Let’s play spot the difference

An obsessives journey through Companies House 

I admit it! I am obsessive. I can’t help it. There is something that is just so rewarding (at least to me) about trawling through all the entities filed in the CH database looking for anomalies.

This week it's an extreme case of near identical Limited Liability Partnerships.

In the spirit of the old “spot the difference” puzzles which you used to get (and for all I know still do) in various comics and magazines.

First up are the two front pages, side by side.

OK. So, different names (obviously) and therefore different company number (but only just!)

And it looks like neither is going to be around much longer. So who are the designated members?

OK, well that’s better as there’s a few differences. Hera’s initial designated members are different from those of Lura and the newly appointed designated members are also different, but do I detect a relationship of some sort there?

What about their Person with Significant Control?

Well now, this one is interesting. And for those interested in getting into investigations (or are already part of that world) it is quite instructive.

First of all, let’s take a look at those names.

Anyone who understands naming conventions in eastern Europe will recognise that Kyrylovskyi and Kyrylovska are the male and female version of the same surname. So this couple, realistically, could be either husband and wife or brother and sister.

But there’s a bit of a problem here. Maryna takes the form of Ms. And lives at a different address from Sergii. After a bit of research I discovered that these addresses are:

Maryna: Apartment 64 K1, 62 Akademika Viliamsa Street, Odessa

Sergii: Apartment 18, 76b Akademica Viliamsa Street, Odessa

Fair enough. They must be brother and sister then. But now look at their dates of birth.

Maryna: May 1975

Sergii: February 1975

It isn’t possible for them to be brother and sister (although there are very rare instances of twins being born a long time apart (see: https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/67465-longest-interval-between-birth-of-twins)– 87 days!!)

But I think we can safely say that this is unlikely to be the case here.

So the most reasonable choice is that they are a separated couple where Maryna has retained her married name but opted not to be referred to as “Mrs”.

Or that it’s complete bunkum. Your choice.

And I could find no other mention of either of them on Google...

Ah well. Let’s carry on with the investigation.

How did their two partnerships fare?

Let’s compare their respective filings pages (this is where the real fun begins).

Now you really do have to play spot the difference.

Obviously the names of the designated members are different.

Lura Investments annual return for 2016 was filed on 24 June 206 whereas Hera Commerce was filed on 16 June.

Lura Investment’s Confirmation Statement for 6 May 2017 was posted on 9 May whereas Hera Commerce’s was posted 17 May (but was made on the same day). And that’s it. No other differences.

What about their accounts? Here they are for 2016.

A fractional difference but hardly noticeable. And after all that effort, neither LLP appears to be trading. I’m not going to bore you with all the accounts but trust me, they never show any income and both are virtually identical.

So what’s going on here?

I have no idea but can’t shake the feeling that it’s not entirely above board.

What do you think?