#civil debt uk

[lexlawuk]

Court Dismisses Force Majeure & Trade Sanctions Control Defences

The High Court granted a summary judgment application in a breach of contract claim, and delivered a clear signal regarding reliance on contractual force majeure and trade sanctions provisions. The case in question is Litasco SA v Der Mond Oil and Gas Africa SA & Anor (Rev1) [2023] EWHC 2866 (Comm). The central question was whether payments to a Russian Oil Company were prohibited as…

[zvaigzdelasas]

[BBC is UK State Media]

“Finding work has become extremely difficult," he says. He is a member of Turkish-backed opposition forces that have been fighting President Bashar al-Assad for more than a decade.

The faction he works for pays him less than $50 (£40) a month, so when Turkish recruiters appeared offering $1,500 (£1,160) a month to work in Niger, he decided it was the best way to earn more money.

He says Syrian faction leaders help facilitate the process and after “faction taxes and agents” he would still be left with at least two-thirds of the money. “And if I die in battle [in Niger], my family will receive compensation of $50,000 (£40,000)," he adds.

Violence in West Africa's Sahel region has worsened in recent years as a result of conflict with jihadist groups. Niger, along with neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso have all been affected - and all three countries have experienced military coups in the past few years, partly as a result of the instability.[...]

Ali (not his real name), who lives in a tent in rural Idlib joined Syria’s opposition forces 10 years ago when he was 15. He says he is paid less than $50 (£40) a month too, which lasts him five days. He has had to borrow to support his family and sees Niger as the only way to pay off his debts. "I want to leave the military profession entirely and start my own business," he says.

And for Raed (not his real name), another 22-year-old opposition fighter, going to Niger feels like the only way to build up enough money to “achieve my dream of marriage and starting a family".

Since December 2023, more than 1,000 Syrian fighters have travelled to Niger via Turkey, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), which monitors the conflict in Syria through a network of sources on the ground. They tend to sign up for six months, but some have now extended the contract to a year.[...]

The SOHR and friends of mercenaries who have already worked in Niger told the BBC that Syrians have ended up under Russian command fighting militant jihadist groups in the border triangle between Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.[...]

The recruits we spoke to claim their faction leaders have told them that a Turkish company called SADAT would look after them once the contracts are signed and would be involved in arranging their travel and logistics.

About five years ago, Abu Mohamad went to Libya where he worked as a mercenary for six months and claims that was also arranged by SADAT.

The SOHR also claims that, based on information from other mercenaries who have already been to Niger, SADAT is involved in the process.[...]

This is not the first time the Turkish government has been accused of sending Syrian fighters abroad. Several reports, including one by the US Department of Defence have documented Turkish-backed Syrian fighters in Libya - Turkey previously acknowledged that Syrian fighters were present there but did not admit recruiting them. It has also denied that it recruited and deployed Syrian mercenaries to the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region in the Caucasus.

15 Jul 24

[notasapleasure]

state of UK politics right now:

The PM blew off the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings early. Now it's emerged that he originally wasn't going to go at all (can u imagine....a Tory PM not Acknowledging The Debt We Owe To The Greatest Generation????) then decided he would go but was always going to leave early, and I guess....then when the day came round it turned out he'd just recently called an election for funsies so figured he may as well use the free afternoon he'd left in his diary to.....pop back for a pre-recorded interview in which he could repeat the lies about Labour's tax proposals that his own civil servants are denying have anything to do with reality. While leaving the leader of the opposition to schmooze with international leaders in front of the press.

I mean. Lol. Lmao. What.

And if that isn't enough fun, tonight you can tune in to watch the 'mass debate'.

Yeah.

Really.

No.

[usaigi]

Ashen Wolves + Jeritza Modern AU HCs

Ashen Wolves in my fic (read it, it's funny) I couldn't fit everything in putting it all here

Yuri

Works at the bar Abyss (which has a secret BDSM dungeon in the basement)

Lives in a punk house with the others and unfortunately (but unsurprisingly) the only one responsible enough to pay rent

Everything else is a gamble. Will they have electricity this month? Water? Eh ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

“Hey wanna go out? I know a place” (takes them to the health food dumpster that tosses out perfectly good packaged food) 

“Am I scared of twink death? Please.” 

SWer out of necessity, sends most of the money he makes back to his disabled mom

(TW human trafficking mention) Yuri's father met his mother, a young poor vietnamese women. He promise he'd take care of her give her a better life in UK. Yeah right. Due to everything, she's extremely traumatized and unable to work.

Because of his and his mother's trauma, extremely protective of the most vulnerable in his community(women, children, immigrants, pwMI) 

Balthus

New Jersey represent 🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅

Italian-American. Always correcting everyone on how to actually pronounce Italian words

Got into a tinyyyy minor disagreement with the mob and, in short, he owes them like gazillion dollars

Half-ass faked his death (so much party city fake blood) and is hiding out in Europe

He wears a fake mustache and puts on a fake Italian accent whenever he's in public

Sells drugs to the Garreg Mach kids. 

“Balthus get a job.” “I have a business” “Isn’t that why you had to leave the States?”

The only one not to have a room. He sleeps on the couch (he had an air mattress. Had.)

Constance

In the late 1800s/early 1900s, her ancestor founded Nuvelle Inc., a pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation

Her great-grandfather publically sided with the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War since he was in support of Basque Independence. Later assassinated by the fascist government in retaliation 

Later, Constance's grandfather got backstabbed by his board and fired from the company

Her family was in denial about the whole thing and desperate to keep up with the appearance of wealth and continue to spend a lot of money. By the time Constance was born, they was in loads of debt

(tw suicide mention) Lost her mother in an accident. Then her father committed suicide, leaving Constance an orphan by 13.

Used the little inheritance she had to go to Garreg Mach and pretend everything was ok. Would lie anytime someone asked about her home life. Was forced to drop out at 16 because she ran out of money. To embarrassed to ask for help, she lied to everyone and told them she was going to study in the states

Yuri found her sleeping on a bench and took her in. Offered to buy her a ticket home until she finally admitted she lost everything and has no home to go back to

Dumpster drives at Garreg Mach for designer clothes. Ridiculous how much these rich kids (Hilda) toss out

Hapi

Romani :) 

Ran away from home when she was a teenager to “see the world.” Unfortunately, got taken in by some questionable people 

Cordelia found her and just felt so bad for her :( “oh no, a poor brown girl in need of help.” Offered to take her in and promised to help her get back home

Bullshit.

Finally able to run away and flee the country. She meets Balthus and Yuri because they were dumpster diving at the same spot. 

She and Constance have this thing of getting naked and howling at the full moon each month

Emile Jeritza

Born into a religious cult in good old USA 🇺🇸 His father was the cult leader and had multiple wives. 

His mother had a child from a previous relationship. Despite having numerous half-siblings, Emile was only close to Mercedes. She was the only one who didn’t scold him for crying and having “feminine” feelings after all

One day, his mother and beloved sister disappear. He never even got to say goodbye.. 

unbeknownst to him, when his mother and sister left they were fleeing for their lives. His mother immediately started to fight for custody of him but she was not an American citizen (while Emile and dad were) and she was trying to take him back to Europe

When Emile found out about what his father did, he… 

On the run from the FBI :) 

The wolves know about his history but fuck his dad, mofo had it coming. 

