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    • I understand confusion with this thread.  I tried to keep threads separate because there have been so many angles.    But a team member merged them all.  This is why it's hard to keep track. This forum exists to help little people fight injustice - however big or small.  Im here to try get a decent resolution. Not to give in to the ' big boys'. My "matter' became complicated 'matters' simply because a lender refused to sell a property. What can I say?  I'll try in a nutshell to give an overview: There's a long lease property. I originally bought it short lease with a s.146 on it from original freeholder.  I had no concerns. So lender should have been able to sell a well-maintained lovely long lease property.  The property was great. The issue is not the property.  Economy, sdlt increases, elections, brexit, covid, interest hikes etc didn't help.  The issue is simple - the lender wanted to keep it.    Before repo I offered to clear my loan.  I was a bit short and lender refused.  They said (recorded) they thought the property was worth much more and they were happy to keep accruing interest (in their benefit) until it reached a point where they felt they could repo and still easily quickly sell to get their £s back.  This was a mistake.  The market was (and is) tough.   2y later the lender ceo bid the same sum to buy the property for himself. He'd rejected higher offers in the intervening period whilst accruing interest. I had the property under offer to a fantastic niche buyer but lender rushed to repo and buyer got spooked and walked.  It had taken a long time to find such a lucrative buyer.  A sale which would have resulted in £s and another asset for me. Post repo lender had 1 offer immediately.  But dragged out the process for >1y - allegedly trying to get other offers. But disclosure shows there was only one valid buyer. Lender appointed receiver (after 4 months) - simply to try acquire the freehold.  He used his powers as receiver to use me, as leaseholder, to serve notice on freeholders.  Legally that failed. Meanwhile lender failed to secure property - and squatters got in (3 times).  And they failed to maintain it.  So freeholders served a dilapidations notice (external) - on me as leaseholder (cc-ed to lender).   (That's how it works legally) I don't own the freehold.  But I am a trustee and have to do right by the freeholders.  This is where matters got/ get complicated.  And probably lose most caggers.   Lawyers got involved for the freeholders to firstly void the receiver enfranchisement notice. Secondly, to serve the dilapidations notice.  The lack of maintenance was in breach of lease and had to be served to protect fh asset. The lender did no repairs. They said a buyer would undertake them. Which was probably correct. If they had sold. After 1y lender finally agreed to sell to the 1st offeror and contracts went with lawyers.  Within 1 month lender reneged.  Lender tried to suggest buyer walked. Evidence shows he/ his lawyers continued trying to exchange (cash) for 4 months.  Evidence shows lender and receiver strategy had been to renege and for ceo to take control.   I still think that's their plan. Lender then stupidly chose to pretty much bulldoze the property.  Other stuff was going on in the background. After repo I was in touch by phone and email and lender knew post got to me.   Despite this, after about 10 months (before and then during covid), they deliberately sent SDs and eventually a B petition to an incorrect address and an obscure small court.  They never served me properly.  (In hindsight I understand they hoped to get a backdoor B - so they could keep the property that way.)  Eventually the random court told them to email me by way of service.  At this point their ruse to make me B failed.  I got a lawyer (friend paid). The B petition was struck out. They’d failed to include the property as an asset. They were in breach of insolvency rules. Simultaneously the receiver again appointed lawyers to act on my behalf as leaseholder. This time to serve notice on the freeholders for a lease extension.  He had hoped to try and vary the strict lease. Evidence shows the already long length of lease wasn't an issue.  The lender obviously hoped to get round their lack of permission to do works (which they were already doing) by hoping to remove the strict clauses that prevent leaseholder doing alterations.   The extension created a new legal angle for me to deal with.  I had to act as trustee for freeholders against me as leaseholder/ the receiver.  Inconsistencies and incompetence by receiver lawyers dragged this out 3y.  It still isn't properly resolved.  Meanwhile - going back to the the works the lender undertook. The works were consciously in breach of lease.  The lender hadn't remedied the breaches listed in the dilapidations notice.  They destroyed the property.  The trustees compiled all evidence.  The freeholders lawyers then served a forfeiture notice. This notice started a different legal battle. I was acting for the freeholders against what the lender had done on my behalf as leaseholder.  This legal battle took 3y to resolve. The simple exit would have been for lender to sell. A simple agreement to remedy the breaches and recompense the freeholders in compensation - and there's have been clean title to sell.  That option was proposed to them.   This happened by way of mediation for all parties 2y ago.  A resolution option was put forward and in principle agreed.  But immediately after the lender lawyers failed to engage.  A hard lesson to learn - mediation cannot be referred to in court. It's considered w/o prejudice. The steps they took have made no difference to their ability to sell the property.  Almost 3y since they finished works they still haven't sold. ** ** I followed up some leads myself.  A qualified cash buyer offered me a substantial sum.  The lender and receiver both refused it.   I found another offer in disclosure.  6 months later someone had apparently offered a substantial sum via an agent.  The receiver again rejected it.  The problem of course was that the agent had inflated the market price to get the business. But no-one was or is ever going to offer their list price.  Yet the receiver wanted/wants to hold out for the list price.  Which means 1y later not only has it not sold - disclosure shows few viewings and zero interest.  It's transparently over-priced.  And tarnished. For those asking why I don't give up - I couldn't/ can't.  Firstly I have fiduciary duties as a trustee. Secondly, legal advice indicates I (as leaseholder) could succeed with a large compensation claim v the lender.  Also - I started a claim v my old lawyer and the firm immediately reimbursed some £s. That was encouraging.  And a sign to continue.  So I'm going for compensation.  I had finance in place (via friend) to do a deal and take the property back off the lender - and that lawyer messed up bad.   He should have done a deal.  Instead further years have been wasted.   Maybe I only get back my lost savings - but that will be a result.   If I can add some kind of complaint/ claim v the receiver's conscious impropriety I will do so.   I have been left with nothing - so fighting for something is worth it. The lender wants to talk re a form of settlement.  Similar to my proposal 2y ago.  I have a pretty clear idea of what that means to me.  This is exactly why I do not give up.  And why I continue to ask for snippets of advice/ pointers on cag.  
    • It was all my own work based on my previous emails to P2G which Bank has seen.
    • I was referring to #415 where you wrote "I was forced to try to sell - and couldn't." . And nearer the start in #79 .. "I couldn't sell.  I had an incredibly valuable asset. Huge equity.  But the interest accrued / the property market suffered and I couldn't find a buyer even at a level just to clear the debt." In #194 you said you'd tried to sell for four years.  The reason for these points is that a lot of the claims against for example your surveyor, solicitor, broker, the lender and now the receiver are mainly founded in a belief that they should have been able to do something but did not. Things that might seem self evident to you but not necessarily to others. Pressing these claims may well need a bit more hard evidence, rather than an appeal to common sense. Can you show evidence of similar properties, with similar freehold issues, selling readily? And solid reasons why the lender should have been able to sell when you couldn't.
    • You can use a family's address.   The only caveat is for the final hearing you'd need to be there in person   HOWEVER i'd expect them to pay if its only £200 because costs of attending will be higher than that
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Waddy1952 -v- Ashbourne Mgt


