Thanks for the advice. I am in the process of writing to the Trading Standards people. I will let you know how things progress. Kevin

No. Afraid not. The limited company is a property management company registered in Bolton. They have one director. I would love to get to him but it seems things are stacked in his favour by the corporation veil. I am hoping that when the winding up petition is agreed, the official receiver will take things further. To be honest, the money I lost is not the big issue. The main thing that gets my goat is how he seems to be getting away with criminal actions when he is a nasty little fraudster. I have almost made it my mission now to make life difficult for him in the future even if I end up out of pocket. I was just struck by how similar your story was to mine and I am desperate to know if you got anywhere with suing the person who defrauded you. Kevin

I have come very late to this thread. Exactly the same thing has happened to me. I want to sue a company because of illegal actions by one of the diractors. The civil court has ruled in my favour that the company owes me the money but of course the company ( with its sole director ) have not paid up. I am in the process of getting my solicitors to issue a winding up petition and I am hoping the official receiver will identify the director as having acted illegally. I have also been to the police but they are not interested in persuing the director because they tell me it is in the hands of the civil courts and they are not debt collectors. My case sounds very similar to yours. He was the dirsctor of a property management compant who kept the deposits and rent from my tenants. Can you let me know how you have got on with your case. ( It may even be the same man we are talking about ) Kevin Jones