Yuri was standing behind Jeritza at the store when he saw Jeritza didn’t have enough money for food and cat food. He told the cash register to put the sandwich back. Yuri bought him the sandwich. 

[eaglesnick]

“Leverage is the reason some people become rich and others do not become rich” - Robert T Kiyosaki

The privatised water companies have been demanding price rises of between 24% and 91% over the next five years according to the Consumer Council for Water. The mainly foreign owned "English" water companies want to invest £96bn in water and sewage restructuring between now and 2030. New reservoirs, the first for over 30 years, will be built, leaks will be reduced and less sewage will be pumped into our waterways and seas.

Amen to that! But wait…

“English water firms have handed £57 billion to shareholders in the 30 years after privatisation.” (The London Economic: 28/10/21)

We, the consumer, having generously contributed to foreign share dividends for three decades to the tune of £2 billion per year, are now expected to part with even more money to pay for 30 years of private water company neglect. Meanwhile, the CEO’s of these private companies gave themselves a 20% pay rise for the year 2021-22, pocketing £24.8 million.

None of these facts are particularly new but what really irked me yesterday morning was an interview on BBC’s “Today" programme with David Henderson, CEO of Water UK, the organisation that represents all of the privately owned water companies.

Stressing the country’s need for “economic growth", Henderson said this would not be possible unless the water companies were allowed to drastically raise the price of water to cover the cost of investment needed to upgrade our water infrastructure. Talking of the need to increase water supply he stated:

“We have not built a reservoir in 30 years, even though our population has risen by 20% in that time. And that’s because we have been blocked by regulators and by planning officials around the country.”

The cheek!

According to New Civil Engineer magazine (01/09/22)

“There is a seemingly direct link between the 1989 privatisation of water companies in the UK and the ceasing of new reservoirs being built. While there have been a number of flood alleviation reservoirs built by the Environment Agency in this time, the water companies have not invested in potable drinking reservoirs.”

While I have no doubt that some applications for new reservoirs have been refused by planning authorities the main reason for inadequate reservoir capacity is the reluctance of the privately owned water companies to spend money on investment. Despite what David Henderson said on the Today programme this is a headline from the Express:

“Water firms ‘sold off reservoirs that could have eased drought' - Profit ahead of supply" (10/08.22)

In defending the private water companies Henderson was merely doing his job - after all that is what he is paid to do - but unfortunately their behaviour is indefensible. The reason that our waterway infrastructure is near collapse is not because investment plans have been blocked by “regulators and planning officials" but because of greed.

When Margaret Thatcher privatised the previously publicly owned water companies she sold this national asset for a grand total of £7.6bn. In addition she gave the newly created privately owned water companies a “green dowry" of £1.5bn. At time of purchase the water companies were totally debt free.

Fast-forward and what do we find?

“Water firms’ debts since privatisation hit £54bn as Ofwat refuses to impose limits.” Guardian: 01/12.22)

The water companies have spent the last few decades borrowing money, not to improve the water supply and sewage disposal infrastructure, but to pay dividends to shareholders. According to Ofwat’s own figures the water companies have been running ratios of debt to capital value as high as 80%. Water company share holders (70% owned by foreign investors) have received £65.9bn in dividends and it is calculated that 20% of household water bills go towards paying for the debt that rewards these shareholders.

Rachel Reeves much heralded national wealth fund is supposed to be a central plank of the Labour governments “Green Prosperity Plan” but Labour’s earlier promise to nationalise the dysfunctional private water companies has now been abandoned.

David Henderson has issued what in effect is a blackmail ultimatum to the new Labour Government that without massive price rises in consumer water bills, the Labour Party can kiss their dreams of economic growth goodbye.

Today Ofwat, the water regulator, sanctioned an average increase in water bills of 21%, some companies charging as much as 44% more over a five year period. This is a third less than what the water companies demanded, but even a 21% rise over five years is an increase of 4% a year, twice the inflation rate target of the Bank of England.

An interesting case study will be that of Thames Water which has dire financial problems due to building up a debt of £14bn (while still paying out tens of millions in dividends to its shareholders). It remains to be seen if Thames Water will be allowed to go bust or whether the new Labour Government will step in and bail it out but maybe this headline gives us a clue:

“Labour abstain on bid to criminalize water companies for sewage pollution” (Canary: 17/05/24)

[ayeforscotland]

Hey previous anon

Sorry i think you misunderstood me about 'the deficit', more specifically that the average Scot currently receives more in public spending and contributes less in tax than the national average. Nothing to do with the national debt, more that the way Scotland is currently run is not financially sustainable and in order to BE financially sustainable as an independent country it would have to cut the things that make it better than the rest of the UK. Or tax people more. Which is a great way to sell a referendum.

Also I know its a tired comparison but 'our trade is currently restricted by the entity we do the vast majority of our trade with, so we need to erect massive tariff barriers with it and completely restructure our export market in order to reclaim our sovereignty' really?

'None of the practicalities of making this immense change really concern me so long as we have the capacity to make the decisions for ourselves' fucking really?

There's a reason why this blog only posts about the fuckups of Westminster, funny and many as they are, and its because you don't have answers about how to make this work beyond 'it will work.' 60% of your trade is with the UK? Doesn't matter, the EU will sort it out. Never mind the presumed change in tastes and preferences or the differences in competition structure, it'll just work. Because it has to.

As it stands, support for independence is about 50/50. And running with that comparison, what happened the last time the government made a decision with little consideration of the consequences that half the country opposed?

Again its pointless because this is your identity so nothing's gonna get changed here, and I recognise the same is true for me. It's just frustrating.

Okay so I reckon you're pulling this from the annual GERS report which accounts for Scotland as a region of the UK rather than if Scotland was an independent country. This means the GERS contains multiple UK-wide expenditures which are not controlled by the Scottish Government. These costs are applied to GERS as a population percentage of total UK Government expenditure, this happens regardless of where that expenditure was applied and whether it was the Scottish or British government that spent the money. This *is* impacted by UK National Debt. There's a line in GERS called the 'Public Sector Debt Interest' which is the interest on the debt accrued by the British Government that Scotland contributes to paying off. From 2019-2020 this added up to an additional £4.5 Billion. Lastly on the economics side, several revenues like Oil & Gas taxation, corporation tax and VAT are controlled by the UK Government. Changes to those can drastically alter Scotland's income without running it past the Scottish Government. Now on to Trade - It's funny you talk about barriers when the UK has just bent over backwards to get a deal for Northern Ireland through. The only reason you would talk about erecting a barrier between Scotland and England is because you believe the British Government are going to deliberately negotiate in bad faith. And sure, you might claim that that's their right, but that's not exactly going to win anyone over to the pro-union side. I never said anything about ignoring the practicalities so I'd appreciate you don't put words in my mouth. Becoming an independent country will require hard work and effort, and it's 100% worth it if we are able to then make our own economic decisions. We barely have to look back six months to see a Tory Party tanking the economy on a whim over the course of a week. I have plenty of criticisms about the Scottish Government - it often moves at a frustratingly glacial pace to enact change. Some policies stagnate because of lack ambition from senior civil servants. But that's nothing compared to the ridiculousness of the Westminster system who are often outright malicious in their policy-making - and they hold the purse strings for the devolved governments. There is a democratic deficit in the UK, and it's why many people support independence. I know this is probably difficult for you to reconcile with which is why unionists tend to opt for the barrage of practicalities first, and you're never happy with any of the answers so you just resort to saying we've not answered the questions. At the end of the day you just don't want Scotland to leave the UK because you see that as part of your identity - and that's absolutely fine. But pretending that Scotland is some unique economic basket case is silly. I'm cool with unionsts who openly say they are passionate about the union, they don't need to dress it up.

