How One Typo Killed A 124-Year-Old Business And Cost The UK Government £9 Million

In case you're having a bad day, spare a thought for the owners and 250 staffs of Taylor & Sons Ltd, a 124-year-old firm, which has been forced out of business due to a single spelling error

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Yes, you read it right. A one-letter typo by Companies House, a government agency that acts as the registrar for all companies in the UK, has irreparably damaged the family business!

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We're guilty of the occasional typo too, but we sure hope it doesn't ever cost us as much!

So what really happened? In 2009, Companies House recorded information stating that 'Taylor & Sons Ltd' had been wound up.

Companies House

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Following which, the business of 'Taylor & Sons Ltd' evaporated: its orders were cancelled, contracts were lost and credit from suppliers was withdrawn. The 124-year-old company subsequently went into administration, and was finally dissolved in 2014.

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So Companies House was right? Nope! How?

The problem was that Companies House had mistakenly stated that 'Taylor & Sons Ltd' had gone into liquidation. In fact, they had meant to say '**Taylor & Son Ltd**', a completely different company, one that actually had closed down.

The Independent [reported](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/one-spelling-error-costs-companies-house-up-to-9-million-after-being-sued-for-ruining-business-10007372.html?cmpid=facebook-post) Companies House had inserted a rogue '**s**' and the actual company that had gone into liquidation 6 years ago was based 200 miles away in Manchester.

While Companies House corrected their typo, which they termed "extraordinary", just 3 days later, by then the damage was done: the information had spread uncontrollably across the Internet

Philip Davison-Sebry, the company's former managing director

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Taylor & Sons Ltd then sued Companies House and won

While damages have yet to be awarded, lawyers acting for Taylor & Sons Ltd owner Philip Davison-Sebry have valued the company's claim at GBP9 million (that's over RM49.5 million)

Philip Davison-Sebry

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Meanwhile, last year, a man sued the City of New York for USD2,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. That's more money than actually exists on the planet.

How One Typo Killed A 124-Year-Old Business And Cost The UK Government £9 Million

In case you're having a bad day, spare a thought for the owners and 250 staffs of Taylor & Sons Ltd, a 124-year-old firm, which has been forced out of business due to a single spelling error

Yes, you read it right. A one-letter typo by Companies House, a government agency that acts as the registrar for all companies in the UK, has irreparably damaged the family business!

So what really happened? In 2009, Companies House recorded information stating that 'Taylor & Sons Ltd' had been wound up.

Following which, the business of 'Taylor & Sons Ltd' evaporated: its orders were cancelled, contracts were lost and credit from suppliers was withdrawn. The 124-year-old company subsequently went into administration, and was finally dissolved in 2014.

So Companies House was right? Nope! How?

While Companies House corrected their typo, which they termed "extraordinary", just 3 days later, by then the damage was done: the information had spread uncontrollably across the Internet

Taylor & Sons Ltd then sued Companies House and won

While damages have yet to be awarded, lawyers acting for Taylor & Sons Ltd owner Philip Davison-Sebry have valued the company's claim at GBP9 million (that's over RM49.5 million)

Meanwhile, last year, a man sued the City of New York for USD2,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. That's more money than actually exists on the planet.

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How One Typo Killed A 124-Year-Old Business And Cost The UK Government £9 Million

In case you're having a bad day, spare a thought for the owners and 250 staffs of Taylor & Sons Ltd, a 124-year-old firm, which has been forced out of business due to a single spelling error

Yes, you read it right. A one-letter typo by Companies House, a government agency that acts as the registrar for all companies in the UK, has irreparably damaged the family business!

So what really happened? In 2009, Companies House recorded information stating that 'Taylor & Sons Ltd' had been wound up.

Following which, the business of 'Taylor & Sons Ltd' evaporated: its orders were cancelled, contracts were lost and credit from suppliers was withdrawn. The 124-year-old company subsequently went into administration, and was finally dissolved in 2014.

So Companies House was right? Nope! How?

While Companies House corrected their typo, which they termed "extraordinary", just 3 days later, by then the damage was done: the information had spread uncontrollably across the Internet

Taylor & Sons Ltd then sued Companies House and won

While damages have yet to be awarded, lawyers acting for Taylor & Sons Ltd owner Philip Davison-Sebry have valued the company's claim at GBP9 million (that's over RM49.5 million)

Meanwhile, last year, a man sued the City of New York for USD2,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. That's more money than actually exists on the planet.

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