Disolved companies

[businessdata]

If you are a Nominet member, you could well take issue with this.

According to Bona Vacancia, the government agency that deals with the property and rights of previously dissolved companies:

Because of changes made by Nominet UK to its Terms and Conditions of Domain Name Registration, domain name registration contracts now end immediately if the company which registered the domain name ceases to exist. The Treasury Solicitor is therefore no longer able to sell domain names registered with Nominet UK, and this auction service is no longer available.

 

[stender]

Does that mean the company has no rights over it either then? In which case why don't nominet drop the domain immediately giving everyone a chance at getting it?

 

[businessdata]

Fair point, and raises the question of when Nominet made these changes (should be easy to find that out) and did this company go under before those changes were made. If so, they would be unaffected assuming these terms were not retrospective in their application.

 

[retired_member11]

You have to remember that you are dealing with a legal entity.

If it's dissolved, forget it.
If it's in liquidation, approach the liquidator.
If there is a proposal to strike off, approach the owner and/or the legal representative.
If it's dormant, approach the owner.

Don't ever induce an ex-Director to commit a fraud, if he's an honest guy, and/or a current Director elsewhere, his professional approach might be to bubble you to the police, next stop the dock!

"...dormant, approach the owner."

I've never quite got to grips with what a dormant company is. OK I know what 'dormant' suggests, sleeping, but what is the legal status of such a company? Why would a company go/ be dormant?

 

[keys]

"...dormant, approach the owner."

I've never quite got to grips with what a dormant company is. OK I know what 'dormant' suggests, sleeping, but what is the legal status of such a company? Why would a company go/ be dormant?

The term dormant applies to a company that, in legal terms, has no significant accounting transactions during a financial year

WHY HAVE A DORMANT COMPANY?
Companies can be dormant for various reasons, often to protect a company name, in readiness for a future project, or to hold an asset or intellectual property. Some flat management companies whose main purpose is to own the head lease or the freehold of a property choose to become dormant by setting up a residents' association to deal with any expenses. A company can remain dormant for as long as necessary - indefinitely if, for example, its purpose it just to prevent the name being used by another company.

source: http://www.ukincorp.co.uk/s-49-uk-dormant-company.html

 

[retired_member11]

The term dormant applies to a company that, in legal terms, has no significant accounting transactions during a financial year

WHY HAVE A DORMANT COMPANY?
Companies can be dormant for various reasons, often to protect a company name, in readiness for a future project, or to hold an asset or intellectual property. Some flat management companies whose main purpose is to own the head lease or the freehold of a property choose to become dormant by setting up a residents' association to deal with any expenses. A company can remain dormant for as long as necessary - indefinitely if, for example, its purpose it just to prevent the name being used by another company.

source: http://www.ukincorp.co.uk/s-49-uk-dormant-company.html

Thanks Keys. So, are there annual costs to meet to keep a dormant company ticking over?

 

[olebean]

Thanks Keys. So, are there annual costs to meet to keep a dormant company ticking over?

Yes, it is a nominal fee. You are likely to get away with keeping the company dormant for a couple of years after which companies (In my experience) start the striking off proceedure.

 

[keys]

Thanks Keys. So, are there annual costs to meet to keep a dormant company ticking over?

We have several dormant companies and we pay £50/year each for an agent to maintain them. It's cheaper if you do it yourself, but still time and cost to prepare and file the necessary returns.

 

[aZooZa]

For UK companies, you can keep them dormant ad infinitum. But you have to file an annual return. That return can always be null, but regardless of how insignificant, you have to include any bank transactions/charges etc. In this case the return isn't null and you'll be into a little expense to have an accountant file for you.

Easiest way to keep a UK company dormant is to have no bank account and absolutely zero transactions. Company names are *almost* like domain names - there's money in them if you tie them to a domain name as an investment.

For example, how many 'off the shelf' company formation outfits have you heard of? There are a fair few. Good business model now is to offer the company AND the domain name. E.g.:

a silly company Ltd.
asillycompany.co.uk

Package deal - £100 instead of the normal £25 odd.

I guess I should be doing this instead of giving the idea away.

Anyway, more ammunition for niche catchers

 

[retired_member11]

...but the domain name is a much stronger commercial proposition than the company name, imho.

 

[aZooZa]

...but the domain name is a much stronger commercial proposition than the company name, imho.

They both seem strong to me as a package for new businesses. The on-line company registration business is huge.

 

[retired_member11]

Choose either poker.co.uk and Poker UK Ltd, or pokeruk.co.uk and Poker Ltd.

I would take the first pair..... every time. Just my two penneth worth

 

[aZooZa]

I don't mean at the high end. "Poker" is gone - no more; finito.

I mean stuff like:

a) Student Library Ltd.
b) StudentLibrary.co.uk

There is a business opportunity staring us right in the face here. The company is £25 - keep it dormant - hold on to the domain - offer the company with the domain or vice-versa.

 

[keys]

One company has taken the top 400 names as plc's, they are well placed to capitalise on the idea but they don't sell the them.

It is very difficult to match a ltd company name with a sought after domain name. Thanks to labour and the previous chancellor ltd's are financially less attractive now, apart from the liability protection they offer.

 

[billybong]

probably the wrong place for this, but can someone confirm what is actually required to change the registrant details, and therefore technical ownership (???) , of a .co.uk and .com

say for example 'friend a' was a director of a dissolved company with a domain registered (in the name of 'friend b') to that (dissolved) company. if friend b wanted to be made registrant, surely all friend a needs to do is log into the control panel of the registrar and change the details ? or is that being too simplistic. no paperwork or money needs to change hands does it ?

 

[olebean]

probably the wrong place for this, but can someone confirm what is actually required to change the registrant details, and therefore technical ownership (???) , of a .co.uk and .com

say for example 'friend a' was a director of a dissolved company with a domain registered (in the name of 'friend b') to that (dissolved) company. if friend b wanted to be made registrant, surely all friend a needs to do is log into the control panel of the registrar and change the details ? or is that being too simplistic. no paperwork or money needs to change hands does it ?

In theory that could occur...

 

[billybong]

how else would i be able to get a domain name (.com) back from a dissolved registrant. would it be worth getting in touch with the registrar ? i would assume that they would be unlikley to have the power to do that ? i understand that nominet have the power to it for a .co.uk, is there an equivalent to nominet for a .com ?

what would be the normal procedure for the transfer of a .com domain ?

 

[billybong]

so is it possible to 'catch' a .com name then, and how would you do it ?

 

[Johnp]

so is it possible to 'catch' a .com name then, and how would you do it ?

Dropcatching started off in the .com market, but it all sewn up by the registrars. At one time they use to sell slots at a fixed price for expiring domains for the customers that they manage, now they auction them to highest bidder or if the name is really good, they keep it themselves.


JohnP

 

[JasonD]

I have some experience with UK dissolved companies and Nominet and it isn't always as simple as you may well think.

There are holes, that send you round in loops, and it is possible to either end up in the hole or loop depending on what side of the transaction you are operating from!