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Author Topic: Expenses help....  (Read 5999 times)

gingyer

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Expenses help....
« on: August 12, 2015, 09:49:30 pm »

hi all,
I am looking for some input or looking for anyone that can point me in the right direction.....


In 2007 myself and a work colleague were tasked to take people from work out along with clients, there was about 20 people in total. During the course of the night we spent a fair bit on food and drink,
I had been given £800, Receipts were submitted and everything was above board (the 2 owners of the company were with us).
The company since then has since been sold off to a multi national bunch of beggars and thieves.
I left in February, all the guys I worked with were made redundant last month and  The company is in severe financial difficulty now.


I got a call today questioning  this night out from HR and accounts and they are wanting me to repay this money as they cannot find any reference to it being authorised. Now since that night the company was bought over and every year they audited the books so why 8years down the line are they bringing it up now!!. I told them if they want the money to go get a lawyer.


I was wondering if anyone has any thoughts on this, is there a maximum period they can try and claim money back etc??

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dreadnought72

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Re: Expenses help....
« Reply #1 on: August 12, 2015, 09:59:38 pm »

As I understand it (and I'm not a lawyer) UK rules stipulate six years as the maximum time for chasing these things up. I'd pop into your local CAB for the details, but I guess these people hounding you do not have a leg to stand on.

Andy
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gingyer

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Re: Expenses help....
« Reply #2 on: August 12, 2015, 10:05:20 pm »

Thanks Andy,
CAB is on the list of things to do, I don't believe they have a leg to stand on either.


The financial mismanagement since it changed hands is phenomenal  :o
Even the bankers would be shocked, but I am not handing over my hard earned money without
A major fight  <*< <*<
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Colin Bishop

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Re: Expenses help....
« Reply #3 on: August 12, 2015, 10:26:42 pm »

I'm sure it's just a try on. If you submitted the receipts and were paid at the time then somebody authorised the payment and it is their responsibility not yours.

Colin
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g6swj

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Re: Expenses help....
« Reply #4 on: August 12, 2015, 10:37:59 pm »

It sounds like you where given cash to spend - If that's the case surely the person who handed it to you should be the one answering the questions if it was not authorised?  - if it was a budget to spend and submit receipts then presumably you where only reimbursed on production/submission of receipts so what is there to answer for ? Sounds like a large company, seems very strange that after several years this raises its head - indeed that anyone even remembers anything about it.


If I have misunderstood then apologies - hope it all sorts itself out
jonathan
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g6swj

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Re: Expenses help....
« Reply #5 on: August 12, 2015, 10:39:20 pm »

Took to long to type! Great minds think alike as Colin has raised the same view
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gingyer

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Re: Expenses help....
« Reply #6 on: August 12, 2015, 11:11:38 pm »

Thanks guys,
Jonathan you got it all right....
Huge company $4bn turnover last year.....yet can't make money!!
I think this is raising its head is that the 2 ex owners of the smaller company I worked with originally have taken the larger company to court for the second time for their full payment, they won the first time but larger company is refusing court order to pay them.


It's been an ongoing saga, myself and a few others I think are going to be stuck in the middle of this for a while..


to be honest if Nigel Farage knew then this would be the poster company for UKIP!! Top 10 UK small business, bought over by a large continental company, that was a front for a bigger Asian based company's hat has systematically stripped it down and got rid of UK workers bringing in cheaper foreign workers or moving work to other countries.
1 example Sacked my CAD draughtsman and moved his work to new design hub in eastern EU  as it was cheaper,  did a diagram 2hrs work max and then charged me €500.... That was more than my guy got a week and he was always busy.....

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inertia

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Re: Expenses help....
« Reply #7 on: August 12, 2015, 11:25:40 pm »

Colin
I find it very strange that they have found a record of the issue of cash but nothing afterwards. A lack of authorisation either before or after the payment to you indicates a very lax accounting and management system, for which you can have no responsibility whatsoever. Any half-decent brief could drive a bus through this case. 
Whoever is trying this stunt has reached the bottom of the barrel (so to speak) and is thrashing around looking for any excuse to avoid or mitigate some financial unpleasantness. In HMC&E we had a word for them; I can't repeat it here.
Call their bluff; stick to your version of events and say/do nothing more. Trust me - I had that done to me often enough!
DM
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Brian60

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Re: Expenses help....
« Reply #8 on: August 13, 2015, 06:11:05 am »

I find it ironic that they are refusing to pay the ex owners for the company buy out despite a court order, yet are chasing you for £800 %%

Martin (Admin)

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Re: Expenses help....
« Reply #9 on: August 13, 2015, 07:06:16 am »

I got a call today questioning  this night out from HR and accounts

There might be a clue in the fact that it was only a call not an email or letter that can be tracked and traced.
Sounds like an accounting error and obviously not an issue in their dept!
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gingyer

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Re: Expenses help....
« Reply #10 on: August 13, 2015, 09:06:18 am »

Thanks everyone this is all confirming what I had thought originally that they are trying their luck!


