AnswersWhen a client goes under
Can I get my goods back from a company that has gone bust?
The short answer
Sometimes. If your terms, agreed before delivery9, keep the goods yours until paid, ownership does not pass on delivery1. You can claim them back if still there and identifiable. In an administration, retention of title counts as hire purchase4, so no step may be taken to repossess them without the administrator's consent or the court's permission3.
England and Wales only. WolfX is software, not a law firm.
What you can add
A £5,280 invoice, company in administration
Say you supplied a company with £5,280 of goods on credit, invoiced on 3 July 2026 and due on 2 August 2026. It enters administration on 21 September 2026, 50 days late. £3,120 of those goods, at the price you charged, are still unopened in its yard. Interest runs at 11.75%12, which is 8% plus the base rate11, because the invoice went late between 1 July and 31 December 2026. On a proof of debt, interest counts only up to the day the company enters administration6.
- The invoice£5,280.00
- Interest: £5,280 × 11.75% ÷ 365 × 50 days11£84.99
- Fixed sum (invoices from £1,000 to £9,999.99)10£70.00
- Goods you collect with consent−£3,120.00
- Left on your proof of debt£2,314.99
If the administrator refuses consent and you do not apply to the court, the whole £5,434.99 goes on the proof. Either way, interest stops being added on 21 September 2026.
The road ahead
Five steps. Free, unless you go to court.
Step 1: Find your terms and the paper trail
Find the signed account application or order terms, agreed before the first delivery, with the clause that keeps ownership with you1. A clause that first appeared on the invoice for these goods, or on a website they did not see, usually does not count9.
Then pull the invoices and delivery notes, so you can show which pallets are yours and tell them from the rest of their stock.
Step 3: Write to them today
Email the letter below to the administrator or liquidator, copy the company, and attach the terms, invoice and delivery notes. Ask for a reply within 7 days: goods get used or sold on, and a buyer in possession can pass good title2 to someone who buys in good faith.
Step 4: Wait for consent before you collect
In an administration, you take nothing until the administrator says yes. If they refuse, the court can give permission3, and a solicitor who does insolvency work is the right call before you apply.
In a liquidation, the liquidator's answer tells you where you stand, so wait for it too.
Step 5: Send the proof of debt anyway
Send your proof of debt5 whatever the answer, and give details of the reservation of title on it. Goods you take back reduce what you are owed; the rest is an ordinary claim, as in a liquidation or an administration.
A letter you can copy
Letter asking to collect goods you still own
Send it the day you learn of the administration or liquidation, before anything else.
Tap a highlighted gap to see what goes in it.
Email it to the address on the Gazette notice, so it is dated, copy the company, and attach the terms, invoice and delivery notes. Keep the sent copy. Send it only if the terms were agreed before delivery. If you are not sure, find the signed account form first.
When not to bother
When it isn't worth it
- There is no clause, or it was only on invoices. Ownership usually passed on delivery: prove the debt. If you supplied them regularly, a clause on earlier invoices can count9, so claim the goods anyway.
- The goods are gone, used, built in or resold. The clause stops helping there; a claim over resale money or mixed goods is a job for a solicitor who does insolvency or commercial disputes.
- Collecting would cost more than the goods will fetch. A van, labour and a day of staff add up, and so does a court application if the administrator refuses. Prove the debt instead.
- The company is in Scotland or Northern Ireland. This page covers England and Wales, and the routes there differ.
The Wolf's note
Your clause gives you a claim on the goods. In an administration the gate belongs to the administrator, so ask on day one with the paper trail ready. Then send the proof of debt, whatever comes back.
Mr. Wolf · the AI inside WolfX
What comes next
Your next move
A company that owes me money is in administration. What now?
You can't sue a company in administration without the administrator's consent or the court's permission.
7 min read · Letter included
How do I claim money from a company in liquidation?
Send the liquidator a proof of debt before their last date: a letter or form with the amount owed including VAT, how it arose and your invoices.
7 min read · Letter included
The company says it's closing down. What should I do right now?
Today. If a client says it is closing down or going out of business, check Companies House and the Gazette for which kind, then write with the sum worked out.
8 min read · Letter included
Don't want to do this yourself?
The Wolf does every step for you. He works out the sums, writes the letters and keeps track of every date. Nothing goes without your yes.