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Hello. I am Ed, a Solicitor qualified in England and Wales with over a decade’s experience in the legal profession advising clients.

I specialise in Commercial Contracts, Business Transactions, Employment, Dispute Resolution, Personal Injury and Road Traffic Law and shall be reviewing your legal problem today.

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Can you provide me with some further information about your legal problem so I can provide a text answer on the portal?

It appears that you contracted with the builder's company rather than the builder personally.   However, you may be able to "pierce the corporate veil" and claim and the builder's personal cash and assets if he has committed fraud or deliberately attempted to hide his business assets from his creditors.

If the defendant is in administration, the administrators may be able to restructure its liabilities for it to survive and keep trading without going into liquidation. While the company is in administration, its creditors and new claimants cannot issue civil court or insolvency proceedings against it and there will be a freeze over existing court action while the administration proceeds.

If the defendant is insolvent, and you do not have a charge over its assets or an express personal guarantee from its directors or shareholders, unfortunately, you will be left as an unsecured creditor and therefore second to last in the payout queue when the liquidator distributes its remaining cash and assets. Only the shareholders are below unsecured creditors.

I suggest you register the debt with the defendant’s liquidators on Form 14.4 Proof of Debt, but you will be lucky to receive a few pence in the pound for your debt.

I am sorry that I do not have better news for you, but I must be as honest as possible with you to advise in your best interests.

I hope this is a satisfactory initial reply to your question and you understand my recommendations. Please revert to me if you do not understand anything and require clarification of my answer and I shall be delighted to assist.

I can also offer a Premium Service Consultation for an additional fee if you need detailed and bespoke legal advice. If you accept, I will pass you my direct email address and phone number. I can review any relevant documentation and consult with you by telephone for around 20 minutes. This will give you a clearer picture of your legal position and your potential options for progressing the matter to the next stage.

Kind regards

LawyerEd

Thank you for the positive feedback. I am delighted that you are satisfied with my reply and wish you all the very best in resolving this matter.

If you require further legal advice from me, please create a new text thread on the portal and start it with @EdTurner. I will be notified of your request and prioritise it.

Kind regards

LawyerEd