Hello

[canny-yet-dippy]

Hello everyone.
Hoping to glean lots of useful info from you all and also hoping you will be able to help me improve my financial situation through some dextrous application of consumer credit law!
(Well, here's hoping!!)

Has anyone any experience of Legal Direct Solicitors in Preston....same address as ATM Solicitors (run by Timothy Schools) Seem to be the favoured route of business for one re-born claims management company based in manchester.

Any information gladly received. Don't know whether a friend is wasting their time going down the CMC route so would be interested to unearth anything positive / negative!!

Happy days!

CYD

[di30]

Re: Hello

Hi and welcome to LB

I'm sure someone on here will be able to give some advice on this for you soon.

I have not heard of those solicitors to be honest, but maybe someone have on here and will post up of their own experience.

Good luck.

[Amethyst]

Re: Hello

Mmmmmm seem to be same lot as Emmetts who were involved with Ratio Money & Claims Warehouse but fell out with them March/April time....


EMMETT, RICHARD DAVID - Director
SCHOOLS, TIMOTHY PAUL - Director


Whats the name of the CMC as that will likely give us a better idea whether it is a reputable firm passing claims over to Legal Direct/ATM/Emmetts to handle. I assume from what you have said it is something to do with Ratio or Claims Warehouse ?


You might find this interesting Emmetts Solicitors (Credit Cards Write off Audits) (whats true or not on there though I don't know)

They also appear to be involved with GrassRoots Financial - which is what Cartel Client Review turned into after they were shut down by the MOJ and SRA.

[canny-yet-dippy]

Re: Hello

EMMETT, RICHARD DAVID - Director
SCHOOLS, TIMOTHY PAUL - Director


Whats the name of the CMC as that will likely give us a better idea whether it is a reputable firm passing claims over to Legal Direct/ATM/Emmetts to handle. I assume from what you have said it is something to do with Ratio or Claims Warehouse ?


You might find this interesting Emmetts Solicitors (Credit Cards Write off Audits) (whats true or not on there though I don't know)[/quote]

Amethyst,
Thanks for the information.
CMC is Grassroots. The inimitable Mr Wright.

Happy days !

CYD

ps. Looking at other threads, just want to dispel any fears about a link between me and CYD collections !! I'm more likely to be a victim of one of these than run one!

[Amethyst]

Re: Hello

I'd get your friend out and his money back if at all possible.

[canny-yet-dippy]

Re: Hello

Hi,
Can you possibly disclose what you know that I don't??

Have appreciated for a while that a cmc running a dmp business that tries to tie people up for a 5 year plan may have it's issues but would be interested to know whether the cmc side of things is tied up with the emmet's audit trail you referred me to via the link on the thread. (ie. pure fantasy!)

Happy days - yet possibly not!!

CYD

[Amethyst]

Re: Hello

It is impossible to say what your friends chances of having his debt written off by virtue of unenforceability under the CCA without seeing the documents and knowing much more about his case and circumstances. There are successful cases, and there are unsuccessful cases, sadly the unsuccessful outnumber the successful at present - if you have a read through some of the threads in the CCA forum and others fighting various battles it will give you a much better idea. Basically though there has to be a legitimate dispute and serious errors on the agreements for a court not to allow the creditor to enforce the debt. Theres a high court ruling due end of this month which sounds as though it will swing things back in the consumers favour a bit.

On Grassroots - I simply wouldnt trust Cartel under a different name. When did they take on your friends claim ? Has there been any contact since ? Have they retreived the necessary documents ? Are the creditors suing your friend for payment ? What are the solicitors planning on doing ? Has he been told to stop payments ? and so on....

If you werent concerned things were 100% kosher I doubt you would have come to the forum, you already know GrassRoots are Cartel under a different guise and about the links between ATM, Legal Direct and Emmetts - so you have probably drawn similar conclusions to me already

Have a read of some cases, and if you have debts you are trying to get sorted post up a thread about them and you will get help from people here who have lots of experience in CCA issues..

[Amethyst]

Re: Hello

UPDATE TIMOTHY SCHOOLS STRUCK OFF
http://www.sra.org.uk/sra/news/press...y.page?src=rss

Solicitor struck off for failing to act with integrity

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4 July 2014
A solicitor has been struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) after a number of serious allegations were found proved against him, including failing to act with integrity.
Timothy Schools, from Sedbergh, Cumbria, formerly of ATM Solicitors in Preston, was struck off in May after the tribunal found proved ten allegations brought by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). The SRA's allegations included failing to act with integrity, acting where there was a conflict of interests, and acting in a manner which led to his independence and that of ATM Solicitors being compromised.
The allegations related to the involvement of Mr Schools and ATM Solicitors acting on behalf of clients who challenged the enforceability of various Consumer Credit Agreements; the manner in which he acted for such clients; the involvement of, and interest held by, Mr Schools in other organisations involved in the litigation which gave rise to a conflict of interest; the way in which the work and the firm was funded; the extent to which he allowed the firm’s independence to be put at risk, and the extent to which non-solicitor third parties were able to exercise an inappropriate level of control and influence over the activities of the firm.
Mr Schools did not attend the hearing, the costs of which are still to be fully assessed.
The Tribunal found the respondent was the subject of very serious charges, almost every aspect of which had been proved against him. The seriousness of the misconduct was aggravated by the fact that the respondent's actions were quite deliberate and continued for a period of time. He was an experienced solicitor who had been in practice since 1999. The Tribunal found that he had been motivated by financial gain and the misconduct arose from the way he operated the firm. His disregard for clients, preferring his own financial interests, was damaging to the reputation of the profession.
Mr Schools made a written application requesting that if the hearing went ahead in his absence, with a finding and/or a sanction made, it should be stayed pending his appeal. The Tribunal said it was not disposed to grant a stay of sanction as the public needed to be protected.
Gordon Ramsay, SRA Director of Legal and Enforcement, said: "This is Mr Schools' second appearance at the Tribunal for similar breaches of the Code of Conduct. His deliberate conduct fell so far below the standard required of a solicitor that striking off was the only appropriate course of action."
Mr Schools has 21 days from receipt of the SDT's judgement to appeal. View the judgment (PDF 79 pages, 466K)