Nearly 400 unsecured creditors face an anxious wait as administrators for Browns fight for payments from long-running contract disputes against the company, reported the Manchester Evening News.
But Begbies Traynor's administrators said it can only claw back a maximum of 拢3.3m.
Browns, which was established in 1860, was owned by London-based Headcrown Group from 1985.
It collapsed with liabilities of over 拢7m, including 拢910,246 owed to bankers Lloyds TSB.
But more than 拢6.5m is owed to unsecured creditors, including 拢1.6m to 272 sub-contractors, who have claims ranging from 拢9 to 拢90,000.
The 122 trade creditors are owed 拢672,165, with claims from from 拢6 to 拢83,000. HM Revenue & Customs is owed 拢130,632 and former Browns employees are owed 拢657,000.
Around 拢3.5m is owed to Headcrown.
In a report from administrators, Browns' former finance director Nigel Jepson said: 鈥淭he downturn in the building industry following the recession had a severe impact on the company's construction activities whereupon additional working capital was required to fund a number of new contracts as well as a number of contract disputes which were occurring on a number of current contracts.
鈥淔inancial support was provided by Headcrown and a total of 拢3.6m was injected between 2009 to date over a number of transactions.
鈥淯nfortunately trading conditions deteriorated and in the absence of any visible evidence of a strengthening cash flow position, Headcrown advised on August 16 that they were no longer prepared to offer financial support to the company.鈥�
Begbies Traynor was subsequently appointed as administrators and work on all Browns' current contracts was halted, including the conversion of a school near Matlock, Derbyshire, into retirement flats, a hotel in Dartmouth, a scheme at Cardiff University and the construction of several homes in the Wilmslow area.
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