waddy1952
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Hi

I am also new to this site, but after reading all the postings about Ashbourne I'm wondering if anyone can give me some advise.

I joined a local gym back in March of this year on a 3 year promotional membership. My main reason for joining was not to get the 'body beautiful' but to remain as mobile as possible, due to the fact that I am suffereing from Osteoarthritis. As my mother and grandmother all suffered from the same problem and ended up in a wheelchair, I wanted to try and remain 'functioning' for as long as possible.

All was going well until June when I was back in hospital for further treatment on my back (I have had in the past both back and foot operations due to my health problems) after recovering from from the latest treatment, I had a long discussion with my GP about my long term health prospects and it was clear that I could expect continued deterioration. As I am now 58 years old I made the decision to retire from my job, so that I would be able to at least enjoy some retirement time before it became difficult for me to get around. As my husband retired in August this year (age 65) it seemed to make sense.

We have of course taken quite a drop in our income, but we both agreed there was more to life than money.

I now have just over £100 a week from my private pension and my husband gets his State Pension. We have therefore cut out all unnecessary expenses.

I wrote to Ashbourne to explain my reduced circumstances and my inability to continue paying my monthly fee. I asked if they would please cancel my membership.

The reply I received basically said they could not cancel my membership and that I would have to continue to pay. They also state that if I do not pay they will register my name as a defaulter and I will then have a bad credit record.

I do not envisage me ever needing credit again, so that is not an issue, but surely they cannot expect to get blood out of a stone.

I have yet again received another letter demanding money ( I have cancelled my direct debit) but before I reply I would like to know where/what my rights might be.

Many Thanks

Waddy

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Hi

The reply I received basically said they could not cancel my membership and that I would have to continue to pay. They also state that if I do not pay they will register my name as a defaulter and I will then have a bad credit record.

Waddy

 

How my heart bleeds for you. They say they will register you name with the CRAs because they know they have no hope in hell of a court upholding this should they be stupid enough to try.

 

Their so called contracts are illegal under the unfair terms in consumer contracts regulations. If you really can't see that you will ever need credit in the future then your problem is solved, just ignore and then file away (don't ditch) any letters you receive from them.

If you want, you can send a letter from your doctor saying that he has advised that all physical activity should cease. If your doctor wants to make a charge for this letter (which they are entitled to do), then you can tell them what the doctor said and advise that if they want a letter direct, then they must pay for it.

 

Don't let them frighten you Waddy, they will try by saying they will send bailiffs etc, but they can't do that as only courts can send bailiffs.

 

That is my advice and what I would personally do.

 

If you receive threatening letters from Ashbournes then you should forward a copy to the OFT.

Edited by Conniff
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Hi Conniff,

I can't really get a letter from my GP as it's not my inability to do physical exercise, more my inability to keep on paying now I'm no longer working. I have rung their Customer Services dept (as stated on the bottom of their last letter) for advise on what to do and they were as much help as a chocolate fireguard!

Would you advise me to write to them regarding their 'illegal and unfair contracts'? or just ignore any further letters apart from filing them? Incidently, they have even text me and rung me at home.

Thanks

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I Waddy,

 

I've moved your posts and Conniff's replies into your own thread, which you can use from here on.

 

Post up a copy of the "agreement" if you can. See here for guidance on how to do this - http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/welcome-consumer-forums/107001-how-do-i-dummies.html

 

Read other threads here about Asbourne to see how others have dealt with them. This one in particular - http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?268101-Ashbourne-Management-Everything-You-NEED-To-Know!!

 

They will bully and pressure you - stand up for yourself as they probably have no authority to demand any money from you.

 

:-)

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Hi, Sorry I took so long to reply, as the thread had been moved, I'd didn't know where to find your reply. img107.jpg I have scanned the 'contract' as you can see (I hope, not very good with tec stuff I'm afraid.) Some of it isn't very clear I'm sorry to say.I have received another letter in this morning's post on much the same lines as the others. I'm now getting really worried, as apart from these people I do not owe anyone a single penny.

Hope you can help me.

Regards Waddy

img108.jpg

Edited by slick132
name edited for anonymity
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Hi Waddy,

 

The linked documents are too small to read. Please read the link I posted in my 2nd paragraph above about how to put documents onto Photobucket. It's important that we are able to read them.

 

Please try not to worry about Ashbourne - we will help you deal with them and you may well find you owe them nothing further, depending on the documents.

 

8-)

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front.jpgHi, struggled a bit with this so hoe you can read it this time. Any help would be appreciated to get these people off my back. if you still have a problem I think the best for me to do is type it word for word. Technology and I don't always get on I'm afraid.

Regards Julia

img107.jpg

img108.jpg

reverse.jpg

Edited by waddy1952
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Hi Waddy,

 

Still cannot read so please upload doc'ts to Photobucket and post us a link to it.

 

Or read more about how to post an image into a post direct in the Idiot's Guide I gave before.

 

Not sure how but you can add images to a post using this tool from the Toolbar above, 7th from the right - insertimage.png

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Hi Waddy,

 

I'm not very good with these things either.

 

I think you upload the doc'ts onto Photobucket. When that's done, you can either:-

 

1. Copy the URL from the top of your Photobucket page and copy it here as a link so we can go to see the doc'ts on Photobucket.

