We review World Property Fund – unregulated “hedge fund” paying 10% income per year

October 20, 2020October 20, 2020 ~ Brev ~ 2 Comments

World Property Fund (a trading name of myriad linked companies including Mercury-Sloane Investments Limited, Tanzy Estates Property Company Ltd, Lennox Vanguard Property Investment Company Limited, Millerheywood Ltd "etc.") is offering returns of 10% per year, paid quarterly.

The company's investments are currently being promoted on Facebook.

Continue reading for a review of World Property Fund.

High Street Group loses rooftop showdown with creditor, subsidiary put into administration

October 15, 2020October 15, 2020 ~ Brev ~ 19 Comments

A High Street Group subsidiary has been put into administration following a battle with a creditor in the High Court on 30 September.

For clarity, I will emphasise that neither High Street Commercial Finance Limited, which issues the loans covered in my 2018 review, nor the holding company High Street Grp Limited are in administration. The company which is in administration, High Street Rooftop Holdings Limited, is another subsidiary of High Street Grp.

Dolphin Trust is kaputt, FCA / FOS / FSCS confirm in joint statement

October 13, 2020October 13, 2020 ~ Brev ~ Leave a comment

A joint announcement by the FCA, FOS and FSCS has confirmed that Dolphin Trust (which recently renamed itself to Generic, I mean German Property Group) has entered preliminary bankruptcy proceedings in Germany.

Back to the fuschia: Daily Mail in tone-deaf flower mini-bond push

October 8, 2020October 7, 2020 ~ Brev ~ 1 Comment

In an annus horribilis like 2020, we all like to hark back to simpler and happier times.

Perhaps it's in that spirit that the Daily Mail is pretending it's still 2012, a simpler time when the Olympics was on, the world had almost emerged from the wreckage of the credit crisis, and charming little companies were raising funds in an innovative investment called minibonds.

We review Case To Answer – litigation funding investment paying 12% per year

October 1, 2020September 30, 2020 ~ Brev ~ 4 Comments

Case To Answer offers an unregulated investment in litigation "invoice financing" paying interest of 12% per year for an investment of 12 months.

Unregulated third-party introducers promoting Case To Answer's investment claim it represents an opportunity to invest in "one of the most secure investment sectors in the UK" and "low-level risks".

Continue reading for a review of Case To Answer's litigation funding investment.

Wellesley becomes latest mini-bond firm to fail

September 24, 2020September 23, 2020 ~ Brev ~ 1 Comment

Wellesley has become the latest minibond issuer to default on investors. Income payments were suspended last week and the company announced on Tuesday that it would attempt to persuade investors to approve a Company Voluntary Arrangement.

According to The Times, investors in property-backed minibonds are facing a write-off of 22% or more, while investors in non-property minibonds face total losses.

Asset Life plc update: both underlying investments blank administrators

September 17, 2020September 16, 2020 ~ Brev ~ 4 Comments

The adinistrators of Asset Life plc, which collapsed in August 2019 owing £8 million to bond investors, have released their latest update.

Unfortunately there's not much to report as both of the investments that constitute what is left of Asset Life plc have gone dark on the administrators. Prospects for recoveries from either still look bleak.

Imperial Investments’ Scott Wood is convicted cannabis dealer, electricity thief

September 10, 2020September 7, 2020 ~ Brev ~ 1 Comment

When I reviewed the Imperial Investments Ponzi scheme I questioned whether co-founder Scott Wood actually existed. Unlike co-founder and habitual Red Bull drinker Dan Pugh, who fronts all Imperial's Facebook videos, Scott Wood kept in the background, with no public image other than a photo of some baby.

Thanks to reader "CG", I can reveal that Scott Wood does exist and is a convicted cannabis producer.

13 people sued by LCF administrators in £178m lawsuit

September 8, 2020September 7, 2020 ~ Brev ~ 9 Comments

According to the Financial Times, 13 people are to be sued by the administrators of London Capital & Finance in an attempt to recover £178 million of investors' money.

Dolphin Trust accounts in “total mess”, no money left, says administrator

September 3, 2020August 30, 2020 ~ Brev ~ 6 Comments

The administrator of Dolphin Trust (latterly known as German Property Group, and referred to here by its more well-known and less generic name) has revealed that the accounts are in a "total mess". As reported by FT Adviser:

In a letter in August partner Tim Beyer wrote: “Please note that we have found a total mess over here. It will take at least to the end of September before the insolvency court will have issued court orders for all companies of the GPG group.
“And due to the fact that the bookkeeping, the documentation and all other relevant information regarding assets, money, etc. are incomplete, not available in the first place or just a total mess, we probably need at least until the beginning of 2021 before we are in a position to talk about any concrete investment or assets.”