Rogue developers banned for ripping-off investors

Grant Prior 6 years ago
Share

Six directors have been banned for a total of 54 years after they misled more than 300 people to invest £12m into residential property developments in the north of England.

Four of the directors are based in Malaysia while the remaining two live in The Wirral and Kilburn, North-West London.

The Insolvency Service investigation centred on property firm Absolute Living Developments Limited.

The company sold apartments off-plan to investors who were largely based in Asia.

It is estimated that Absolute Living Developments secured at least £12m from people to invest in residential property schemes that were in various states of development.

Daniel Mark Harrison (38), from Kilburn North-West London, was the last of the directors to be disqualified and he was banned for six years through a court order on 28 November 2018.

During Harrison’s hearings, the court heard that Absolute Living Developments Limited was incorporated in November 2013, with registered offices in Liverpool.

The company sought out investments to convert commercial buildings into residential properties.

The developments were located predominately in Bradford and Greater Manchester.

People complained that having invested through Absolute Living Developments, the schemes had not been fully completed and the apartments were unliveable.

Absolute Living Developments was wound-up by order of the courts in April 2016 following the presentation of a petition by Bradford Council due to unpaid rates and investigations that followed principally focused on four developments – three in Bradford and one in Manchester.

Investigators discovered various examples of misconduct by Absolute Living Developments facilitated by the directors.

The company provided misleading and incomplete information about the developments to investors, meaning people couldn’t carry out due diligence.

Absolute Living Developments had no ability to ensure the terms of contracts with investors could be met and failed to provide adequate safeguards for money obtained from investors.

For one of the developments, Absolute Living Developments requested completion payments from investors despite the development not being completed.

And the company signed charges over Absolute Living Developments’ assets, which meant that a third party owns them and there are no remaining assets in the liquidation to pay creditors.

An independent insolvency practitioner has been appointed in this case to investigate recovery of assets for the benefit of creditors.

The liquidator’s actions are ongoing and to date they have received claims from creditors in excess of £68 million.

Ken Beasley, Official Receiver for the Insolvency Service said: “This was a complex investigation, considering the amount of money that was invested, not all of the directors were based in the UK and we worked with several other authorities.

“We want to draw attention to these rogue directors so we can alert people about the risks involved when investing, while also warning that we will investigate and tackle those that set out to deliberately rip people off by misrepresenting the investment opportunity on offer.”

Disqualified directors

Kien Cheong Yew (40) from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Disqualified from 29 January 2018 to 28 January 2030 (12 years) as a result of an undertaking.

Ameerali Bin Abas (39) from Selangor, Malaysia. Disqualified from 27 June 2018 to 26 June 2027 (9 years) as a result of an undertaking.

Andrea Nicole Pacquiao Pieter (30) from Selangor, Malaysia. Disqualified from 20 March 2018 to 19 March 2027 (9 years) as a result of an undertaking.

Adrianne Mei Kwan Nyau (40) from The Wirral. Disqualified from 14 December 2017 to 13 December 2026 (9 years) as a result of an undertaking.

Chi Yeun Leong (68) from Bangsar, Malaysia. Disqualified from 21 December 2017 to 20 December 2026 (9 years) as a result of an undertaking.

Daniel Mark Harrison (38) from Kilburn North-West London. Disqualified from 28 November 2018 to 27 November 2024 (6 years) as a result of a court order.

Latest news

Administrators take control at Acheson Construction

40 staff made redundant at South West regional contractor
1 day ago

34 secure spots on £1bn NEPO civils framework

Balfour Beatty, Graham, Taylor Woodrow and Winvic signed up for first time
1 day ago

Bouygues claims net zero construction goal at Welsh project

Llanelli leisure centre and health campus achieves green construction target
1 day ago

Manchester civil service digital campus approved

Two Government office blocks totaling 900,000sq ft to cost £310m to build
1 day ago

New mobile charging vans crack electric plant downtime anxiety

FM Conway trials new service that recharges small plant in one hour
1 day ago

Build to rent deal kick starts 3,500-home Dagenham scheme

Deal secures 935-home first phase of Ford Dagenham plant redevelopment
2 days ago

RSK adds another 110 staff with N-Able Group deal

Consultant and construction services group makes latest acquisition
1 day ago

JRL Malaysian backers plan 580-home Wheat Quarter scheme

Plans in for Welwyn Garden City Shredded Wheat factory redevelopment
2 days ago

Recycled aggregate firms blast new waste crime levy

10% levy on all recycled aggregate producers to fund policing waste crime
2 days ago

£110m Liverpool Metalworks resi scheme gets nod

Legacie Contracts tipped for 16-storey Pumpfields project
2 days ago

Building products firm fined £1m after double accident

Scaffolder hurt in fall and worker caught in machinery at Norbord factory
2 days ago

Graham lands £42m Woking road upgrade

A320 upgrade will unlock new housing schemes along route
2 days ago

Dandara 300 homes High Wycombe project approved

Firm to demolish Chilterns Shopping Centre for build to rent job
2 days ago

Three Keltbray managers took £600,000 in bribes

Site managers convicted for taking kickbacks from labour supply specialist
3 days ago

Bidding starts for £1bn YORcivil major works deal

Eight firms face fight to renew places on big civils framework
3 days ago

ECF clinches deal for Hull 850-home urban village

East Bank waterside village plan advances
4 days ago

Maintenance firm Cardo in second Scottish acquisition

North Lanarkshire property maintenance firm Rodgers & Johnston bought
3 days ago

Kier confirms £41m Salford Uni health building job

Work starts on specialist three storey teaching building
3 days ago

Passenger train derailed after hitting track left by Colas workers

Contractor and Network Rail asked to make improvements after accident
4 days ago

Bryson signs £6m safety products deal with Skanska

Safety specialist becomes sole supplier to contracting giant
4 days ago

Murphy wins St Fergus gas compressor project

Three low emission compressor units to be installed for National Gas
4 days ago

Blenheim House payout hopes fade as claims hit £33m

Suggested 10p in the £1 payout for subcontractors now unlikely
4 days ago

£1.3bn decarbonising and fire safety deals out for bid

South East Consortium starts hunt for firms for housing upgrade work prize
4 days ago

£30m turnover M&E contractor files administration notice

TNA Electrical makes administration application
4 days ago

Plan for first big offices at £1.7bn Manchester innovation hub

500,000 sq ft of offices planned at renamed Sister development
4 days ago

Murphy starts work on £2.5bn Eastern Green Link 1

Giant subsea electricity cable project will take three years to build
4 days ago

Subcontractors wanted for work across Birmingham

Latest Constructionline event: Register now
4 days ago

Acheson Construction files administration notice

£53m turnover South West contractor lodges court notice
5 days ago

Hunt for 10 firms to deliver £37bn new hospital plan

Race starts for mega-framework with pledge to spread work among all firms
5 days ago

Springfield to build homes for army of green energy workers

Scottish house builder sells 2,480 plots to Barratt Redrow in strategy switch
5 days ago

Contractor services