Online retailer claims third party fraudulently made CRO filings in its name

A car parts and accessories online retailer has claimed documents about it which were recently lodged with the Companies Registration Office by an unknown party appear to be fraudulent and are being investigated by gardaí.

The filings lodged with the CRO were made in respect of Crean Solutions Ltd, which trades under the brand name MicksGarage.com.

The firm is one of Ireland and the UK's largest car parts and accessories online retailers, the High Court heard. It was established in Co Mayo twelve years ago and is based at Park West, Dublin 12.

Stephen Dowling BL, for the company, told Mr Justice Paul Gilligan the filings to the CRO stated a person unknown to the company was now a director of the company.

Other filings purportedly removed the name of an existing director and the company’s registered address was also changed, counsel said.

Unknown third party

The filings at issue were lodged with the CRO earlier this month and “appear to be fraudulent” as the company and its directors had nothing to do with them, counsel said.

The filings, he added, were made by an as yet unknown third party and it seemed to his client somebody was “attempting to pass themselves off as being the company”, counsel said.

The company had also received an invoice for an item it did not purchase, he said. A complaint was made to gardaí, who are investigating the matter, counsel added.

The company also wants the High Court to grant it orders, under the 2014 Companies Act, directing the Registrar of Companies to remove the filings at issue from the CRO.

Mr Justice Gilligan granted the company leave to serve short notice of its application on the Registrar of Companies. The judge noted the concerns of the company and its chief executive, Ciaran Crean, about what had happened and returned the matter to a date later this month.