[cuprohastes]

Things to Come

It is the year 2024: Amazon wants to have wholly owned company towns to persuade poor people to enter into indentured servitude. There is an election between an old guy who's quietly doing a generally good job, and a very loud serial rapist conman who's being taken to court for his many crimes including treason. Somehow there is still a debate as to who will win.

It is the year 2030: There are now four Amazon towns powered off grid by Tesla batteries. There is no news in or out. People are starting to notice this. Jeff Bezos and Elon musk are having a public fight over who owns Mars. Bezos brought up Twitter and Elon's announced X-Mart a direct competitor to Amazon. The Cybertruck's been recalled again, this time after the 50th person was cooked alive by the burning battery pack, which also locked all the doors.

It is 2040: Elon's died on Mars ina. 8ft cabin from every cancer known to man and three that are getting named after him. Apparently he declared that radiation shielding wasn't needed because Mars is too far from the sun for radiation to reach it. Jeff Bezos freeze dried corpse is still circling hte earth as of two years ago. The world watches with glee as Amazon is torn to shreds by ten thousand parties all of whom are laying claim to the 3 trillion dollars held by the company. Nobody is trying to take over Space-X or Teslas due to the historic 1.4 trillion dollars in fines and debt they collectively owe. Mark Zuckerberg is replacing all his organic parts with life support machines to keep his brain alive until a perfect way to upload himself to the metaverse is available. The metaverse is still shit and has only 1008 concurrent users.

Is tis 2042: Donald Trump has choked to death in his cell. The rumour is it was corpophilia: This will persist even after a FOIA reveals it was a cold two day old Big Mac smuggled in to him. The world rejoices. There is still a 24/7 video feed of Elon musk slowly mummifying in the remains of X-Mars. Questions regarding the rest of the colonists are answered when a Marsbot finally accesses the dome and finds that Elon turned off the oxygen after the twenty three women in the first wave of colonists refused to breed with him. There were twenty eight colonists and four of them had received vasectomies two months before liftoff. They had to take an axe to the thing Zuckerberg because it wouldn't stop screaming. In the UK, all politicians from the last 30 years have been placed in Wadsworth prison and are tried and guillotined daily. The Scottish won't stop laughing. The Irish have been drunk of their tits for the last six months. The Welsh have banned speaking English. This is not going well but they get much respect for taking a stand.

2050: Republicans are now legal to be hunted for food if you have a bow hunting license. Guns are finally restricted. Republicans state that this will result in a civil war. Gun crime and school shootings are down 1000%. The most popular book in the US is "Eating the Rich" a combination how-to on bow hunting, butchering and serving human flesh. The rest of the world is watching this with interest. The Russian federation is taking special notes. This year 80 clones of Vladimir Putin are euthanised in their tubes and eaten.

2055: There is no civil war and surprisingly few instances of Kuru. Texas has built a wall around the entire state to keep "the left" out. All jokes about marrying your cousin are now attributed to Texas, now known as the Lone Surname State. They have still managed not to secede.

2060: Gender is abolished, not through decree but by common agreement of the third generation brought up by Millenials, Gen Z and Gen Blue: The Green Generation. Cities are walkable. It is considered weird if you cannot walk to the shops in bare feet safely for at least half a year. Air quality has improved, winters are returning. Urban deer keep grasses down and provide local meat. Men and women wear dresses, biological sex can now be changed trivially with around 60 months of treatment. Marriage is now merely a fun tradition and churches all pay tax after the 2056 ruling that if they cannot provide evidence for their god that they have no more claim to universal truth than a social club. World hunger is solved by levying back taxes on jsut three megachurches. Summers are brutal but can be managed by passive cooling, and thermal gradient power generators for cooling.

2070: Everyone has UBI. Work is 4 hours a day, 4 days a week for most people. Many people have two or three jobs, not for money, but because they have diverse interests. Most companies are profit sharing or Co-operatives. The biggest global trauma is the English wearing socks with sandals. Global temperatures have dropped. The kids are kind and bemused by their aging relatives. Texas is still Republican and angrily making memes about "This is the future the left want" that are still really cool and fun looking suggestions. The southen US has replaced it's statues with Dolly Parton, who's revered as a saint. 40% of men have great tits. The President of the USA is catgirl. Things are going to be OK. Tomorrow is the anniversary of the day the last Boomer died and everyone's going to get their grill out. Life's good: We're going to to be OK.

[stephensmithuk]

The Beryl Coronet

This is the final story that we're covering from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

Coronets generally don't have gemstones in them. The "crown" of nobles and princes, British ones were historically only worn at coronations and were not worn at the 2023 coronation of Charles III. With most peers being life peers now, buying a coronet isn't really a good investment.

The Metropolitan Station is Baker Street Underground Station; the Metropolitan Railway remaining an independent railway until 1933. The original platforms are now used by Hammersmith & City and Circle Line trains; you can also find a bunch of Holmes-related

Watson fat shames someone again!

It's generally thought that the client is meant to be the then Prince of Wales, the later Edward VII. The man had quite the playboy reputation and a year after this had to give evidence in a civil trial for slander over a baccarat game: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_baccarat_scandal

The client has asked for a few million pounds in today's money and is essentially pawning a piece of the Crown Jewels!

"The turf" refers to horse racing - Arthur is dealing with heavy gambling debts.

Streatham is five miles from Charing Cross and had become part of London in 1889. Then a prosperous suburb, developing due to its railway connections - it was less than 20 minutes from Victoria - and home to the first supermarket in the UK, it became distinctly Inner London with the 1965 creation of Greater London. It then suffered a major decline as people moved further south and traffic became an issue. It has revived somewhat in recent years and is now a fairly nice suburb.

Yes, home delivery of groceries was a thing back then.

"When you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth" - this is the first short story appearance - it is in The Sign of the Four before this.

Not sure walking barefoot in the snow is good for your feet...

David Burke, the first Granada Watson, played Sir George Burnwell in the 1965 BBC adaptation.

[buzzblend]

Widow loses life savings after ‘firetrap’ developer fails to repay €150k loan

A controversial developer who asked to borrow the life savings of an 81-year-old widow has failed to repay the money after half a decade of broken promises.

In 2017, the widow gave €160,000 in cash to developer Paddy Byrne, who built the Millfield Manor estate in Co. Kildare where six houses burnt to the ground in under 30 minutes in 2015.

The cash was for a penthouse apartment in Dublin she planned to move into.

The development was built by Victoria Homes, a company that was established by Mr Byrne’s sister Joan just before Mr Byrne was precluded from acting as a company director in Ireland for five years.

After viewing plans for the €630,000 property, in a development called Greygates in Mount Merrion, the pensioner withdrew the cash from her bank and gave it to Mr Byrne.

