01904289396

My mother was approach by a legal firm called Minster Legal Associates, York; she paid £1200 up front for an advanced directive, will and tranfer of house deeds. This was 2 and a half months ago, so far she has received nothing. What greatly concerns me is that she handed over the deeds to her house. Not sure what to do next, she has just informed me of what she has done and is very concerned. Should we be concerned? They do not appear to be registered with the law society. She has found it difficult to make contact with them.

I would be very concened this is the company owned by con man Gerald Barton who was exposed last week in The Daily Mirror as Britain's biggest con man. He has already received a jail sentence for fraud with wills in 2008. Go to the police.

KAY Thankyou for your comments if you require further information or advice feel free to email us at wewillgivefreeadvice@hotmail.co.uk

https://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/01427858331
the above forum may shed some light and answer your questions.

Thankyou for reading.

KW

Grady Thankyou for your comments and your help towards Kay, how sure are you that Gerald owns Minster Legal Associates in York,. feel free to bring your discussion and answers to the main Gerald barton forum your Knowledge and support would be much appreciated.
https://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/01427858331

Thankyou for reading.

KW

Gerry does not own the York one thats run by two lads, Dodds and Jones who used to work for him at NLS in york. It is a con but not his. same with the Doncaster group owned by Smith Trotter and Young

Its all a con im afraid, i use to work for Gerry 4 years ago and i was very naive and didnt know it was a scam so i got out when i found out. The people you need to watch out for are
: Gerry Barton
: Mike Wilde
: Johnty Trotter
: Martin Smith
: Samuel Dodds
: Gary Jones

Stay away from all of them, they will take your money and you will never see them again!!

I think we have been conned by Minster Legal...... we had a visit and paid over money to Mike Wild. I have spoken to the office and been promised the said documentation, to date nothing has arrived so watch this space!

whistle blower Thankyou for your comment and for clarification of these details. Please feel free to e-mail us at wewillgivefreeadvice@hotmail.co.uk with any more information that you may have that would assist the investigations. Rest assured you identity will be protected.

Thankyou for reading.

KW

NLS EX WORKER Thankyou for your comments. We are glad to read that you left when you found out. We appreciate that you have drawn attention to these people. Companies wind up and disappear, people don't change their ways as easy.

Thankyou for reading.

KW

Jon Thankyou for your comment. We are sure that all readers will be interested in your outcome. If you require any information or advice, please don't hesitate to contact us at wewillgivefreeadvice@hotmail.co.uk.

Thankyou for reading.

KW

I am keen to find out why you have moved your attention off the normal site and are posting on here today Christine???

I notice that Minster Law (reputable law firm in York and on the Law Society website) have commented about you on the other MInster/Barton page you are always trolling and they have had customers calling them a scam thanks to you.

Is that why your on here? Hiding away and trying to stir up new lies and scandal about another firm without any proof or reason the way you did to us.

Haven't you caused enough trouble for decent hardworking people in this industry already???

To all Readers, some information about Minster Legal Associates LLP.

Company Details:
Minster Legal Associates LLP   Company No. OC356331   Date of Incorporation: 09/07/2010
Holgate Villas, 22 Holgate Road, York, North Yorkshire, YO24 4AB

Company Type: Limited Liability Partnership
Nature of Business (SIC): None Supplied
Accounting Reference Date: 30/10
Last Accounts Made Up To: (NO ACCOUNTS FILED)
Next Accounts Due: 09/04/2012
Last Return Made Up To: 09/07/2011
Next Return Due: 06/08/2012
http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/4ffff443dd9 ... 5cc/compdetails

LLIN01     09/07/2010     INCORPORATION DOCUMENT - CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
LLAA01    11/05/2011    CURREXT FROM 31/07/2011 TO 30/10/2011
LLAR01    16/09/2011    ANNUAL RETURN MADE UP TO 09/07/11
http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/4ffff443dd9 ... cprodorder?ft=1

Director Details:
Mr Samuel Dodds    DOB: 20 May 1981
Holgate Villas 22 Holgate Road, York, North Yorkshire, YO24 4AB

MINSTER LEGAL ASSOCIATES LLP OC356331 Incorporated 09 Jul 2010 *Live*
Holgate Villas 22 Holgate Road, York, North Yorkshire YO24 4AB
https://www.jordanwatch.co.uk/reports/Process ... dirNo=D15256837

