Agency boss targeted by site hijacker oversaw two voluntary liquidations with debts of $1m
Jamie Silver
The boss of digital agency Dcodr, who was the target of a web hijacking from a disgruntled developer claiming he was owed money, has taken two previous businesses into voluntary liquidation with debts of more than $1m, Mumbrella can reveal.
Dcodr Pty Ltd, run by Jamie Silver, went into voluntary liquidation late last year, but not before a business with an almost identical name, Dcodr Agency, has been registered with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
A report into the collapse of Dcodr Pty Ltd has been sent to ASIC by liquidators PPB Advisory “detailing offences that may have been committed by the Company and/or its officer”.
Documents show Dcodr Pty owed more than $500,000 to 12 creditors, none of whom are likely to see a dividend.
Dcodr Agency, meanwhile, had been registered with ASIC and continues to operate, with Silver the founder and managing director.
As with its Dcodr predcessor, it specialises in the design, development and maintenance of websites.
Last week, the website of one of Dcodr’s clients, GoSwitch.com.au, was taken over by a web developer who plastered the words “Pay up Jamie” on the home page.
The message went on to say: “Jamie at DCODR didn’t pay the developer of this site and has an outstanding balance of $2975.00″.
Rihanna’s music video for the song Bitch Betta Have My Money had also been uploaded to the site.
Silver did not return numerous phone calls requesting comment.
Along with the failure of Dcodr Pty, it has since emerged that another of Silver’s previous enterprises, Pixel Light, also called in liquidators.
Documents revealed Jirsch Sutherland was appointed liquidator in January 2014 with $547,894 owed to five unsecured creditors. Again, no dividend was expected to be paid.
Visitors to pixellight.com.au are greeted with a message saying “Pixel Light has evolved” and redirected to Dcodr.com.
Pixel Light was born from another of Silver’s enterprises, Clear Light Digital, which he co-founded in 2o05.
In 2012 he joined forces with full service digital agency The Pixel Group to form Pixel Light.
But Pixel Group owner Stephen Marovitch, who founded the business in 2004, parted ways with the Silver and the new entity just a few months later in what were said to be acrimonious circumstances.
PPB Advisory told Mumbrella in a statement that Dcodr Pty ceased trading late last year “shortly prior” to its appointment as liquidator.
“Jamie Silver is the sole director and secretary of the Company, and it appears that he had principal carriage of the day-to-day operations of the business,” PPB senior analyst Patrick Sakowski said.
“The Australian Taxation Office is the major creditor of the Company. No dividends have been paid to date and it is unlikely that there will be a return to any class of creditor in the liquidation.
The Liquidators have issued a report to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) detailing offences that may have been committed by the Company and/or its officer. The contents of this report is strictly confidential and subject to qualified privilege pursuant to section 535 of the Corporations Act 2001.”
Steve Jones
Who knows what went on with him and his business. No one wants to close a business. Phoenixing happens every day and in every industry. While it doesn’t make it right, it does happen. What the web developer has done is harassment and he does have a case with the ACCC and can lodge a complaint. https://www.moneysmart.gov.au/managing-your-money/managing-debts/dealing-with-debt-collectors
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AU needs a law like the UK: when a company goes under the trading name becomes prohibited for use by directors and shadow directors for five years with a two year prison sentence to back that up.
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Ahem.
GoSwtich.com.au
Should I apply for that subbing job? I have no formal subbing experience, but am known for being a pedant.
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Clear Light Digital- the first iteration of this series of companies, also went into administration (albeit voluntary) in 2009.
Myself and many other former staff members are not in any way surprised to see that this has happened.
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Pixel Light/DCODR winners mumbrella 2012 for Data.
For GoSwitch website.
Great work.
Check link: 2012 http://www.mumbrellaawards.com.....2-results/
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Hi Strategyguymelbourne,
Thanks for flagging that up. (Slight correction: PHD were the winners, but Pixel Light were runners up.)
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella