Overview

When a company is dissolved, all of its assets pass to the Crown, and are legally known as ‘bona vacantia’ (ownerless property). Assets include:

• property and land
• mortgages
• shares
• intellectual property, eg trademarks, registered designs and patents

You may be able to restore the company without a court order if you were a director or shareholder of a dissolved company.

Claiming or buying assets

You may be able to claim or buy assets from the dissolved company if:

• they owe you money – by getting a court order to restore the company
• you’re someone affected by the company closing – by ‘referring’ their assets
• you were a shareholder – by applying for a discretionary grant

How to buy or acquire the assets of a dissolved company – how and when you can claim money or property, who to contact and the forms you need