Moratorium takes effect for Kent partnership Thoroughly Wood
Mr Mark Lineham and Mrs Colette Lineham, trading as Thoroughly Wood, have entered a moratorium. The Kent-based partnership operates from Little Woodlands Farm.
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.
Moratorium begins for Thoroughly Wood partnership
Mr Mark Lineham and Mrs Colette Lineham, trading as Thoroughly Wood, have entered into a moratorium. The partnership operates from Little Woodlands Farm in Lyminge, Kent.
The moratorium started on 2 April 2020. This legal pause halts most creditor enforcement actions unless the court gives permission. Schedule B1 of the Insolvency Act 1986 provides this protection.
What this means for creditors and customers
When a partnership enters a moratorium, a legal pause stops most actions that creditors can take to recover debts. This protection provides breathing space for the business. Correspondence about the partnership is managed through the official channels set up for the moratorium.
Creditors who want to claim an amount owed by the partnership must usually submit a formal claim. This document is a proof of debt. It is the way a creditor formally shows the amount they are owed.
Customers who paid for goods or services that were not delivered, or who hold gift cards or have paid deposits, usually rank as unsecured creditors. Their claims are considered after those of any secured creditors.
Employees with outstanding wages, notice pay, or redundancy entitlements are also included in the insolvency framework. The Redundancy Payments Service handles certain employee claims.
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 Moratoria, Prohibited Names and Other: Moratorium: Coming into Force)
- Editorial standards: how we source and review; five-pass pipeline.
