A.E. COSTIN HAULAGE LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
01217348 · ltd · incorporated 1975-06-25
Investment thesis
Looks cheap but ownership + security both unclear — probable value trap.
Why interesting: Headline metrics may be attractive.
Why risky: No PSC visibility combined with multiple live charges; transacting likely slow and expensive.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
47/100
Watch
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 6024
Sector: Information & communication
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)Distressed admin-neglect survivor — structural issues outweigh the discount.
Opportunity 47/100 (watch), bankability 2/100. Strong seller-intent signal (65/100, director aged 62). Asset purchase likely safer than share purchase given structural signals. Biggest value-creation lever: File overdue accounts. Clears statutory overdue flag — immediate bankability uplift for refinance conversations. Most likely exit: asset disposal / carve-out (80/100). Current lenders should be on immediate intervention.
🏦
Refinance opportunity
15 live charges · 4 lenders · oldest 44.7y
25/100
too messy
Structure is too messy for a clean refinance right now — clean up first or expect bespoke terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 44.7 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 4 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 70/100 (specialist).
Data confidence
Overall: low (53/100)Sparse data coverage. Treat AI-generated outputs as preliminary. Manual diligence essential.
Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
15 charges (15/15 with lender, 15/15 with type)
90
Directors & officers
11 officers (4 active, 11 linked, 8 with DOB)
85
Ownership & PSC
No PSCs filed (unusual — worth investigating)
35
Director network
15 connected companies via shared directors
90
Filing history
119 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
47/100Watch
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Not actionable now, but monitor — distressed, succession, or structural changes could flip this into a real opportunity.
Business quality
15
Concerning — overdue filings or status flags present.
Acquirability
85
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
20
Multiple red flags — proceed with caution.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (56 events)Click to expand
- 2025-07-09📄restoration-order-of-courtrestoration · AC92
- 2013-10-22📄gazette-dissolved-compulsorygazette · GAZ2
- 2013-07-09📄gazette-notice-compulsorygazette · GAZ1
- 2012-07-17📄dissolved-compulsory-strike-off-suspendeddissolution · DISS16(SOAS)
- 2012-07-03📄gazette-notice-compulsorygazette · GAZ1
- 2011-11-23⚠️liquidation-receiver-abstract-of-receipts-and-payments-with-brought-down-dateinsolvency · 3.6
- 2011-11-23⚠️legacyinsolvency · LQ02
- 2011-11-23⚠️legacyinsolvency · LQ02
- 2011-09-23⚠️liquidation-receiver-abstract-of-receipts-and-payments-with-brought-down-dateinsolvency · 3.6
- 2010-11-09⚠️liquidation-receiver-administrative-receivers-reportinsolvency · 3.10
- 2010-11-04⚠️liquidation-receiver-statement-of-affairsinsolvency · 3.3
- 2010-11-01📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-addressaddress · AD01
- 2010-09-09⚠️legacyinsolvency · LQ01
- 2010-07-20➖WHITE, Jonathan resigneddirector
- 2010-07-20📄termination-director-company-with-nameofficers · TM01
- 2010-03-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2009-12-16📄legacymortgage · MG02
- 2009-12-07🔓Charge satisfied #10
- 2009-10-09📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2009-10-09📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2009-10-09📄change-person-secretary-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH03
- 2009-10-09📄change-person-secretary-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH03
- 2009-10-07📄appoint-person-director-company-with-nameofficers · AP01
- 2009-10-02➕WHITE, Jonathan appointeddirector
- 2009-09-28📄legacyannual-return · 363a
- 2009-04-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2008-12-19📄legacymortgage · 395
- 2008-12-17🔒Charge registered #15Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
- 2008-10-15📄legacyannual-return · 363a
- 2007-06-08➕BUNKER, Craig Richard appointedsecretary
- 2007-06-08➕STONE, Richard Charles appointedsecretary
- 2007-06-08➕BUNKER, Craig Richard appointeddirector
- 2007-06-08➕STONE, Richard Charles appointeddirector
- 2007-06-08➖DAVIS, Patricia June resignedsecretary
- 2007-06-08➖COSTIN, Anthony Ernest resigneddirector
- 2007-06-08➖COSTIN, Joan resigneddirector
- 2007-06-08➖HOOPER, Wynford Ronald resigneddirector
- 2007-06-08➖ROBERTS, Stephen Andrew resigneddirector
- 2007-06-08🔒Charge registered #14Lender: Anthony Ernest Costin and Joan Costin
- 2001-05-11🔒Charge registered #13Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
- 1998-02-17🔒Charge registered #12Lender: Midland Bank PLC
- 1996-01-01➕ROBERTS, Stephen Andrew appointeddirector
- 1994-09-26➖COSTIN, Alica Edna resigneddirector
- 1994-06-01➕COSTIN, Joan appointeddirector
- 1992-11-25🔒Charge registered #11Lender: Midland Bank PLC
- 1991-07-18🔒Charge registered #10Lender: Braford and Bingley Building Society
- 1989-03-20🔒Charge registered #9Lender: Midland Bank PLC
- 1988-09-26🔒Charge registered #8Lender: Midland Bank PLC
- 1987-07-27🔒Charge registered #7Lender: Midland Bank PLC
- 1987-03-30🔒Charge registered #6Lender: Midland Bank PLC
Showing most recent 50 of 56 events
Owner dependency
76/100
High — earn-out structure requiredMaterial founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
FACTORS
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 19 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 62 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
64/100
Strong succession signalMultiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
SIGNALS
- secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 62. Early succession window.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 19 years.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 51 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
Red flags
3 high · 1 med · 1 lowAccounts overdue
highStatutory accounts have not been filed by their due date. Can indicate admin breakdown, cash preservation, or deliberate delay.
