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 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
But to the best of my (incomplete, imperfect) knowledge? There’s nothing to prevent the Directors of Company A setting up Company B, with themselves as Directors, and selling Company A’s assets to Company B, and cobblers to the liabilities.

Late reply, but that's pretty much what Prodos did, with Archon. The liabilities were fulfilling the Aliens vs. Predator KS. IIRC, Prodos gave store credit in lieu of rewards for anyone who didn't receive them, but only announced this through the Beasts of War site. Archon didn't release another game until, what, Heroes of Might and Magic or Masters of the Universe, I think.

I think we're at a consensus that HF has to find a way to sell off the molds and rights. I can't see any world where the current owners with their continuing health issues can make the company work again.

I think your confused there - HF don't have to do anything...

EM4 or Moonfleet could break into the more modern-styled miniatures space with this acquisition.

Moonfleet (I'll be honest, I forgot this range entirely) aren't operating any more. A lot of models went to Black Cat Bases... who also aren't operating anymore - this is what I mean by 'they don't have to do anything'.

EM4... its not there thing really. I mean the range hasn't changed in at least a decade, maybe 2 at this point.

Or a historical outfit like Empress

They don't have the capital, doesn't match there range or what they want to do; they have a fantasy Zulu Wars range that could have been used as Praetorians with some minor changes and they didn't.

Badger

Who?

Old Glory

Would you want to ship a range that big over seas? Let alone the customs. Also, the Drumpf figures sound like a headache to import generally...

West Wind productions

Weren't in a position to ride K47 V2 coat tails, won't be in a position to buy HF.

Wargames Foundry

Thats an interesting one. They have the facilities to cast in house I think, but I'm not sure if they really have the capital.


I'm not trying to rain on anybodys parade here, I'm not, but heres what I'd say - unless you know they definately have more than three staff, some form of inhouse casting, etc, they probably aren't big enough to buy the majority of a range the size of Hasslefree.

Yeah the 'has to' has a silent "if we are ever going to see these models again" attached to it.

Though if in fact they have debts from taxes, utilities, suppliers and unfilled orders, they may in fact be forced to sell all assets.

What did the tax ruling/dissolved mentioned a few pages up amount to?

That's the thing if they had money to reboot and get started again you'd expect them to keep going under their original name and brand and power through.

That they've not managed to do that and that, outside impressions are, its become worse and worse over the years; means there's no pot of cash they've got hold of. There's no treasure-trove of investment money or profits from an event sitting there that the can hive off and then use.

Restarting the firm and moving over physical assets might let them wipe debt, but they'd still be there with the same issue of no cash for running costs, upkeep and so forth.


They also likely know they can't raise any more - even starting a new firm they'd have baggage from the last and it would be near impossible for them to run a KS or similar to raise capital.

My estimation is that's what they keep hoping for and dragging things out. That they can work and save enough or find an investor or run a campaign or something to generate cash. Granted if they cleared debt and repayments that might let them save. However at that point you've a family business working hard not at the business to raise money for the business in a market that's much more saturated than it was 20 or 30 years ago. Plus the overseas markets are way more complex than they were - Brexit, Post Covid shipping costs and Tariffs all mean that big attractive overseas markets are not as accessible, esp for a small firm.

Basically

'Upon the Company's dissolution, all property and rights vested in, or held in trust for, the Company are deemed to be bona vacantia, and will belong to the Crown.' (and that would include all ip, reproduction rights, etc)

and the crown can then sell it on the open market as it desires (although it can also choose to accept an offer from the previous owners without doing so, it all depends on the cost/hassle of selling vs easy money on offer)

but that said if the company was smart all it's assets could have been 'sold' to a new company leaving nothing for the crown to pick up (Phoenixing)... they have formed a new company but whether it bought any of the assets of the old one we dont know

as long as the strike off was for a techincal reason like not submitting accounts on time (which i think was the case here?), rather than the courts being requested to do it by a creditor who hasn't been paid like the tax man or a bank with an outstanding loan nothing further will happen now the old hasslefree is gone