The registration of charges granted by UK Companies and LLPs at Companies House is a crucial step in securing their validity and the priority of security interests over the assets of a chargor. However, the strict 21-day filing deadline under the Companies Act 2006 leaves little room for error or delay, including in the event of an IT systems outage affecting the electronic filing services provided by Companies House of third-party portals.
In this article, the authors examine some of the recent incidents that have highlighted the potential vulnerabilities of electronic filing and offer some practical tips and considerations for parties with an interest in a charge in the event there is an IT outage during the period allowed for the registration of a charge.