Mr Gary Jones    DOB: 29 Jan 1981
Holgate Villas 22 Holgate Road, York, North Yorkshire, YO24 4AB

MINSTER LEGAL ASSOCIATES LLP OC356331 Incorporated 09 Jul 2010 *Live*
Holgate Villas 22 Holgate Road, York, North Yorkshire YO24 4AB
https://www.jordanwatch.co.uk/reports/Process ... dirNo=D15256838

Website:
http://www.minsterlegalassociates.co.uk/

Domain name: minsterlegalassociates.co.uk
Registrant: Minster Legal Associates
Registrant type: UK Individual
Registrant's address: Minster Legal Associates, Holgate Villas 22 Holgate Road, York, YO24 4AB
Registrar: Webfusion Ltd t/a 123-reg [Tag = 123-REG] URL: http://www.123-reg.co.uk
Relevant dates: Registered on: 01-Apr-2010 Renewal date: 01-Apr-2012 Last updated: 03-Apr-2010
Registration status: Registered until renewal date.
Name servers: ns.123-reg.co.uk ns2.123-reg.co.uk
http://whois.domaintools.com/minsterlegalassociates.co.uk

Thankyou for reading.

KW

Add Robert Holly to the list he writes the wills for minster ex right hand man for barton until they fell out and tried to blackmail barton. Just the kind of people you want in your parents homes.

To all Readers some advice from the Trading Standards
http://www.qualitysolicitors.com/dnp-nt0001fcc6.html

Will Writers, Cold Calling & Unregulated Legal Services
North Lincolnshire Council Trading Standards have issued a press release warning people about unscrupulous companies preying on the concerns over the cost of personal care in old age. These companies are cold calling on the elderly and vulnerable, frightening them into believing all their assets will be used to pay for their care.

North Lincolnshire Council Trading Standards warn:

“ be wary of adverts and cold callers selling will writing services.

A number of people in North Lincolnshire have reported being conned in recent months into parting with hundreds of pounds.
These companies use underhand tactics to persuade those they have frightened into using their services by offering free advice to avoid the sale of their assets to pay for their care.
Trading Standards go on in their press release saying:
“The cold callers promise people cut price wills, storage of wills, lasting power of attorney and property trusts that turn out to be anything but.”

The free advice that the companies offer is not free, once involved with them the client finds they are agreeing to pay for documents to be produced. People reporting these companies to Trading Standards have reported that:

“... the costs of the services offered can quickly spiral into hundreds of pounds and they often insist on being paid there and then.”

A more alarming aspect of these companies is that these uninvited representatives are asking for, and in some cases taking away with them and not returning them, original documents such as birth certificates. These documents are hard to replace and in this age of identity fraud opens up the client to all manner of fraudulent use of their identity.
Many of these companies insist on payment immediately, before the promised documents are produced. Trading Standards again report that:

“People who have parted with their money might never receive the legal papers promised to them.

Those that do can find that the document supplied is not worth the paper it is written on.”
Trading Standards offer these words of advice that all consumers have when buying anything from a salespersons calling at their homes:-
• All agreements have a seven day cooling off period
• Legitimate businesses will have paperwork that identifies the company and details of the cooling off period.
• If you are in any doubt, do not agree to any offers
• Do not hand over any money there and then.

If you are considering writing a Will, there are many options for consideration. Many people have access to free legal advice through insurance companies, trade unions and organisations such as Age UK. Will Writing Companies are not Solicitors, they are not regulated by the Law Society, so you have few safeguards if anything goes wrong.

Thankyou for reading.

KW

If you have had any dealings with Minster Legal Associates, York I suggest you talk immediately to Rachel Welch at York Trading Standards.
Took us months and a most unpleasant confrontation in their offices to get our money back... and then we were cold called a second time. Time these people were put away.

PW Thankyou for your comment. We are sorry to read that you have had a battle in receiving a refund. Your comments will help others that are in the same situation. If you have any further advice for others reading this forum, all additions are appreciated.

However, if you do not wish to write it publically, feel free to e-mail us at wewillgivefreeadvice@hotmail.co.uk. Rest assured, your identity will not be compromised.

Thankyou for reading.

KW

To all Readers, the below comment about Minster Legal Associates LLP based in York is from: https://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/01427858331/72

coco - 27 Feb 2012
Robert Holly now works for Minster Legal Associates based in York alon with Samuel Dodds and Gary Jones. Stay clear of this company!

Caller: Minster Legal Associates
----

Thankyou or reading.

KW

To all Readers, the below story is by the Nottinghamshire County Council Trading Standards: https://www.nottinghamshirealert.co.uk/da/370 ... trust_scam.html

Will writing / prosperity trust scam

Nottinghamshire Trading Standards would like to advise residents of a new scam and to remind them to stay vigilant when dealing with unexpected telephone and personal visitors.
Residents have reported being cold called by telephone by sales staff who then go on to worry pensioners into setting up an appointment with a rep about their concerns over the potential cost of future care home fees.

The trader claims that they can set up a ‘family prosperity trust’ for you in order to avoid your house being sold to cover your care needs in later life.

The sales staff convince residents to sign up by exploiting a scenario that is of great concern to pensioners and then arrange an agreement for a trust document to be drawn up to protect the resident – costing from anything between £1000 and £3500. It is believed the document may not be as watertight as marketed, thus potentially leaving the householders property still at risk to the problem the trust is supposed to guard against.

If you have recently received an unsolicited call from a trader matching this description please contact Nottinghamshire Trading Standards on 01623 452005 or email trading.standards@nottscc.gov.uk.

Trading Standards never recommend employing a trader based on a cold call.  If you are suspicious of a cold caller operating in your area please contact Consumer Direct, the Government's phone and online consumer advice service on 08454 04 05 06.

Thankyou for reading.

KW

To all Readers, the below story is from The Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/investing/ar ... fear-death.html

Unscrupulous: The disturbing industry profiting from our fear of death

A fear of dying or going into care has spawned a growing and, as Money Mail has uncovered, disturbing industry.

Unscrupulous financial advisers are getting away with fleecing vulnerable pensioners — often for their entire life savings. Sam Dunn and James Salmon investigate.

Going into care can be a stressful time for those moving into a home. It can also be a huge strain on families, who have made the heart-wrenching decision that their parent, or elderly relative, is no longer able to look after themselves. But this also makes pensioners vulnerable to unscrupulous salespeople.

(Vulnerable pensioners: On average care home fees are £2,163 a month, leaving elderly people and their families to worry about how to pay for them)

These vultures play on their fears of selling the family home, or seeing it snatched by the council to pay for care costs, or of dying without a will, or leaving the family with huge funeral costs.

A major part of the problem is the sky-high cost of care homes and the worry families have about how this will be paid for — and whether you can get financial help from the State. On average, care home fees are £2,163 a month.

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CARE FEES AVOIDANCE SCAMS

Some companies prey on pensioners’ fear of losing their home when they go in to care. They claim to be able to stop the sale of a home to pay for care fees by putting it into a trust.

These unregulated firms claim this will protect the home from being sold to pay for the owner’s care fees as, since the house is in trust, it will effectively be disregarded.

However, local authorities have the power to void such schemes if they believe they were designed specifically to avoid paying the bills. Worse, this offer also tends to involve an upfront fee of more than £1,000, which the family won’t be able to get back.

There is no time limit on how far back a council can look to see if you gave away your house to avoid care costs. Part of the reason so many pensioners have been convinced to lock their money into investment bonds is because sometimes these can be exempt from means-testing.

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RIP-OFF WILL-WRITING SERVICES

Most people want to ensure as much of their estate as possible is passed to their loved ones when they die. But the good intentions of many are often rendered worthless because they cut corners with will-writing services.

The Legal Ombudsman says thousands of largely older people are being ripped off by firms offering unregulated will-writing. It can cost between £60 to £100 to write a will — but some OAPs can pay hundreds for a similar service if they use the wrong law firm.

Adam Sampson, chief Legal Ombudsman for England and Wales, has called for action to be taken to ensure consumers are not left vulnerable by unregulated services. Many legal services, including will-writing, can be done by unqualified — and unregulated — individuals and companies.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/investing/ar ... fear-death.html

Thankyou for reading.

KW

hiya three family members have just been scammed by these lot, dodds, robert holly claiming to do our wills and deeds of trust.  we got a will but seems to not be worth the paper it was printed on, both our parents have done deeds of trust and paid a lot of money to get nothing back from them at all todays date is 9.3.12 we saw them at begginning of feb thi syear - so there still at it