Norwood solar business named SunEnergy is trading despite similar company being liquidated

A Norwood solar company went into liquidation six weeks ago owing $2m in debt, but a similarly named company is now operating at the same premises, run by the former director’s wife.

Norwood solar company SunEnergy was placed in liquidation with debts of more than $2m six weeks ago, but an equivalent business is still operating from the same premises, under the same brand, and being run by the original director’s wife.

SunEnergy Company, which had as its sole director Lee Lake, was placed in liquidation on August 30, while related company, SE Solar and Electrical, was placed in liquidation in March.

But a solar business with the same trading name, SunEnergy, is still operating from the Fullarton Rd headquarters.

A separate company, SunEnergy Group, was incorporated on May 22, and on July 2 Mr Lake’s wife, Chantha Lake, was appointed as its sole director.

SunEnergy Group is listed on the company’s website as its owner and Ms Lake is listed as the director.

That company in turn is owned by SE Assets Pty Ltd, which Mr Lake is the sole director of.

The builder’s licence of SunEnergy Company was cancelled by its liquidator, Dominic Cantone, of Oracle Insolvency Services, however a search of Consumer and Business Services files shows that Ms Lake was granted a builder’s licence on June 12 in the name of SunEnergy Group, allowing that company to carry out electrical and solar installation work.

SunEnergy is a Norwood-based solar business.

The Advertiser has called the company twice and emailed Ms Lake for an explanation of how a business with the same name is continuing to trade, following two related entities operating out of the same premises in the same industry being placed into liquidation with significant debts in recent months.

The liquidator’s report into SunEnergy Company says it was incorporated in 2017 and operated a solar panel and battery supply and installation business, but “ceased trading and employing prior to my employment’’.

The report says the company has outstanding debts related to superannuation payments to staff, and debts to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) of potentially more than $750,000.

“I also understand that there could be a payroll tax debt in the approximate sum of $210,000,’’ the report by Mr Cantone says.

A summary of affairs of the company, signed by Mr Lake, indicates it owes $1.88m to unsecured creditors and $282,026 to other creditors.

SE Solar and Electrical – which was also wholly owned by Mr Lake’s company SE Assets – owed $104,229 in wages and superannuation and $335,022 to unsecured creditors, a statutory report to creditors says.

The money was mainly owed to the ATO with Return To Work SA and Revenue SA also owed money.

In relation to SunEnergy Company, Mr Cantone said, “the initial report to creditors is based upon preliminary information only and will be followed up by a more detailed statutory report to creditors and ASIC by the end of November’’.

Mr Lake could not be contacted.