Taking wedding venue to court

jacqui2020

Galloglass said:

Honestly the thing I’m most worried about is that the company will be declared insolvent, leaving me with nothing.

At the bottom of the website for the parent company is a company number for Utopia Leisure Ltd, the owners. Their accounts are public knowledge. I'd say you are safe in collecting any win. If they don't pay, you can appoint bailiffs. They'll have some nice stuff to seize.

Yes. Utopia Leisure are the ones we’ll be facing in court.

HopeAndDriftWood

Wedding receptions are allowed again from Saturday. That may not be relevant but as you mentioned it earlier, I thought I’d say. 

Time2Go_25

jacqui2020 said:

Galloglass said:

Honestly the thing I’m most worried about is that the company will be declared insolvent, leaving me with nothing.

At the bottom of the website for the parent company is a company number for Utopia Leisure Ltd, the owners. Their accounts are public knowledge. I'd say you are safe in collecting any win. If they don't pay, you can appoint bailiffs. They'll have some nice stuff to seize.

Yes. Utopia Leisure are the ones we’ll be facing in court.

Good luck, you should win, it'll be interesting to see if the back down and settle before the court date.

jacqui2020

pdel61 said:

jacqui2020 said:

Galloglass said:

Honestly the thing I’m most worried about is that the company will be declared insolvent, leaving me with nothing.

At the bottom of the website for the parent company is a company number for Utopia Leisure Ltd, the owners. Their accounts are public knowledge. I'd say you are safe in collecting any win. If they don't pay, you can appoint bailiffs. They'll have some nice stuff to seize.

Yes. Utopia Leisure are the ones we’ll be facing in court.

Good luck, you should win, it'll be interesting to see if the back down and settle before the court date.

Unfortunately not. Yesterday I received a reply from the last email I sent to them on Monday asking them to reconsider their position before it heads to court. Their response was essentially “see you in court”.

Grumpy_chap

They may still back down once they receive notification of proceedings.

Dr_Crypto

It’s not uncommon for companies to bluff until the punter actually turns up at the court. They know that most people don’t actually follow up threats. 

There was a good example on here recently from someone who’d ordered a very expensive summer house or something. 

nicechap

jacqui2020 said:

pdel61 said:

jacqui2020 said:

Galloglass said:

Honestly the thing I’m most worried about is that the company will be declared insolvent, leaving me with nothing.

At the bottom of the website for the parent company is a company number for Utopia Leisure Ltd, the owners. Their accounts are public knowledge. I'd say you are safe in collecting any win. If they don't pay, you can appoint bailiffs. They'll have some nice stuff to seize.

Yes. Utopia Leisure are the ones we’ll be facing in court.

Good luck, you should win, it'll be interesting to see if the back down and settle before the court date.

Unfortunately not. Yesterday I received a reply from the last email I sent to them on Monday asking them to reconsider their position before it heads to court. Their response was essentially “see you in court”.

If you look at the parking ticket sub forum (https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/categories/parking-tickets-fines-parking ), you will see how common it is for firms to fold before going to court, even where the company is the one taking the consumer to court. Its a numbers game, people have most likely sued them before, and so many give up, another few negotiate a settlement, and another portion actually follow through to court.

molerat

IMO they will fold before court as they don't have a leg to stand on and they know it.  The clause they are using is clearly meant to mean, to a reasonable person, if they can't offer the facilities they can use alternative facilities for the same event, not move to a completely different date.  And when it is all over they deserve a good factual bad mouthing in any wedding related social media.

Grumpy_chap

It is quite possible that the company are stalling for time.  Accounts to end September 2018 show £24m nett assets, £2.4 cash and turnover £20m.  These all sound like big numbers, but the assets are probably largely properties and the cash is only a couple of months' turnover at most.  With closure for lockdown, it is quite possible they are in need of cash flow in the immediate term, even if not in a struggling financial position overall.

Galloglass

With closure for lockdown, it is quite possible they are in need of cash flow in the immediate term, even if not in a struggling financial position overall.

Tongue in cheek. Send in a "valuer" to take pics of the stuff you'll be selling at auction when you have a court order for them to pay you. Explain that you are amazed that such as large company should quibble over a small sum, and you're just being prepared.

Once anyone has a win, the first people to call are not the debtors (always a mistake) but bailiffs.