Rustie Lee Declared Bankrupt
Recent reports confirm that well-known chef, Rustie Lee, has been declared bankrupt following an ongoing 10-year dispute over monies owed. Sources indicate that Rustie Lee does not have any assets that can be sold to pay off the outstanding debt.
Before a jointly-owned company was closed in 2013, Ms Lee withdrew funds from the business. Subsequently, a statutory demand was issued for the sum of £75,750 and legal proceedings commenced. After continuing for over a decade, these proceedings finally culminated in a bankruptcy order being issued against Ms Lee at Brighton Crown Court earlier this year.
Who Is Rustie Lee?
After a successful career as a chef and restaurant owner, Rustie Lee shot to fame in the 1980s when she starred in BBC’s Pebble Mill at One and ITV’s TV-AM. Her infectious personality and culinary talents saw her become a much-loved tv personality, with stints on daytime shows such as This Morning and Good Morning Britain, as well as primetime show, Game for a Laugh.
A pioneer of Caribbean cuisine, Rustie Lee also penned many acclaimed cookbooks, including A Taste of the Caribbean and Rustie Lee’s Caribbean Cookbook.
What Is a Statutory Demand?
If you receive a statutory demand, it means that someone is claiming you owe them money and that they intend to initiate a bankruptcy petition unless you resolve the situation. Following the receipt of a statutory demand, you will be expected to either:
- Pay the sum in full
- Agree to a payment plan to pay the sum in full
- Dispute that you owe the debt
How Long Do You Have to Respond to a Statutory Demand?
Once a statutory demand is issued, it’s important to act quickly. If you plan on disputing the debt and you want the statutory demand to be set aside, for example, you only have 18 days to make an application. Alternatively, if you accept that you owe the money, you have just 21 days to pay it off in full or come to an arrangement that will enable you to pay the debt in full.
What If You Owe Part of the Debt?
A common scenario occurs when an individual receives a statutory demand and acknowledges that they owe part of the debt – but not all of it. In these instances, it may be possible to dispute the alleged total of the debt, with the court ruling on how much is actually owed or the two parties coming to an agreement over the outstanding amount.
However, the amount owed will determine what the next steps are. If you owe less than £5,000, for example, the court won’t issue a bankruptcy order against you. If the amount outstanding is more than this, you could be made bankrupt unless you pay the debt off or arrange to pay the debt in full.
What To Do If You Receive a Statutory Demand?
If you receive a statutory demand, seek advice quickly so that you can resolve the situation without delay. By accessing professional, independent advice, you can determine what your options are and identify the best way to proceed, without damaging your financial future.
Asset Solutions are an experienced team of bankruptcy professionals. We have no direct affiliation with financial advisors or solicitors so all our advice is based on our experience of helping people with their personal insolvency and help annul their bankruptcy.
Contact us today if you need help with your bankruptcy.