Some €10,000 of this was a deposit, with the remaining €150,000 provided on the advice of a third party who was known to Mr Byrne and the widow, who said the cash would secure a good price.

According to a handwritten receipt, signed by Mr Byrne, the money was provided on May 29, 2017.

But in November 2017 the widow, a retired primary school teacher, found a more suitable home and asked for her money back.

Mr Byrne agreed to this, saying he would have no problem selling the penthouse and promptly refunded the €10,000 deposit.

However, he asked that the remaining €150,000 be treated as a 14-month loan and promised to pay a 10% annual interest rate.

This effectively turned the widow into an unwitting creditor of Victoria Homes.

According to a handwritten agreement, signed by Mr Byrne, the loan was to be ‘paid back from the sales proceeds’ of the penthouse at his Greygates development.

More than half a decade later, the loan remains unpaid – even after the widow made a criminal complaint to gardaí and took legal action to secure a judgement.

As it is a civil matter, the Garda investigation faltered. And because various other unpaid creditors had previously secured judgements against Victoria Homes, the widow is now unlikely to get her savings back. During the Celtic Tiger years, Paddy Byrne was renowned for his €2.4m Sikorsky helicopter and sponsorship of the Irish National Hunt festival.

But in 2011 his then-firm, Barrack Homes, went bust and Mr Byrne declared bankruptcy in Britain with debts of €100m.

He was banned from acting as a UK director for 10 years in 2012.

This ban was scheduled to end in 2022 – and ran the full course – but it only applied in the UK and Wales.

According to the UK insolvency register today, Mr Byrne’s discharge from UK bankruptcy is ‘suspended indefinitely’ until the fulfilment of conditions made in a 2012 court order.

Separately, in Ireland, he was also restricted from acting as a director for a period of five years – which ended in January 2018.

Mr Byrne is also known for building the Millfield Manor estate in Newbridge, Co. Kildare, where half a dozen houses were razed to the ground within 30 minutes in 2015.

A report into the blaze found ‘major and life-threatening serious shortfalls and discrepancies and deviations from the minimum requirements of the national mandatory building regulations’ at Mr Byrne’s development.

Today, having exited bankruptcy, Mr Byrne is best known as the figurehead behind Victoria Homes and associated businesses, which was set up by his sister and her husband in December 2012, while he was bankrupt.

Mr Byrne was not a director or owner of Victoria Homes during the period of his bankruptcy. But, in 2017, Mr Byrne’s sister and her husband stepped back from Victoria Homes, transferring their shares to an offshore entity in Belize city called Victoria Holdings.

In November 2022, the main lenders to Victoria Homes – the Lotus Development Group – forced the firm into receivership for the second time.

In 2020, Lotus had forced a previous short-lived receivership before agreeing a deal that saw Victoria Homes begin trading normally once more.

Today, Mr Byrne appears to have left Victoria Homes behind and seems to be focusing on a new firm instead.

Set up in the summer of 2020, Branach Developments is entirely owned by Mr Byrne and is not encumbered by any bank debt or mortgages as Victoria Homes was.

According to the latest filed accounts, for the year ended 2021, Branach Developments held ‘tangible assets’ of €210,000 and ‘stocks’ of €600,000.

The accounts also show that, in 2021, Mr Byrne provided the company with an interest-free loan of €1,024,438.

Just last week Mr Byrne’s new firm was one of the winners at the National Property Awards sponsored by the Business Post and Deloitte, among others.

At the award ceremony, Branach Developments took home the prize for best sustainability initiative of the year.

However, Mr Byrne, who shuns publicity and is rarely photographed, does not appear to have attended the ceremony and the award was accepted by a colleague.

This week the Irish Mail on Sunday sent queries to Mr Byrne via his mobile phone, his email at Victoria Homes and his email at Branach Developments, without response.

Queries to his solicitor and the separate accountancy firms representing Victoria Homes and Branach Developments also went unanswered as did calls to the numbers on the websites of these firms.

Mr Byrne also previously declined to respond to questions from the MoS relating to the establishment of Victoria Homes during the period of his bankruptcy.

At the time, Mr Byrne appeared to be living at Ballinrahin House, close to Rathangan on the border of Offaly and Kildare.

The home is a luxury build on 26 acres of stud-railed paddocks with six stables and a 1.3km tree-lined avenue behind electric gates.

The property was on sale for €2.8m in 2009, but land registry records confirm that, in November 2014, it was sold to Victoria Homes for a knockdown price of €484,000.

Ownership of Ballinrahin House was transferred offshore to Victoria Holdings in Belize on April 10, 2018, just weeks before Mr Byrne was due to repay the €150,000 back to the widow.

[theinconvenientlifestyle]

GB News has paid Conservative MPs more than £660,000 in appearance fees and salaries since it launched, against just £1,100 to Labour MPs, Guardian analysis shows.

The payments, recorded in the parliamentary register of interests, come amid growing concerns among centrists about the channel’s sway over the Tory party’s direction.

Some Conservatives also say they have worries that if Paul Marshall, the hedge fund owner who has a 41% stake in GB News, gains control of the Telegraph titles in a process that is due to resume next month, this could entrench a populist echo chamber for the party’s MPs and supporters.

“It would be a worry if we ended up with what you might call a monopoly of opinion in the Conservative media – as a party we’re not fans of monopolies,” one former cabinet minister said.

The amounts paid to MPs give only part of the story in that many other parliamentarians, including from Labour, regularly appear on the channel without payment. But the £660,262 handed to Conservative MPs in the past two years illustrates the way GB News has transformed UK political broadcasting by routinely using sitting Tories as presenters or contracted pundits.

The biggest single beneficiary was Jacob Rees-Mogg, with the former business secretary paid nearly £325,000 in the last year. He currently receives slightly more than £29,000 a month as a presenter for 40 hours of work, or £729 an hour.

Lee Anderson, who was hired as a Tory MP but is an independent since losing the whip at the weekend over alleged Islamophobic comments, is on a salary of £100,000 a year, plus £50 extra a month to display a GB News logo on his X profile page.

The other big earners are the husband and wife MP team of Esther McVey and Philip Davies, who have been paid just under £130,000 and slightly over £60,000 respectively as presenters.

The only two Labour MPs to have been paid for appearing are Rosie Duffield and Barry Gardiner, who were paid £500 and £600 respectively as one-off guests.

While Ofcom has investigated GB News on a number of occasions, a group of senior broadcasting veterans said last week that the broadcast regulator was failing to properly enforce impartiality rules for a channel that sometimes uses Conservative MPs to interview parliamentary colleagues.

Aides to Marshall say he has no editorial input into GB News and would not seek this if he were to buy the Telegraph titles. But some Tories worry that common ownership could see populist voices such as that of Nigel Farage – a GB News presenter who also writes a Telegraph column – increasingly dominate the Conservative discourse.

Marshall’s views came to prominence last week when the campaign group Hope Not Hate reported he had used a personal X account to like or repost messages including a post about potential “civil war” in Europe because of migration. A spokesperson for Marshall said this “small and unrepresentative sample” did not represent his views.

One centrist Tory MP said: “In theory, if Paul Marshall was going to become the Rupert Murdoch of the Conservative right, that would be a worry. But in real life I’m not sure him owning the Telegraph would particularly change what is there anyway. The Telegraph is already the broadsheet newspaper version of GB News. I’m not sure he would pull them much further to the right. I struggle to see how much worse it can get.”

