The registered in the UK charity company Natalia Rotenberg Foundation Limited was forcibly removed from the local corporate register Companies House this spring, which is equivalent to its closure, found the "Open Media". The company's assets must be confiscated by the government.

The organization, which was engaged in "social work and support of the theatrical arts", was founded and headed by Natalia Rotenberg in February 2016, stated in the company register. In the UK she moved after the divorce in 2013 with her husband, Russian billionaire Arkady Rotenberg. According to The Times, Natalia Rothenberg and the two children of the couple own an estate in Surrey for £ 35 million and may own an apartment in London worth £ 8 million.

In the spring of 2014, Arkady Rothenberg came with the US sanctions list as a man close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The businessman is also under EU sanctions.

The reasons for the exclusion of the Natalia Rotenberg Foundation from the register are not named, but it follows from the disclosure that the organization was warned about a possible closure in May 2017. But then the company was able to defend its rights.

"Under British law, the company is forcibly excluded from the Companies House registry in the event that the registrant has reason to believe that she does not conduct any activity and does not respond to warning letters. Usually such letters are sent to companies that are late with annual reporting, "explained lawyer Andrew Smith of CorkerBinning to Open Media. It's enough not to report for 4 months, explains Ben Westibi, an employee of the British consulting company Forbes Burton. When the data is delayed for two months, the registrar publishes an announcement in London Gazette about the beginning of compulsory exclusion of the company from the register, and if the founders or the management of the company do not react, it will be closed.

The Natalia Rothenberg Foundation, the NR Foundation, judging by its website, worked actively four months ago in the UK and Russia. One of his recent events was the three-day Moscow charity festival The Bolshoi Night in February 2018. Last year, the Foundation held competitions in rhythmic gymnastics in London, supported a children's football team from Kirov, ballet and dance sections from the native city of Natalia - Kurgan.

Forced termination of activities may threaten directors with unpleasant consequences, among which is the duty to pay the company's debts and the ban to hold senior positions in British enterprises for up to 12 years, lawyers warn.

"Several regulators can immediately apply to the court demanding that the founder of a compulsorily closed company be prohibited from holding executive positions in the future. Among them is the Companies House registrar and the Insolvency Service, "Smith says. In addition, former owners and directors of such companies may have problems with banks and counterparties, he adds.

If at the time of compulsory closing the company had large debts, and its creditors were not informed in advance about the deletion from the register, the director or the founder will be obliged to personally return the money, Westibi explains.

Natalia Rotenberg's charity fund is not the only company with problems in the UK. In the beginning of May, the company Natalia Rotenberg Events Limited was forcibly excluded from the register, however, it was already restored on 13 June. The owner of the company can use the right of administrative recovery, if it proves that the company was operating at the time of exclusion from the register, lawyers explain.

Restoration in the Register of Companies House is possible through court, but usually this process requires a lot of time and money, says Westbi.

According to Companies House, Natalia Rothenberg is now the director and owner of three existing British companies: in addition to NR Events, this is NR Property Developments Limited and NR Interior Design Limited.

In Russia, the Charity Foundation of Natalia Rotenberg was registered in September 2017. In October of the same year, the publication "Kurgan and Kurgans" reported that the foundation has renovated two choreographic classes in the school, which was completed by Natalia Rothenberg herself. In May 2018, during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Rothenberg announced her desire to create an educational center in Siberia and hold talks with the Sirius School, which was opened in Sochi on the initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin.