Forwarder wins payment battle by Rob Willock III A Midlands
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freight forwarder has won a David and Goliath battle in the courts against its non-paying employer, but it has taken more than three years.
Coventry-based Greyhound Transport was working for Carrington Power Smith, contracting vehicles to carry steelwire coils, when Shipman Haulage of Leicester, which acted as Carrington's agent, went into administrative receivership in April 1994.
Greyhound had been invoicing Shipman for the work, and was owed more than £20,000 at the time. Carrington refused to honour the debt, claiming it had no contractual relationship with Greyhound, nor any agency agreement with Shipman.
But in November Chester County Court found against Carrington, asserting that at all times it had been contracting with Greyhound, and awarded Greyhound payment in full, plus legal costs. It has now received part-payment from Carrington, but is still awaiting costs. "I think we're going back to court for that," says Greyhound's managing director, Tom Fox. "I was advised I didn't stand a chance, but the message is—if you think you're right, stick to your guns."
Fox has not heard whether Carrington will take Greyhound on again, but he suspects not