The Barclay brothers, who ceded control of the Telegraph titles to Lloyds Bank last year after failing to repay a debt, are trying to sell the papers and the Spectator magazine to a consortium backed by the UAE.

The culture secretary, Lucy Frazer, triggered inquiries by Ofcom and the Competition and Markets Authority into the bid, which is led by the investment firm RedBird IMI. These are expected to report back from about 11 March and Frazer could make a decision soon after, with options including approval of the plan or more scrutiny.

If the Redbird plan is blocked, as has been advocated for by a number of Conservative MPs including Rees-Mogg on GB News, Marshall has been mooting a bid alongside the US billionaire Ken Griffin.

Tim Bale, a professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London and historian of the Conservatives, said the notion of Marshall helping shape Conservative views would in part simply mirror the party’s long history with supportive press barons. But there were some new factors at play, he said.

“The advent of the social media world, which, if you like, GB News is part of, has completely blown up the deference that once existed in the party. It provides an alternative route to fame and fortune for MPs, who probably we would never have heard of,” Bale said.

“In this attention economy, various platforms and outlets have to outbid each other for clicks. So if GB News becomes even more radically rightwing populist then the Telegraph, whether or not it’s owned by Marshall, will have to catch up in order to compete. So there is a kind a ratchet effect.”

A spokesperson for GB News said the lineup of presenters was “entirely a matter for the discretion of the editorial team”, adding: “For the avoidance of any doubt, Sir Paul Marshall has no involvement in editorial decisions.”

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 12.29

1170 – Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, is assassinated inside Canterbury Cathedral by followers of King Henry II; he subsequently becomes a saint and martyr in the Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church. 1503 – The Battle of Garigliano was fought between a Spanish army under Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba and a French army commanded by Ludovico II, Marquess of Saluzzo. 1607 – According to John Smith, Pocahontas, daughter of Powhatan leader Wahunsenacawh, successfully pleads for his life after tribal leaders attempt to execute him. 1778 – American Revolutionary War: Three thousand British soldiers under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell capture Savannah, Georgia. 1812 – USS Constitution, under the command of Captain William Bainbridge, captures HMS Java off the coast of Brazil after a three-hour battle. 1835 – The Treaty of New Echota is signed, ceding all the lands of the Cherokee east of the Mississippi River to the United States. 1845 – The United States annexes the Republic of Texas and admits it as the 28th state. 1860 – The launch of HMS Warrior, with her combination of screw propeller, iron hull and iron armour, renders all previous warships obsolete. 1874 – The military coup of Gen. Martinez Campos in Sagunto ends the failed First Spanish Republic and the monarchy is restored as Prince Alfonso is proclaimed King of Spain. 1876 – The Ashtabula River railroad disaster occurs, leaving 64 injured and 92 dead at Ashtabula, Ohio. 1890 – On Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, 300 Lakota are killed by the United States 7th Cavalry Regiment. 1911 – Mongolia gains independence from the Qing dynasty, enthroning 8th Jebtsundamba Khutughtu as Khagan of Mongolia. 1913 – Cecil B. DeMille starts filming Hollywood's first feature film, The Squaw Man. 1930 – Sir Muhammad Iqbal's presidential address in Allahabad introduces the two-nation theory and outlines a vision for the creation of Pakistan. 1934 – Japan renounces the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 and the London Naval Treaty of 1930. 1937 – The Irish Free State is replaced by a new state called Ireland with the adoption of a new constitution. 1940 – In the Second Great Fire of London, the Luftwaffe fire-bombs London, England, killing almost 200 civilians during World War II. 1972 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 (a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar) crashes in the Florida Everglades on approach to Miami International Airport, Florida, killing 101 of the 176 people on board. 1975 – A bomb explodes at LaGuardia Airport in New York City, killing 11 people and injuring more than 75. 1989 – Czech writer, philosopher and dissident Václav Havel is elected the first post-communist President of Czechoslovakia. 1989 – The Nikkei 225 for the Tokyo Stock Exchange hits its all-time intra-day high of 38,957.44 and closing high at 38,915.87, serving as the apex of the Japanese asset price bubble. 1992 – Fernando Collor de Mello, president of Brazil, tries to resign amidst corruption charges, but is then impeached. 1994 – Turkish Airlines Flight 278 (a Boeing 737-400) crashes on approach to Van Ferit Melen Airport in Van, Turkey, killing 57 of the 76 people on board. 1996 – Guatemala and leaders of Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity sign a peace accord ending a 36-year civil war. 1998 – Leaders of the Khmer Rouge apologize for the Cambodian genocide that claimed over one million lives. 2003 – The last known speaker of Akkala Sami dies, rendering the language extinct. 2006 – The UK settles its Anglo-American loan, post-WWII loan debt. 2013 – A suicide bomb attack at the Volgograd-1 railway station in the southern Russian city of Volgograd kills at least 18 people and wounds 40 others. 2013 – Seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher suffers a massive head injury while skiing in the French Alps. 2020 – A large explosion at the airport in the southern Yemeni city of Aden kills at least 22 people and wounds 50.

[real-total-drama-takes]

THE SCOTTISH JUSTICE SYSTEM

CRIMINAL LAW AND CIVIL LAW

The law in Scotland can be split into two main categories: criminal law and civil law

Criminal Law relates to criminal offences like murder, arson, fraud and armed robbery

Civil Law includes disputes between individuals and businesses

THINK PAIR SHARE – WHAT SPECIFIC KINDS OF CASES WOULD BE COVERED BY CIVIL LAW?

Divorce, business debts, compensation awards, tenant and landlord disputes, custody battles etc

Scotland has had a unique court and criminal justice system that is very different to that within the rest of the UK. 

The main difference is that Scottish courts allow the ‘not proven’ verdict. This is when there is not enough evidence to prove a person guilty but there remains suspicion that they are not entirely innocent.

However Some people believe that this verdict is unfair as it leaves the accused without the label of ‘innocent’ even although they have not been labelled ‘guilty’

The Procurator Fiscal 

When a crime is committed, and the police have charged someone with a criminal offence, the details of the case are then passed onto the Procurator Fiscal who looks at the evidence and decides whether or not to go ahead with the prosecution. The current Procurator Fiscal for Aberdeen is Mr Andy Shanks; the current Procurator Fiscal for Glasgow is Ms Moira Orr.

Each court deals with different offences depending on the seriousness of the crime.

Minor offences -> Major offences

Justice of the Peace Court -> Sheriff Court -> The High Court

SCOTLAND'S LEGAL SYSTEM

Two types of criminal justice procedure;

Solemn procedure – most serious cases which may lead to trial in front of a judge and jury (usually of 15 people).

Summary procedure – less serious offences, may lead to trial before a sheriff or in justice of the peace courts. 96% of criminal cases in Scotland are dealt with under summary procedure, with no jury present. 

THE STRUCTURE OF THE COURT SYSTEM IN SCOTLAND

Sherriffdoms

The Criminal Proceedings etc. (Reform) (Scotland) Act 2007 created 6 sheriffdoms in Scotland: 

Glasgow & Strathkelvin

Grampian, Highlands & Islands 

Lothian & the Borders

North Strathclyde 

South Strathclyde, Dumfries & Galloway 

Tayside, Central & Fife 

Each sherriffdom contains one or more Sherriff court and a number of Justice of the Peace courts.

Justice of the peace court 

Justice of the Peace courts were created in 2008 to replace District Courts. 

This is the lowest level of the criminal court and they deal with relatively minor crimes such as; 

Animal cruelty 

Minor road traffic offences 

Minor assaults 

The proceedings take place in front of a lay magistrate and no jury. The maximum fine is £2500 and they can impose a maximum of a 60 day sentence in prison.

Lay magistrate- community appointed and usually not a legally qualified judge. However, this individual will have been trained in criminal law and procedure such as solicitor. 

Sherriff Court

The Sherriff court deals with more serious offences. This court will deal with any crime that happens in a specific “sherrifdom”. As the crimes tend to be more serious, the court will use either summary procedure or solemn procedure depending on the individual case. 

The Sheriff Court deals with the majority of cases heard in Scotland, and the biggest courts in major cities can hear hundreds of cases per day – Glasgow Sheriff Court is the busiest court in Europe!

In a Solemn Procedure there is a jury of 15 and a Sheriff (aka judge) to preside over the hearing. Violent assault, drug dealing and robberies would be heard in a Sheriff Court.

It can issue an unlimited fine or a maximum of 5 years in prison.

Summary procedure- 

This is for the less serious offences heard by the Sheriff Court, such as drink driving, most anti-social behaviour and assaults.

The cases are heard by a Sheriff who decides on verdict and sentencing

There is no jury

Example: 

SNP MP Natalie McGarry was given a two year prison sentence in July 2022 after being found guilty of embezzling £19,974 by the Glasgow Sheriff Court.

 If a Sheriff ever feels that a harsher sentence is necessary, they can refer the case to the High Court of the Justiciary. Where a higher sentence will be handed out

Example: 

Derek Carrick was found guilty of child neglect in 2018 by the Glasgow Sheriff court. Carrick was handed a community payback order with two years supervision and 200 hours' unpaid work within six months. This was decided under Solemn procedure.

The Court of Session

This is the highest civil court in Scotland

It deals with only the most complex and highest value civil cases 

The Court is found in Parliament Square, Edinburgh, and is home to 34 judges

It hears both cases and appeals in civil law

Example: Former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond won his case against the Scottish Government at the Court of Session in January 2019. The Scottish Government admitted that they had acted unlawfully when investigating sexual harassment claims against Mr Salmond. Judge Lord Pentland said that the government's actions had been "unlawful in respect that they were procedurally unfair" and had been "tainted with apparent bias.”. 

High Court of Justiciary

The High Court is Scotland’s highest criminal court. The court only conducts trials under Solemn procedure and with a legally trained judge. The jury is made up of 15 men and women.

How are jury's chosen?

- A Jury are chosen from the electoral register; anyone who is over 18, has lived in the UK for at least 5 years since the age of 13, and is not currently ineligible can be summoned for jury duty.

The High Court usually sits in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen but also travels to different parts of Scotland.

The High Court will use Sherriff Court buildings in various cities such as; Inverness, Stirling, Perth and Dumfries.

The High Court deals with crimes such as;

Murder

Rape

Armed robbery

Serious drug related crimes such as; Drug trafficking

 Sexual offences involving children

Example: 

In June 2021, former prison officer Ross Wilcox was jailed for a minimum of 20 years by Judge Lord Muholland for the murder of Emma Faulds in 2019. Wilcox had murdered his friend Faulds following a house party in Monkton, South Ayrshire and then dumped her body in a shallow grave in a nearby forest.

In difficult cases, such as a highly public murder trial, there will be 3 judges sitting. 

The High Court has unlimited sentencing powers in terms of imprisonment and fines.

-nat5 mods anon

.

[businesslawyersinvietnam]

P2P Lending – The new Form of Credit Extension in Financial Technology Era

Peer to Peer Lending (P2P) has becoming more popular in many countries. This form first appeared in the UK since 2005, then succeeded in the US and China markets. By 2017, P2P lending businesses start to appear in Vietnam in different forms.

                             Banking and dispute lawyers in Vietnam

Three subject matters in P2P lending relation include: investor (or lender), intermediary company (P2P Lending Company) and borrower. P2P Lending utilizes digital technology platform connecting lenders and borrowers directly, cutting out the credit institution as the middleman. Accordingly, P2P Lending Company provides online services (website, app) that match lenders with borrowers. The idea is that, all borrowing, debt payment (principal and interest) between the borrowers and lenders are recorded and stored by the online transaction platform. This method is completely different from the traditional loan form by increasing the ability to successfully connect lenders and borrower through online platforms along with advanced financial technology systems.

The relationship between lenders and borrowers is civil relation, therefore, the lending or payment is based on the regulations of Vietnam Civil Code. According to P2P Lending Company, the nature of P2P Lending Company is a broker between lenders and borrowers through technology. However, under Article 8.2 of Law on Credit Institutions 2010: “Individuals and organizations which is not credit institutions are prohibited from conducting banking operations, excepting escrow, purchase and sale of securities by securities companies”. Therefore, it is challenging for stakeholders to clearly define the boundary services could extend under P2P mode without violation of the laws.

In a good term, P2P lending creates a new way for approaching the loans when borrowers are not satisfied for the conditions of conventional bank loans. The advantages of P2P lending in Vietnam are the simplification of procedures, fast approval for loans, easy online transaction, in comparison to borrowing from banks which requires a complex and strict examination process... Since P2P Lending Company offers these services online, it is expected it can operate with lower overhead and provide the service at a cheaper price than traditional financial institutions. If applying appropriately, P2P lending could be a solution to minimize other illegal lending services in Vietnam.

The Vietnam government has assigned The State Bank to build a legal framework for credit extension activities under the form of P2P Lending to promote the positive aspects of this service. At ANT Lawyers, a law firm in Vietnam, with offices in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, we have technology, business and IP lawyers whom are familiar with development of digital transformation in Vietnam that could bring new ways of doing business leveraging on high rate of Vietnam smartphone users to prove a better services to high tech start-up clients entering Vietnam market.

Source ANTLawyers: https://antlawyers.vn/library/p2p-lending-the-new-form-of-credit-extension-in-financial-technology-era.html

[uniquejellyfishqueen]

11/24/1835 The Texas Rangers, a horse-mounted police force were authorized by the Texas Provincial Government

*Didn’t she have horses wearing friendship bracelets?

11/24/1877 - Black Beauty, by English Author Anna Sewell is published. It became an immediate best seller and eventually sold over 50 million copies

11/24/1932 - In Washington, D.C., the FBI Crime Lab opens (officially known as the FBI Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory

11/24/1943 - During World War II, at the battle of Makin, the USS Liscome Bay is torpedoed by the Japanese near Taraw and sinks killing 53 officers and 591 enlisted men

11/24/1963 - The assassin of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald is killed by Jack Ruby

11/24/1969 - The Apollo 12 command module splashes down safely in the Pacific Ocean, after it completed the second manned mission to land on the Moon

11/24/1971 - Dan Cooper, aka D.B. Cooper parachutes from a Northwest Orient Airlines plane during a thunderstorm over Washington state with $200,000 in ransom money. He was never found.

