County Court at Stafford makes administration order over deceased's estate
The County Court at Stafford has made an administration order over the estate of Alexander Groat Baker, lately of Wheaton Aston, with Knights PLC appointed as office-holders.
Information for general guidance, drawn from the public record. Not legal, financial, or insolvency advice. If you are affected by an insolvency, consult a licensed practitioner or qualified solicitor.
The County Court at Stafford has made an administration order in respect of the estate of Alexander Groat Baker, who had been residing at Bellbrook, Bellhurst Lane, Wheaton Aston, Stafford, ST19 9QS. The matter is recorded as case number 20 of 2022 and was published in the Gazette on 21 September 2022.
This is a personal estate administration, not a corporate insolvency. A county court grants an administration order of this kind to manage and distribute the estate of a deceased person, typically where the estate is insolvent or where there is a dispute about its management. The court appoints office-holders to take control of the estate's assets and deal with outstanding liabilities.
The office-holders
Jennifer Margaret Baker and Natalie Nattress, both of Knights PLC, have been appointed as office-holders over the estate. Knights PLC is a legal and professional services firm. Baker and Nattress are responsible for administering the estate under the court's supervision, identifying assets and liabilities, and distributing any remaining value to those with valid claims.
What this means for creditors and those with claims on the estate
Once an administration order is made over a deceased person's estate, the office-holders take responsibility for dealing with creditors in an orderly way. Known creditors can expect to receive statutory communications from Baker and Nattress in due course, with correspondence conducted through Knights PLC.
A creditor wishing to evidence the amount owed to them would ordinarily submit a proof of debt, the formal claim form used in insolvency-related proceedings to set out the basis and value of a claim. The office-holders assess those claims and determine how assets are to be distributed.
The making of an administration order carries a form of protection similar to the moratorium that applies in corporate administration under Schedule B1, paragraph 43 of the Insolvency Act 1986. In practice, individual creditors are generally unable to pursue separate enforcement action against the estate once the court has assumed oversight of its administration.
Creditors who are unsecured, meaning their debts are not backed by a charge over a specific asset, rank behind any secured claims when the estate's assets are distributed. Trade creditors, individuals owed money by the deceased, and others in a similar position would typically fall into this unsecured category.
No secured charges appear on the notice. The appointment date recorded in the underlying data is not confirmed, and no further detail about the size or composition of the estate is available from the notice as published.
Common questions
Are you owed money by this company?
You are an unsecured creditor unless you hold a registered charge or retention of title. The administrators will write to known creditors in due course with a proof-of-debt form and timetable for the first meeting. Until that letter arrives, no formal action is required from you. Read more about proof of debt and where you sit in the creditor hierarchy.
Did you work at this company?
Wages owed up to a statutory cap, holiday pay, notice pay and redundancy may be claimable from the Redundancy Payments Service if the company is unable to pay. The administrators will normally coordinate the RP1 claim with the affected staff. See gov.uk: your rights if your employer is insolvent.
Do you hold a deposit, gift card or undelivered order from this company?
Customers with paid-but-undelivered orders, gift cards or deposits typically rank as unsecured creditors. Where you paid by credit card and the amount was over £100, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 may let you claim from the card issuer for breach of contract or misrepresentation by the supplier; the rules apply per item, not per transaction, and the card must be a regulated credit card. Debit-card payments may be recoverable via chargeback.
Are you a director of a company connected to this company?
Watch for Section 216 of the Insolvency Act 1986 if you intend to keep trading under a similar name in a successor company. The rule prohibits a director of a liquidated company from being involved in another company using the same or a similar name for five years, unless one of the statutory exceptions applies. Read more about Section 216.
Sources
- The London Gazette notice (code Administration Orders)
- Court: County Court at Stafford, case 20
- Editorial standards: how we source and review; five-pass pipeline.