In the last 24hrs other ex-employees have been contacted for claiming back expenses,
Including the guy that used to look after bookings for the company box at a major English football club,
They want him to repay the 6 seasons he looked after it..........
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Colin Bishop

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Re: Expenses help....
« Reply #11 on: August 13, 2015, 09:22:43 am »

Things could be worse, at least you haven't got Father Christmas wanting you to return all those stocking presents you got when you were a kid!

The whole thing is a con, if they contact you again just say that you did everything by the book and submitted receipts for approval at the time and that if they have lost their records confirming this then that is their problem, not yours.

Colin
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inertia

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Re: Expenses help....
« Reply #12 on: August 13, 2015, 09:24:01 am »

Sounds like some Jack the Lad accounting type needs a wee dose of the malkies......................... <*<
As Colin says, a lack of documentation on their part does not constitute a liability on yours.
 DM
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TheLongBuild

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Re: Expenses help....
« Reply #13 on: August 13, 2015, 09:52:19 am »

Hope you kept receipts for all the stationery you used as that will be next.  :}

Martin (Admin)

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Re: Expenses help....
« Reply #14 on: August 13, 2015, 10:07:57 am »


... and you can be assured that the expenses wouldn't have paid unless they had been signed off, usually by at least two levels of management / accounts!    :-))
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g6swj

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Re: Expenses help....
« Reply #15 on: August 13, 2015, 10:21:53 am »

It seems like the deal to sell /purchase the company has gone a little sour!

Could it be that some one still employed is under instructions to get "dirt" on the previous management to help them with the legal case, questions over the due diligence process hence the fishing exercise.

If it was me I would not engage in any more verbal communication at all - not one bit of detail - not one word  - If contacted again simply state the you are not going to talk about this and ask them to put it all in writing to you so you can consider it and if needed seek legal advice - this way there is an audit trail of who said what - I'd put money on it you don't get a letter.

All the best
Jonathan
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gingyer

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Re: Expenses help....
« Reply #16 on: August 13, 2015, 10:44:55 am »

Jonathan, I think you have been mind reading  :-))
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Shipmate60

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Re: Expenses help....
« Reply #17 on: August 13, 2015, 04:34:39 pm »

But who ends up "Ginger in the middle"


Bob
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gingyer

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Re: Expenses help....
« Reply #18 on: August 13, 2015, 04:49:55 pm »

But who ends up "Ginger in the middle"


Not me if I can help it  O0 O0
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essex2visuvesi

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Re: Expenses help....
« Reply #19 on: August 17, 2015, 06:32:36 pm »

I now work for a commercial law firm and showed this thread to a colleague whilst having a smoke this afternoon


His response (once he stopped laughing):-
It's certainly not your fault, you are in no way liable and if they continue pressing request a full statement in writing as to why they think you are liable for this.


He reckons it's unlikely you will ever hear from them again.



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ballastanksian

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Re: Expenses help....
« Reply #20 on: August 17, 2015, 08:01:06 pm »

If they do write that letter and you then have to look at professional legal advice despite their behaviour sounding like that of a box of monkeys, you then have some leverage to return the favour with a legal bill for them plus that for expenses including all communications and stationary, and for your time spent dealing with this nonsense.

Still, whatever, I hope this fiasco comes to a quick end and allows you to get back to some model making.
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gingyer

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Re: Expenses help....
« Reply #21 on: August 19, 2015, 09:51:49 pm »

Thanks everyone for the input,
Letters have been sent to some of us,
And lawyers have been contacted....

So we will need to wait and see
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tigertiger

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Re: Expenses help....
« Reply #22 on: August 20, 2015, 01:38:44 am »

Simple


If they call again, say that you have taken legal advice and you need to have something in writing, so that you can place it in the hands of a law firm.
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