*same initials as Down Bad

11/24/1973 - Photography by Ringo Starr hits #1

11/24/1994 - At the first annual MTV European Music Awards, Oasis is named the Best UK Band 

11/24/1998 - Garage, Inc., is released as the Metallica compilation of cover songs

11/24/2014 - Shady XV is a two-disc compilation album released by Eminem

The Panthers host the Chiefs on 11/24 at 1pm.

Bank of America Stadium is 33 acres.

Broke ground on 4/22/1994 and opened on 8/3/1996

The Carolina Panthers have never won a Super Bowl, losing both of their appearances:

2004: In Super Bowl XXXVIII, the Panthers lost to the New England Patriots 32-29.

2016: In Super Bowl 50, the Panthers lost to the Denver Broncos 24-10. The panthers were the favorite by 5.5. The network it was on was Westwood One…(Woodvale?….I forgot how the west was won….)

*They are 1 out of 12 teams that have not made it to a Super Bowl.

Owned by David Alan Tepper 9/11/1975 hedge fund manager of Appaloosa Management (specializing in distressed debt) founded in 1993 based in Miami Beach, FL (their logo is a horse.)

TS was wearing a Panther necklace on 11/19

The Panther on her 1989 set

The “Big cat” on her blind for love shirt in the bank vault

“Range Rovers and Jaguars…”

“Karma is a Cat”

Her 2 cat is Olivia Benson… Named after Mariska Hargitay who can speak 4 languages.

In SVU History:

* Clarence Williams III 
In the 2000 Law & Order episode "Burn Baby Burn" (aired on 11/22/2010), a former Black Panther named Clarence Williams III shoots and kills two cops on the warrant squad. The episode explores the idea that police can never know what they might encounter when they knock on a door. 

* Former Black Panther accused of murder 
In season 11, episode 6 of SVU(aired on 10/28/2009), a former Black Panther is accused of murdering a Caucasian police officer. The episode features a politically charged trial and the accused questioning Detective Green's integrity. 

PANTHER SYMBOLISM:

* Protection and guidance: In medieval bestiaries, the panther was seen as an embodiment of Christ, and was said to bring unity and harmony to the animal kingdom, while also protecting from evil. 

* Leadership and unity: In modern times, the panther has become a symbol of leadership and unity, especially in comics, civil rights activism, and cinema. 

* Power, protection, and ferocity: In Greek mythology, the panther was associated with Dionysus, the god of wine and pleasure. 

* Grace, beauty, and mystery: For many tattoo enthusiasts, the panther represents these qualities. 

* Justice, morality, and money: In The Visit, the black panther symbolizes these concepts

Or we have the Florida Panthers

They do not have a game on the 24th.. but they do play on the 23rd and 25th of this month…. Bookends of sorts. And they are all home matches for the kitties.

11/23 Colorado Avalanche vs Florida Panthers

11/24 KC Chiefs vs Carolina Panthers

11/25 Capitals vs Florida Panthers

The day before Thanksgiving 11/27 the Florida Panthers host The Toronto Maple Leafs (TS current stop on the ET)

11/27/1942 is Jimi Hendrix birthday (electric lady..)

11/27/1957 Caroline Kennedy Birthday (US Ambassador to Australia since 2022)

11/27/1727 - The foundation stone of the Jerusalem Church in Berlin i laid

11/27/1870 - Baseball is called "The National Game" by The New York Times

11/27/1901 - The U.S. Army War College is established

11/27/1924 - The first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is held in New York City

11/27/1960 - Gordie Howe becomes the 1st NHLer to score 1,000 points

11/27/1961 - Gordie Howe becomes the 1st to play in 1,000 NHL games

11/27/1965 - The Pentagon tells U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson that if they are to succeed in the Vietnam War that the number of American troops has to be increased from 120,000 to 400,000

11/27/1973 - The U.S. Senates votes 92-3 to confirm Gerald Ford as Vice President of the United States

11/27/1983 - Avianca Flight 011 (Boeing 747) crashes near Madrid's Barajas Airport, killing 181 people on board

11/27/1989 - Avianca Flight 203 (Boeing 727) explodes over Columbia, killing all 107 people on board and three people on the ground - The Medellin Cartel claim responsibility

11/27/2009 - The Nevsky Express train between Moscow and Saint Peterburg derails after a bomb explodes causing 28 deaths with 96 people injured

11/27/2015 - A shooter in a Planned Parenthood facility in Colorado Springs, Colorado shoots four police officer, one police officer and two civilians die and six are injured

11/27/2017 - Country singer Blake Shelton is named People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive

11/27/2020 - Days after the discovery is announced, the Utah monolith is removed

11/27/2021 - All Too Well, the extended version by Taylor Swift with a time of 10:13, hits #1 on the Hot 100

But also because Pittsburgh has been relevant The Penguins host the Florida Panthers on 12/3/24. 1..2..3..?

*5 days before the last day of tour.

12/3/1818 - Illinois becomes the 21st U.S. State

12/3/1910 - Modern neon lights are demonstrated for the first time by Georges Claude at the Paris Motor Show

12/3/1960 - The musical Camelot debuts at the Majestic Theatre on Broadway in New York City

12/3/1968 - NBC airs a TV special called Elvis

12/3/2014 Actor Taye Diggs (Private Practice) divorces Broadway actress Idina Menzel after 11 years of marriage

12/3/2015 - Scott Weiland American singer and songwriter who was the lead singer of the Stone Temple Pilots and made six albums with them

12/3/2015 - Based on the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, a live adaptation of The Wiz airs on NBC

12/3/2016 - Following his death, Leonard Cohen's original version of Hallelujah enters the Hot 100 at #59

TS HISTORY IN NC (15 shows):

1/20/2007 @ Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC

5 song set list

8/2/2008 @ Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion, Raleigh

7 song set list

8/3/2008 @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater - Charlotte

8 song set list

Fearless Tour:

6/12/2009 Greensboro

9/5/2009 Charlotte

5/1/2010 Raleigh

Speak Now Tour:

6/30/2011 Greensboro

11/16/2011 Charlotte

11/17/2011 Raleigh

Red Tour: Charlotte

3/22/2013 Charlotte: “Tim McGraw”

9/12/2013 Greensboro: “Change” acoustic tour debut, “Everything Has Changed” with Ed Sheeran

9/13/2013 Raleigh: “Everything Has Changed” with Ed Sheeran

1989 World Tour:

6/8/2015 Charlotte:“You Are In Love Acoustic”

6/9/2015 Raleigh:

10/21/2015 Greensboro: “Little Red Wagon” with Miranda Lambert

[inspireandaspire]

Did scott Dylan Defraud Barclays for £13.7m?

Scott Dylan is an entrepreneur and the owner of Inc & Co. According to his press releases, he has an impressive track record and is a thought leader in the industry.

However, his professional background is ridden with controversy. In fact, he is currently embroiled in a major legal battle with Barclays Bank. Apparently, he (and some other people) defrauded the bank for millions of pounds.

Scott Dylan is

The Promotional Claims of Scott Dylan:

Here is the summary of his marketing claims:

Scott Dylan is a co-founder and partner at Inc & Co, a business collective based in Manchester, UK, that acquires and nurtures digital businesses to promote growth and innovation.

