BEWARE.Signature windows gone into Liquidation. Any lost money to theses con artists? HELP!!!

joe1303l

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120273187#Comment_120273187

As per Hebs14, phone ringing out today no matter what option you pick. Left a voicemail, no call returned.

mariamartin555

Just wanted to share that the offical notice has gone into the papers today about the liquidation and creditors meeting

Hebs14

Thank you!

And hallelujah! Maybe someone will finally talk to us...... maybe......

joe1303l

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120279928#Comment_120279928

What newspaper was it published in ?

Am I correct in thinking that no customers (unsecured creditors) were advised of this meeting directly by the liquidator ?

mariamartin555

@joe1303l i believe this was published in The Sun. I as a customer was not contacted directly by the liquidator. I have tried contacting him directly on a number of occasions in early January and he would not return any of my calls and then blocked my number. I will be interested to hear if anyone else has any luck contacting him.

joe1303l

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120281211#Comment_120281211

Same here, rang several times, left messages no calls returned.

joe1303l

Sunday Times carried a 2 page article today on Signature but no more information much than has been kicked around here already. Article here for anyone that didn’t see it. Mods feel free to remove if there is a copyright issue.

joe1303l

Page 2

Hebs14

Another version here, from the printed version of the Sunday Times, but this includes some interesting info on Cardinal Windows at the end of the article. Also a sentence about someone opposing Alan Fitzpatricks nominated as liquidator. Wonder why it was deleted in the online version?

walterking

Very poor article. Looks like the author just took information from this thread and has provided zero information from any source for the customers.

Back in the day when journalists actually did some real investigation they would have talked to a liquidation expert, maybe trawl through previous year accounts and challenged the directors for more aggressively.

Instead you get a rehash of what's out in the public domain anyway.

If someone was interested, you could collect proxies against the nomination of liquidator by the company and put forward your own nomination.

If all the proxies exceed the votes the company has, then the proxy liquidator is appointed.

I'd be getting legal advice

https://reddycharlton.ie/insights/how-to-make-your-vote-count-your-guide-to-creditors-meetings/

joe1303l

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120292320#Comment_120292320

Strange that the online version was missing the info on Cardinal windows, maybe just edited out to make it fit for some reason. Cardinal sounds like the usual sideshow or workaround to keep money flowing when it shouldn’t.

Well done for telling your story, the fame photo gives the appropriate stern look as required to match the headline. I’m amazed it’s taken this long for the media to pick this up. The fact that it’s the same liquidator 2nd time round rings alarm bells for me and it’s likely the creditors meeting will be a scripted farce.

I informed Megrame of the published date for the creditors meeting on Friday and they claim they weren’t officially notified of the meeting either but that other customers had also informed them.

Hebs14

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120292528#Comment_120292528

Thanks for this. If I've understood this correctly, creditors are supposed to be sent a proxy form which must be returned allow them to attend the creditors meeting???

I emailed Alan Fitzpatrick, asking to attend, but of course I haven't heard back from him.

walterking

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120295167#Comment_120295167

I'm not sure of the exact process, but another liquidator who you could nominate would know what is required.

My understanding is the liquidator has not officially been appointed, therefore does not have any duty towards you.

The notice is in effect the only thing applicable at this juncture.

It is highly unlikely that anything would be left for unsecured creditors, so many people just write it off.

It wouldn't take too many customers attending and opposing the company's nomination successfully

joe1303l

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120295167#Comment_120295167

Same, no reply from the email address published on the newspaper notice of the creditors meeting.

Normal sequence for distribution of any assets recovered is secured creditors first in the order of Revenue, Banks, Leasing Companies etc. Usually no funds left well before they get down to unsecured creditors such as suppliers and customers. Not what anyone wants to hear but it seems to be the usual outcome unfortunately.

Hebs14

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120295833#Comment_120295833

Yes, I'm not expecting anything. We're definitely at the back of the queue.

It's so very wrong. Particularly for those people who paid deposits in December. Literally daylight robbery.

A New earth

Signature Windows and Doors Limited, NORMAL (businessbarometer.ie)

DOCARCH

Mod Note: I have deleted a couple of posts (to do with family bereavement/directors). Just not appropriate for this forum.  

iwillhtfu

Interesting that a poster earlier described how he was directed to cardinal windows for payment and in that article it would appear that cardinal windows are owed money also. To me it sounds like the directors from signature windows have a hand in Cardinal and that Cardinal will be listed as creditors in the liquidation. Perhaps I'm way off but a terrible situation for all those with orders lodged.

joe1303l

My submitted request to attend the creditors meeting has not been replied to/acknowledged yet. Has anyone actually received an invitation to attend the virtual meeting next Monday ?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120300225#Comment_120300225

You'll receive it after 4pm on the 5th of March.

Hebs14

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120300920#Comment_120300920

Thanks. Is that the way it normally works? i.e they wait till the deadline and will then contact everyone?

I'd have thought they would contact all creditors directly to invite them to the meeting, instead of relying on us to find the notice in a newspaper.

joe1303l

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120300920#Comment_120300920

Who informed you of this ? PM if you don’t want to publicly disclose.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120303884#Comment_120303884

Common Sense did, you may have heard of him. It's held over zoom, so the invites are issued from zoom. You don't open zoom and add each email address on receipt, you'd do it in bulk at the end, so then you'd just have to do it once...

joe1303l

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120304197#Comment_120304197

Not sure Liquidators usually work on Sundays but time will tell. It is unusual not to acknowledge the request whatever about the timing of sending Zoom invites.

Dav010

Sorry to hear that many have been caught by Signature, but not in any way surprised. The Directors/owners of Signature (Mooney & Burke) did the very same thing with Marvin Window customers in Ireland in 2015, and UK last year.

I can give a brief account of my experience, and what happened.

I was waiting on windows or my garage when I got a call requesting full payment even though no confirmed delivery date. I paid, we had built house a few years earlier and had no issues (yet) with windows so no reason to be fearful. Like Signature, we then heard from fitter that Marvin were gone into liquidation. I had to deal directly with Marvin US, pay again for the windows, and have them imported.

The big issue going forward is warranty issues. Anyone who bought from Signature will now have to deal directly with the manufacturer and be aware, the warranty offered by Signature may differ significantly with the manufacturers, it did with us, and after getting legal advice, I was told that the manufacturer is not bound by local distributor warranty offers which are above what the manufacturer offers.

As the windows are US made, there are issues with the Irish climate and over time sash windows do need maintenance, meaning warranty claims are likely. You will have to deal with the US company. I had to get windows replaced under warranty, the manufacturer wanted nothing to do with them and offered me a small cash amount, which refused. Eventually they remade windows, I had to arrange and pay importation/customs, which is a pain in the ass.

As I said, it’s the same owners, having gone down the legal route, all I ended up with was solicitors fees. Get what you can from the manufacturer, but prepare for more problems down the line.

Edit: Sorry, should have added, when Marvin Architectural Ireland died, Signature Windows was born at the same address, virtually the same brochure, so don’t be surprised to see another window company formed by these two in the near future.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120304332#Comment_120304332

Monday morning is also after 4pm on Sunday.

sugarman20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120308169#Comment_120308169

That's a really suitable username you have there, well done.

joe1303l

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120308114#Comment_120308114

Mooney past away in late 2021, his wife involved currently.

spike1966

Zoom meeting Monday at 230pm

20230227_095449.jpg

20230227_095459.jpg

We need to nail these crooks

spike1966

20230227_095449.jpg

230pm Monday zoom meeting. Send in forms everyone .we need to nail these crooks who continued to trade for ages knowing they were going to stop trading .ADDRESSES to follow