 

2. Copy the documents one at a time from Photobucket and put them on here using the INSERT IMAGE button which I mentioned earlier.

 

Please make sure any of your personal details are hidden before you show the doc'ts to us.

 

8)

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PLEASE, tell me what to do. The reply I'm trying to send has resulted in a pop up message, which states I must have a post count of 20 or greater. I need to remove links from my message before submitting my post. How do I do that??? :roll:

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Hi Waddy,

 

Please see my PM sent to you. Send the scanned doc'ts to me and I'll try and post them up for you.

 

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I'll try posting your documents here now:-

 

waddyedit1.jpg?1287526365

Edited by slick132

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waddymship2.jpg?1287526472

 

Phew.... there ya go !!

We could do with some help from you

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Hi Waddy,

 

Have you read other threads here yet, about Ashbourne and other gyms. You should do.

 

Have a read here in particular - http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?277964-crs-gym-online-membership&p=3168305&viewfull=1#post3168305

 

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Hi Slick,

I've read most of the posts regarding Ashbourne, but as they're not quite the same as my position I'm not sure how I stand. Should I write to them again (I've already written about my situation twice and asked for my membership to be cancelled) and point out that their conditions are unacceptable in a court etc etc??

Thanks

Waddy

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If you've read the thread that I linked you to, you'll see the OFT are taking Ashbourne to the High Court about their operations.

 

I also think you should refer to your medical conditions (but only generally) and say your GP has advised you to discontinue your exercise regime on medical grounds. Ask your GP to confirm this for you in writing, as this will make a better case for you than just the financial problems.

 

So you could write to Ashbourne as follows but adapt as necessary:-

 

Dear sir or madam,

 

I have previously written to you on xxdate to confirm I am unable to continue with my membership at Fitness Studio in xxxxtown. I have medical conditions which have forced me to retire and have left me unable to use your facilities. My retirement also leaves me unable to pay ongoing membership fees.

 

I am also now aware that the OFT are taking Ashbourne to the High Court because your membership contacts are, in fact, credit agreements.

 

Accordingly I will not be paying further fees to you and you have no basis in law to demand further fees from me. My Direct Debit mandate has been cancelled and I withdraw my permission for you to take further payments.

 

If you, or your appointed debt collection agents, make any further demands of me, I will report the matter to the OFT.

 

If you make any adverse report to any Credit Reference Agency, I will take action against you and seek compensation.

 

If you or your agent decide to take court action against me, it will be vigorously defended.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Waddy

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I agree with Slick on the letter. It's a good idea to let them know that you are aware of the pending High Court case.

 

All was going well until June when I was back in hospital for further treatment on my back (I have had in the past both back and foot operations due to my health problems) after recovering from from the latest treatment, I had a long discussion with my GP about my long term health prospects and it was clear that I could expect continued deterioration. As I am now 58 years old I made the decision to retire from my job, so that I would be able to at least enjoy some retirement time before it became difficult for me to get around. As my husband retired in August this year (age 65) it seemed to make sense.

 

All you have to do is see the doc and tell him you are struggling and don't think you can continue and ask for a letter saying you have a deteriorating condition not conducive with continuing physical exercise. That is all they need to know.

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Hi Gagger,

Going to the doc's wouldn't do mch good. For a start, he would encourage me to do some exercise (the main reason I went to the gym in the first place) Secondly he charges for any type of letter, not related to treating a medical condition, and he's not cheap.

Unfortunately, as I feared Ashbourne are not letting go. I have received yet another letter today and they have up'd the anti. Their last letter asked for what they claimed were my arrears on my monthly payments. The latest letter is now claiming the whole of my remaining membership, plus admin costs, unless I reinstate the direct debit and send them £51 immediately. Failure to do so will result in them registering my 'debt' to a Credit Reference Agency. I feel like sending them a cheque for the full amount, it will just about clean me out, but at least I'll get them off my back.

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Do not pay this fee. This is pure out and out Blackmail' and if they thought they could get it any other way they would have said so or issued a court summons instead of making this despicable attempt to extort money with menaces.

 

You should send a copy of this to the OFT with all haste.

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