Hamilton estate agent Bernadette Murphy vacates premises

Mar 18 2010

A HAMILTON firm of estate agents have closed their offices... just weeks after they were subject of an application for a winding-up order.

HM Revenue and Customs last month petitioned Hamilton Sheriff Court for the order against Bernadette Murphy Estates, Cadzow Street.

Bernadette Murphy’s partner, Michael, described the order as “nonsense” and said that they pledged to fight it.

However, last Tuesday night people living nearby say equipment from the office was loaded into a van.

The office has been closed since then and mail has started to pile up behind the door.

Landlords of the property are the North Lanarkshire-based Modern Housing Group.

They were asked yesterday (Wednesday) whether the Murphys had cleared out of the premises but declined to comment.

Yesterday, a county property source said Jag-driving Bernadette Murphy was now working from the couple’s home in Ravenshall, Cleland.

It was on February 3 that lawyers on behalf of HMRC presented to Hamilton Sheriff Court a petition to wind up Bernadette Murphy Estates and an application for the court to appoint a liquidator.

Michael Murphy said: “The company is still trading and will trade into the future.

“I don’t have any concerns about (the order).

“We will contest it through our lawyers.”

Mr Murphy added that they planned to contact the Press Complaints Commission about newspaper reports critical of the company’s business practices.

Certain controversial practices had led to articles in the tabloids.