Countrywide shareholders invited to submit AGM questions

Troubled estate agency group Countrywide has invited shareholders to submit questions to the company ahead of its AGM later this month.

Countrywide recently revealed that it was pursuing legal action against the Monaco-based businessman who was to have purchased commercial division Lambert Smith Hampton, but who allegedly pulled out.

Questions have been raised in the trade press and on social media about the due diligence that was conducted ahead of the abortive discussions on the sale.

In addition Countrywide recently announced it was in talks with HM Revenue & Customs to see if it could access the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme to “improve its liquidity.”

Now the company has set its AGM date as 4pm on June 26; it will be held virtually because of the Coronavirus outbreak, meaning shareholders will not be able to attend in the usual way.

However, a statement from the company says: “We value the opportunity to engage with our shareholders and the AGM is an important opportunity for shareholders to express their views by asking questions and voting … should a shareholder have a question relating to the business being dealt with at the AGM, they are invited instead to send their question by email.”

The company has pledged to publish its responses to shareholder queries on its corporate website as soon as practicable after the AGM.