Evidence: Next due: 2011-03-31
Confirmation statement overdue
highAnnual confirmation statement not filed on time. Required statutory filing — overdue is a strong discipline signal.
Evidence: Next due: 2016-10-06
7 insolvency-related filings on record
highFilings relating to insolvency, liquidation, or administration exist in the company's history. Review before proceeding.
Evidence: 2011-11-23: liquidation-receiver-abstract-of-receipts-and-payments-with-brought-down-date; 2011-11-23: legacy
Has insolvency history
mediumCompanies House flags prior insolvency events. Review the insolvency filings for context.
14 live charges
lowHeavily leveraged with multiple live security positions — understand the capital structure before proceeding.
🔒Co-director network graph
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Similar companies
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Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
12 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →🔒Advanced scoring suite
Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Company details
Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated1975-06-25
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC6024 — SIC 6024
Registered office
Benson House 33 Wellington Street
Leeds
LS1 4JP
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2011-03-31OVERDUE
Last made up to: 2009-06-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2016-10-06OVERDUE
Last: —
Officers (4 active · 7 resigned)
BUNKER, Craig Richard→
Activesecretary · appointed 2007-06-08
View their other companies + combined net worth →
STONE, Richard Charles→
Activesecretary · appointed 2007-06-08
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BUNKER, Craig Richard→
Activedirector · ~55y · appointed 2007-06-08
View their other companies + combined net worth →
STONE, Richard Charles→
Activedirector · ~62y · appointed 2007-06-08
View their other companies + combined net worth →
DAVIS, Patricia June→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 2007-06-08
COSTIN, Alica Edna→
Resigneddirector · ~109y · resigned 1994-09-26
COSTIN, Anthony Ernest→
Resigneddirector · ~78y · resigned 2007-06-08
COSTIN, Joan→
Resigneddirector · ~73y · appointed 1994-06-01 · resigned 2007-06-08
HOOPER, Wynford Ronald→
Resigneddirector · ~76y · resigned 2007-06-08
ROBERTS, Stephen Andrew→
Resigneddirector · ~63y · appointed 1996-01-01 · resigned 2007-06-08
WHITE, Jonathan→
Resigneddirector · ~74y · appointed 2009-10-02 · resigned 2010-07-20
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
15
Total charges
14
Outstanding
3
Active lenders
Status:Lender:15 of 15 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | HSBC Hsbc Bank PLC | Legal assignment | 1 property | 17/12/2008 | — | |
| outstanding | Anthony Ernest Costin and Joan Costin | Debenture | 1 property | 08/06/2007 | — | |
| outstanding | HSBC Hsbc Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 11/05/2001 | — | |
| outstanding | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 17/02/1998 | — | |
| outstanding | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 25/11/1992 | — | |
| satisfied | Braford and Bingley Building Society | Legal charge | 1 property | 18/07/1991 | 07/12/2009 | |
| outstanding | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 20/03/1989 | — | |
| outstanding | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 26/09/1988 | — | |
| outstanding | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 27/07/1987 | — | |
| outstanding | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 30/03/1987 | — | |
| outstanding | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 16/05/1985 | — | |
| outstanding | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 14/10/1983 | — | |
| outstanding | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 14/10/1983 | — | |
| outstanding | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 30/09/1981 | — | |
| outstanding | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Charge | 1 property | 30/09/1981 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (119 total)
restoration-order-of-court
restoration · AC92
2025-07-09
gazette-dissolved-compulsory
gazette · GAZ2
2013-10-22
gazette-notice-compulsory
gazette · GAZ1
2013-07-09
dissolved-compulsory-strike-off-suspended
dissolution · DISS16(SOAS)
2012-07-17
gazette-notice-compulsory
gazette · GAZ1
2012-07-03
liquidation-receiver-abstract-of-receipts-and-payments-with-brought-down-date
insolvency · 3.6
2011-11-23
legacy
insolvency · LQ02
2011-11-23
legacy
insolvency · LQ02
2011-11-23
liquidation-receiver-abstract-of-receipts-and-payments-with-brought-down-date
insolvency · 3.6
2011-09-23
liquidation-receiver-administrative-receivers-report
insolvency · 3.10
2010-11-09
liquidation-receiver-statement-of-affairs
insolvency · 3.3
2010-11-04
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address
address · AD01
2010-11-01
legacy
insolvency · LQ01
2010-09-09
termination-director-company-with-name
officers · TM01
2010-07-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2010-03-17