The last time we citied the subject of Lakeview was on the 28hth of April 2015. To recap, Harry Taylor’s skull and cross bone flagship has floundered. Confidence of this rudderless ship has become unhinged and is well and truly up fretful creak.
As discussed previously, the current incumbent chairman is scurrying about like a headless chicken trying to pick up the pieces of his seagull style management. The TCA has reported in the past, this resort is no stranger to troubles. In reality, timeshare owners have been attempting to exit this club due to the terrible track record of bad Committee management.
In short, Harry Taylor and his motley Committee have failed to account for vast sums of money Consumer’s have paid into the club. Those sums were paid by the Consumer’s so that the resort was maintened, including but not limited to the payment of costs and expenses which the timeshare owners were required to pay.
In this backdrop, Harry (TATOC) partnered Aroma.
Aroma came under the watchful eyes of SGH Martineau Solicitors who actioned an investigation using the talented services of Gavin McNaughton. This corporate and commercial law firm with a stunning track record received the Core documents of the Aroma contract and studied the individual terms and conditions of that contract and which were designed to be used in the selling of its products. SGH Martineau Solicitors determined unequivocally that the contract was in laments terms, dodgy.
The work of SGH Martineau came to the attention of the resort owners that being Lakeview Country Club Ltd (the Landlord). Having considered the reasoned approach of the Consumer champions SGH Martineau, they in turn decided to investigate what was occurring at their resort, and in particular the timeshare element.
Having embraced Harry Taylor and TATOC in the past, they came to the realisation that the cordial approach they used have not worked, as clearly Aroma and their illegal squatting in the resort was not providing a benefit to the many Consumer’s who not only frequented timeshare lodges but the resort itself.
The resort determined that blight existed and that blight had to be removed so as the holiday makers could enjoy their experiences. This led the money muggers to evacuate the site prior to the issuing of an eviction order.
After the Aroma evacuation and a loss of confidence in Harry Taylor the resort re-evaluated the relationship. In so doing and as the Committee had failed in its obligations to discharge reasonable debts when due and owning the resort headed by Mr Michael Thompson informed the timeshare Committee including Harry Taylor that a substantial debt existed and that debt was north excess of £1 million pounds.
The timeshare resort is an unincorporated association whereby each and every member is joint and severable liable for the debts of the club. It is only recently that those club members have become aware that this debt exists. In stark contrast and well worth the wager the Committee have known this fact for some time and could be the reason why the timeshare resort has failed on numerous occasions to provide audited accounts to its members, as to do so would expose the truth. If suppression is evident then no doubt the Committee would have some grave questions to answer and could be liable for the entire amount themselves.
After investigations it has become very evident that this timeshare resort has an underlying trust mechanism.
In control of that trust is none other than Continental Trust Ltd (Continental). Many timeshare Consumer’s will know that Continental has recently been acquired by First National Trust Company Ltd (FNTC). FNTC is directed by Mr. Declan Kenny. Mr Kenny is quite a worried man and has attempted to get his teeth into this Lake view conundrum.
It is wildly reported that he has with some desperation attended meetings with the Landlord with a view of trying to quell the intense hostility the landlord is now showing against the timeshare resort and its seditious Committee.
The landlord is fully aware that the timeshare owners could be a sedate victim to a pint size creditor and as such, they are orchestrating this tempest so as to get to the bottom of the activities of Harry Taylors Committee.
Turning to FNTC and its satellite trust company Continental, they without doubt have a duty of care to the timeshare Consumer’s in ensuring that their underlying assets are safe. The mere fact that Harry Taylor and his Committee have avoided the constitutional requirement to provided audited accounts may impart a very onerous and vicarious liability on those trustees.
This is how grave the situation is and without doubt this has to be a mismanaged timeshare resort. In this backdrop, TATOC are now receiving warnings from Continental and appear obliged to display the letter on their website is a letter dated 21st April 2015 sent to Harry Taylor;
The above is transcript of a now public letter sent by Continental to Harry Taylor.
“We are writing to you as chairman of the Committee of the club following receipt of the copy letter issued to the timeshare owners at the club by the founder member Lake View Country Club Ltd.
As trustee to the club we are somewhat concerned by the content of this letter.
We understand that there may have been a breakdown in communication between the Committee and the club founder member/landlord of the resort and that it is possible that incorrect information is being given out to owners at Lake View and incorrect allegations are being made about the current situation.
They further state:
as Trustee we have no commercial interest in the club so it would seem appropriate that we try and arrange to meet with the founder member as soon as possible with a view to finding solutions to the problem in which the club finds itself, and thereafter, we can put forward proposals for the future for the benefit of the club and its owners.
In light of the contents of this letter it may be appropriate for you as Committee chairmen to contact your owners and refer this letter and outlining to owners, the steps which the trustee is taking in order to resolve the issues with the club. In addition we would strongly recommend to your owners at this stage, they take no steps with regard to their timeshare weeks nor sign any agreement in relation to the same”.
The above letter was in response to a letter dated 16th April 2015 sent from the Landlords to each of the timeshare owners. That letter explained that the landlord had been sending letters to the Committee including Harry Taylor and he had been ignoring the letters. The Landlord also explained that as Harry was ignoring the letters and no amicable solution was reached in respect of the payment of debts which had been incurred in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
The complete and utter failure of Harry Taylor and his amigos resulted in the landlord issuing notice on all leases in the timeshare resort.
Harry Taylor and his Committee have stopped communicating with the creditor. This intricate web which has been woven by Harry Taylor is masking a financial empty tent and may prove to be fiscally devastating to the Consumer’s who trusted him. Harry Taylor and his Committee cannot under any circumstances avoid responsibility as they are and have proclaimed at all material times that they are competent in such matters.
Many are reporting that this Landlords debt is between 1 and 2 million pounds. And as this debt is due to utter failings of the Committee, it is likely that the Committee will be the first port of call when statutory demands/bankruptcy petitions are issued.
As Continental are the trustees and could have failed in their duty that debt could be levied at them as well. I think the landlord will take action against who they know has the money and are culpable.
What is a stark reality is that the Consumer’s are entitled to believe the verbal and express representations made when they acquire their timeshare. And at all material times the Consumer’s were under the impression that the underlining trust company was created for the purpose of ensuring that the club and its assets were solvent, maintained and equitable. Continental may not have carried out their duty of care and as such could be exposing others to losses.
FNTC-v-Harry Tyalor could be on the cards!
This quandary has been presided over by Harry Taylor, the Chairman and Chief executive of TATOC who reports to be a Consumer enterprise looking after Consumer interests. Note worthy is that the citizens advice bureau sign post Lake View Consumer’s to TATOC so they can be further subjected to the same buffoonery time and time again.
For more information regarding this article or assistance in any other timeshare related issues please contact the TCA on 01908 881058 or email: info@TimeshareConsumerAssociation.org.uk