Canute Group’s former pallet network is seeking to have the business wound up next month if it refuses to settle a bill of £47,489.35.

Pallet-Track served time on Canute Haulage Group in March of this year as a member of its pallet network over concerns about its performance.

However, following Canute Haulage Group's pre-pack administration in May, the new owner Almtone continued to put pallets through the network under a gentleman's agreement, which saw it run up its current debt.

Nigel Parkes, MD of Pallet-Track told MT that “we have served a statutory 21 day notice on Almtone. It is our intention if this is not contested to issue a winding up petition on them”.

Parkes added: “It was clear in my opinion from the correspondence (and sometimes lack of it) that the pre packed company Almtone had not recognised the importance of settling debts as a new business.

“It already suffered from a damaged reputation from the Canute collapse and the new business not paying its new debts left us with no alternative but to take legal action.”

According to a receipt seen by MT, the statutory note was served at “12.55 hours today (15.10.18) by the papers being accepted by Julie Rowden of Michael J Ventham accountants on behalf of Almtone Limited at the address of 22a West Station Yard, Spital Road, Maldon, Essex, CM9 6TS”.

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Canute Haulage Group covered the CA, LA, TD, DG and RM postcodes for Pallet-Track.

Responding to the Pallet-Track action, Canute Group sales director David Emslie said the "Pallet-Track [debt] will be settled in good time before any necessity for a winding up order".

Getting paid

Almtone currently has County Court Judgments totalling £65,426 listed against it. Canute Haulage Group owed more than £200,000 in CCJs when it entered administration in May.

Michael Madigan, a director at A1 Direct Recruitment in Crawley, West Sussex, was owed £7,994 by Almtone owned Canute Group. This increased to £8,404 after court fees were applied to a CCJ he sought against the haulage firm – this figure is in addition to the £65,426 of CCJ’s currently listed.

He contacted Trading Standards last week to accuse Canute Group of misrepresentation and was “dumbfounded” to receive a faster payment for the full amount he was owed at 7.25pm on the same day of his complaint, Friday (19 October).

His firm had also been owed £4,900 when Canute Haulage Group went into administration in May, but this was payed after he refused to supply drivers for contracts until the bill was settled in full.

“We’ve been given the run around over this despite ultimately getting paid,” Madigan told MT. “I just feel really sorry for all the others in the same boat, awaiting payment.”

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