Kenilworth CV8 1LLKiller Cushions Ltd22/08/2005Firmenwelten
Accountancy House 4 Priory Road Kenilworth CV8 1LLLagonda Invest
Limited20/11/2007Firmenwelten Accountancy House 4 Priory Road
Kenilworth CV8 1LLMastermind Holding Limited10/08/2007Firmenwelten
Accountancy House 4 Priory Road Kenilworth CV8 1LLMedienwelten
Limited24/07/2006Firmenwelten Accountancy House 4 Priory Road
Kenilworth CV8 1LLMetal-Engineering Holding Limited09/07/2007Fw
Accountancy House 4 Priory Road, Kenilworth, CV8 1LLNeue Redaktion
Limited24/07/2006Firmenwelten Accountancy House 4 Priory Road
Kenilworth CV8 1LLOK-Server Software Service Limited17/01/2007Fw
House 21 Albany Street Hull HU3 1PJOvernight Service Holding
Limited29/01/2008Fw Accountancy House 4 Priory Road, Kenilworth,
CV8 1LLPanthera Security Express Limited01/02/2007Firmenwelten
Accountancy House 4 Priory Road Kenilworth CV8 1LLPro Alternative
Holding Limited29/11/20064 Priory Road, Kenilworth, CV8 1LLProcasa
Finance Limited27/11/20064 Priory Road, Kenilworth, CV8 1LLProcasa
Planning Limited27/11/20064 Priory Road, Kenilworth, Cv8 1llRp
Invest Limited05/07/2007Fw Accountancy House 4 Priory Road,
Kenilworth, CV8 1LLScooler Limited17/03/2005Firmenwelten
Accountancy House 4 Priory Road Kenilworth CV8 1LLMeat First
Limited (Formerly Shabaz Invest Limited15/03/2007Firmenwelten
Accountancy House 4 Priory Road Kenilworth CV8 1LLTat Holding
Limited31/01/2008Firmenwelten Accountancy House 4 Priory Road
Kenilworth CV8 1LLTech Holding Limited06/07/2007Fw Accountancy
House 4 Priory Road, Kenilworth, CV8 1LLVilla Capital
Limited15/02/2008Firmenwelten Accountancy House 4 Priory Road
Kenilworth CV8 1LLVon Holst & Kollegen
Limited02/02/2006Firmenwelten Accountancy House 4 Priory Road
Kenilworth CV8 1LLVon Holst Holding Limited04/03/2008Firmenwelten
Accountancy House 4 Priory Road Kenilworth CV8 1LLWabu
Limited04/10/20064 Priory Road Kenilworth CV8 1LLWe Will Never Be
Limited12/10/2006Firmenwelten Accountancy House 4 Priory Road
Kenilworth CV8 1LL 2. The Insolvency Service carries out
confidential enquiries on behalf of the Secretary of State for
Business, Innovation and Skills through Company Investigations. 3.
The Insolvency Service administers the insolvency regime,
investigating all compulsory liquidations and individual
insolvencies, through the Official Receiver to establish why they
became insolvent. The Service also authorises and regulates the
insolvency profession; deals with disqualification of directors in
corporate failures; assesses and pays statutory entitlement to
redundancy payments when an employer cannot or will not pay
employees; provides banking and investment services for bankruptcy
and liquidation estate funds; and advises ministers and other
government departments on insolvency law and practice. Further
information about the work of the Insolvency Service is available
from http://www.bis.gov.uk/insolvency 4. All public enquiries
concerning the affairs of the company should be made to: Public
Interest Unit 2nd Floor 3 Piccadilly Place London Road Manchester
M1 3BN Switchboard: 0161 234 8531 Fax Number: 0161 234 8637 Tel
No: . Email: PIU.North@insolvency.gsi.gov.uk 5. Media Enquiries
should be directed to: Ade Daramy, Press Officer, telephone 020
7596 6187
Contacts:
Ade Daramy
Phone: 020 7596 6187
ade.daramy@insolvency.gsi.gov.uk