Decision

Decision on Little Chef Ltd

Updated 1 March 2021

ORDER under the Companies Act 2006

In the matter of application No. 2066

For a change of company name of registration No. 11966062

Decision

The company name LITTLE CHEF LTD has been registered since 26 April 2019 under number 11966062.

By an application filed on 31 July 2019, HYBRID DINING LIMITED applied for a change of name of this registration under the provisions of section 69(1) of the Companies Act 2006 (the Act).

A copy of this application was sent to the primary respondent’s registered office on 16 August 2019, in accordance with rule 3(2) of the Company Names Adjudicator Rules 2008. The copy of the application was sent by Royal Mail “Signed For” service and also by standard mail. It was returned “addressee unknown”. On 16 August 2019, the Tribunal wrote to John Jollands to inform him that the applicant had requested that he be joined to the proceedings. In response, on 19 August 2019, John Jollands contacted the tribunal to advise that he had not been notified of this action prior to receiving the letter of 16 August 2019 and that he did not intend to defend his company name. On 30 September 2019, John Jollands was joined as a co-respondent. On 30 September 2019, the parties were advised that no defence had been received to the application and so the adjudicator may treat the application as not being opposed. The parties were granted a period of 14 days to request a hearing in relation to this matter, if they so wished. In response, on 1 October 2019, the co-respondent John Jollands contacted the tribunal to advise that he intended to change the company name. The letters sent to the primary respondent and to the co-respondent were returned. No request for a hearing was made. Subsequently, no change has been made to the company name.

The primary respondent did not file a defence within the one month period specified by the adjudicator under rule 3(3). Rule 3(4) states:

The primary respondent, before the end of that period, shall file a counter-statement on the appropriate form, otherwise the adjudicator may treat it as not opposing the application and may make an order under section 73(1).

Under the provisions of this rule, the adjudicator may exercise discretion so as to treat the respondent as opposing the application. In this case I can see no reason to exercise such discretion and, therefore, decline to do so.

As the primary respondent has not responded to the allegations made, it is treated as not opposing the application. Therefore, in accordance with section 73(1) of the Act I make the following order:

(a) LITTLE CHEF LTD shall change its name within one month of the date of this order to one that is not an offending name ^{[footnote 1]};

(b) LITTLE CHEF LTD and John Jollands each shall:

(i) take such steps as are within their power to make, or facilitate the making, of that change;

(ii) not to cause or permit any steps to be taken calculated to result in another company being registered with a name that is an offending name.

In accordance with s.73(3) of the Act, this order may be enforced in the same way as an order of the High Court or, in Scotland, the Court of Session.

In any event, if no such change is made within one month of the date of this order, I will determine a new company name as per section 73(4) of the Act and will give notice of that change under section 73(5) of the Act.

All respondents, including individual co-respondents, have a legal duty under Section 73(1)(b)(ii) of the Companies Act 2006 not to cause or permit any steps to be taken calculated to result in another company being registered with an offending name; this includes the current company. Non-compliance may result in an action being brought for contempt of court and may result in a custodial sentence.

HYBRID DINING LIMITED, having been successful, is entitled to a contribution towards its costs, however, it has advised that it is waiving its right to an award of costs.

Any notice of appeal against this decision to order a change of name must be given within one month of the date of this order. Appeal is to the High Court in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and to the Court of Session in Scotland.

The company adjudicator must be advised if an appeal is lodged, so that implementation of the order is suspended.

Dated 10th September 2020

Susan Eaves
Company Names Adjudicator

1. An “offending name” means a name that, by reason of its similarity to the name associated with the applicant in which he claims goodwill, would be likely to be the subject of a direction under section 67 (power of Secretary of State to direct change of name), or to give rise to a further application under section 69. ↩