Since its establishment, Scott Dylan has played a crucial role in steering the company towards its mission of revitalizing businesses by providing them with the resources and support they need to succeed in competitive markets.

Under his leadership, Inc & Co has expanded its portfolio significantly, incorporating companies from various sectors including digital marketing, logistics, food and beverage, and technology. His strategic vision focuses on fostering collaboration among the group’s companies to leverage synergies and drive collective success.

Certainly, Scott is trying to reinvent his image with Inc & Co in Manchester. However, it might not be as effective as he thinks it to be.

All About the Scott Dylan and Barclays Bank Case:

A court date was set for January 13, 2025, for a civil case filed by Barclays Bank against a Manchester-based businessman and his associates. The bank alleges that they took £13.7m without authorization and for their own personal gain.

Barclays Bank made a claim against Scott Dylan, Gareth Dylan, Sally Ann Glover, and David Antrobus.

Another claim was filed against Fresh Thinking Group (formerly known as Old3 Limited), Jack Mason, and Inc Travel Group Limited (formerly known as Old2 Limited), both of which have since gone into compulsory liquidation.

Barclays argued that all the individual defendants, except for Gareth Dylan, were implicated in a conspiracy to harm Barclays through illegal methods. The defendants denied the conspiracy allegation and contested the claims made by Barclays.

A hearing was scheduled for April 29, 2024, where Barclays alleged that the defendants had breached multiple freezing orders, resulting in their contempt of court.

Claims were made regarding the transfer of approximately £13.7m from accounts held with Barclays by subsidiaries of Fresh Thinking Group. It was noted that these accounts had no or insignificant credit balance at the time.

According to Barclays, there were around 830 payments made in amounts slightly below the £50,000 threshold. These payments would have triggered the need for further approval.

According to Barclays, the money was transferred to Fresh Thinking Group and another subsidiary, FT Ops Limited, before being distributed further and allegedly leading to the defendants' personal enrichment.

Legal sources indicate that Barclays filed the case against Scott Dylan in October 2021. The case is still pending as mentioned in media reports.

Scott Dylan is a Convicted Criminal?

I found a detailed thread about Dylan when I was looking into his past. It turns out that Scott Dylan might not even be his real name.

According to the user, Scott Dylan, also known as Reece Dylan, was widely regarded as a notorious scammer. They say that the other user were lucky that it was just a few hundred dollars — some companies were out thousands.

Reece had utilized credit cards that were stolen or obtained fraudulently to make purchases for airline tickets, hotel accommodations, hosting services, content, and even sponsorships for webmaster trade shows. The previous company he worked for was Pulz Productions, which had accumulated thousands of debts. Reece used to consider himself a big shot and would often make offers to buy companies without even seeing them first. He preferred staying at upscale hotels and left without paying a bar tab that amounted to almost $20K after his credit cards were declined.

He was reportedly being sought by law enforcement agencies in the UK and has last been spotted in Ireland.

When the user visited gainwarminster.com, they searched for “pulz productions” and discovered the thread titled “Industry Alert Mass Fraud,” along with other threads that provided specific information about the extent of his fraudulent activities.

He operated on fraud, scams, and chargebacks. Having access to data, he potentially mined it for valuable information such as credit card numbers, personal details, and financial data.

The assistant expressed regret that it could not assist anyone other than to advise them to quickly distance themselves from the individual in question. It should be noted that it would be wise to assume that anything associated with him is connected to fraudulent activities or ill-gotten funds.

Possible Consequences for Scott Dylan of Inc & Co.

In the UK, the legal consequences of committing financial fraud are severe and can include both criminal penalties and significant financial sanctions. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the penalties based on the type of fraud committed:

General Fraud Penalties under the Fraud Act 2006 Under the Fraud Act 2006, fraud can be committed in several ways including fraud by false representation, fraud by failing to disclose information, and fraud by abuse of position. The penalties for these offences can be substantial:

Maximum Penalties: Individuals found guilty of fraud under this Act can face up to 10 years of imprisonment.

Less Severe Cases: For less severe instances, penalties might include fines or lower prison sentences depending on the specifics of the case, such as the amount defrauded and the defendant’s role in the fraud.

Specific Fraud Types and Their Penalties

Benefit Fraud: This includes dishonestly claiming benefits such as housing or unemployment benefits. Penalties can range from fines to imprisonment, with the most severe cases seeing up to 10 years in custody.

Tax Evasion: Tax evasion can lead to penalties up to 200% of the evaded tax and, in serious cases, imprisonment for up to 7 years.

Corporate Fraud: The introduction of the “failure to prevent fraud” offence under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 means that companies can face unlimited fines if they fail to prevent fraud by an associated person.

Additional Consequences

Reputational Damage: Beyond legal penalties, individuals and companies involved in financial fraud can suffer severe reputational damage, which can affect future business and personal prospects.

Civil Recovery and Confiscation: Courts can also order the confiscation of assets gained through fraudulent activities, aiming to recover the proceeds of crime.

Enforcement and Prosecution Agencies

Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS): These agencies handle the prosecution of complex and serious fraud cases across England and Wales.

Financial Conduct Authority (FCA): The FCA also imposes fines and sanctions for fraud-related offences within the financial services sector.

Recent Legislative Changes The recent legislative changes under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 have broadened the scope of liability for companies, making it easier to prosecute corporations for failing to prevent fraud, thereby increasing the risk of prosecution for both individuals and organizations.

In summary, the UK has a robust legal framework for dealing with financial fraud, featuring severe penalties that include long prison sentences, hefty fines, and the potential for significant reputational damage. These measures are enforced by specialized agencies and are designed to deter fraudulent activities and promote transparency and honesty in personal and business financial matters.

Conclusion

The case of Scott Dylan is rather unique. Do you think the allegations of him being a major scammer are true? Share your thoughts in the comments. Let me know what you think.

[iwcprobateservicesuk]

What is a Grant of Letters of Administration in the UK?

A Grant of Letters of Administration UK is a legal document issued by the Probate Registry in the UK. It allows a person, usually a close relative, to manage the estate of someone who has died without leaving a valid will, known as dying intestate. When no will is in place, the law designates who can act as the administrator of the deceased's estate. The grant of letters of administration UK gives the appointed administrator the authority to gather and distribute the deceased's assets, settle debts, and take care of other legal and financial responsibilities.

Who Can Apply for a Grant of Letters of Administration in the UK

The closest relatives of the deceased, such as a spouse, civil partner, or children, have the right to apply for the Grant of Letters of Administration. If none of these are available, other family members may be considered. The administrator needs to provide details about the estate, including all assets and liabilities, in order to obtain the grant. The process involves completing forms, paying probate fees, and sometimes providing a surety bond to safeguard the estate.

Why is a Grant of Letters of Administration UK Crucial?

Without a Grant of Letters of Administration in the UK no one has the legal right to manage the deceased's estate. Financial institutions and other organisations will not release funds or transfer property without this document. If the estate is left unmanaged, it can lead to legal complications and delays for the heirs and beneficiaries. Securing this grant ensures that the estate is handled in accordance with UK law, providing a clear framework for distribution and safeguarding the rights of all interested parties.

The Grant of Letters of Administration UK is an essential part of estate management when someone dies intestate in the UK.