Episode 10 The Sheriffs Are Coming


Episode 10

Similar Content

Browse content similar to Episode 10. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!

Transcript


LineFromTo

-Meet The Sheriffs.

-My name's Mr Grix, my colleague and I are enforcement agents.

0:00:020:00:05

It's to do with a High Court order.

0:00:050:00:06

They work for the High Court, and if it says you're owed money,

0:00:060:00:10

it's their job to go and get it.

0:00:100:00:12

I'm here for £6,072.18.

0:00:120:00:16

They can demand payment on the spot.

0:00:160:00:18

I'm here for the full balance.

0:00:180:00:20

How are you going to pay it?

0:00:200:00:22

Or remove assets instead.

0:00:220:00:24

The car will be going unless you can pay it.

0:00:240:00:26

You'll have a week to pay in full before it gets sold at auction.

0:00:260:00:29

Obstructing their work can be a criminal offence.

0:00:290:00:33

-I wouldn't do that if I were you.

-The door needs to stay open.

0:00:330:00:36

Every year in England and Wales,

0:00:370:00:40

unpaid debts totalling more than £80 million

0:00:400:00:43

are recovered by The Sheriffs.

0:00:430:00:44

Coming up...

0:00:480:00:50

Neil Cummings bought an eco-friendly heating system,

0:00:500:00:53

which turned out to be dangerous.

0:00:530:00:55

I paid over £10,500.

0:00:550:00:57

I ended up with a system that was completely unsafe.

0:00:570:01:00

There's a dramatic intervention from Lawrence to stop assets disappearing

0:01:000:01:04

from the business that sold it.

0:01:040:01:07

They were literally engines running,

0:01:070:01:08

I just had to swing the van across and block them in.

0:01:080:01:11

Tommy's looking for a result at a football club with a debt to pay.

0:01:110:01:15

I won't leave here today without payment or taking stuff with me.

0:01:150:01:20

Lawrence confronts a car dealer who owes a £12,000 refund

0:01:200:01:25

to a customer.

0:01:250:01:26

I will ask the question again, what can you pay?

0:01:260:01:30

It's eight o'clock in the morning,

0:01:340:01:36

and enforcement agent Lawrence Grix is already on the road.

0:01:360:01:40

He's heading into Surrey for an unpaid debt

0:01:400:01:42

owed by a business specialising in eco-friendly heating systems.

0:01:420:01:47

We're down near Guildford today,

0:01:470:01:48

just coming into a place called Gomshall.

0:01:480:01:52

We've got the Green Shop and Jan Aukstolis.

0:01:520:01:56

I believe it's a shop that sells wood-burning stoves and things,

0:01:560:02:00

and there was an issue with a wood-burning stove.

0:02:000:02:02

We're here today for just under £8,500.

0:02:040:02:07

The claimant in the case is Neil Cummings,

0:02:100:02:12

a self-employed builder who came across the company

0:02:120:02:15

after embarking on a labour of love, building his own family home.

0:02:150:02:19

The idea of actually building a house specifically for us

0:02:210:02:23

was a lifelong ambition.

0:02:230:02:25

There's no gas supply, there's no oil here,

0:02:250:02:27

so I decided that I wanted to go the green route.

0:02:270:02:30

After researching his options,

0:02:300:02:32

Neil found a local supplier and installer,

0:02:320:02:35

the Green Shop in Gomshall.

0:02:350:02:37

He went to meet the man in charge, Jan Aukstolis.

0:02:370:02:40

He gave me a quote, which I accepted.

0:02:400:02:43

He talked the talk,

0:02:430:02:44

he seemed to certainly know what he was talking about.

0:02:440:02:47

At the heart of the whole system was a wood-burning stove,

0:02:470:02:51

and initially Neil was very pleased with the installation.

0:02:510:02:55

All of the work proceeded well and everything was installed.

0:02:550:02:59

Everything seemed to be fine and above board.

0:02:590:03:02

That was until Neil wanted to add a new feature on to the system,

0:03:020:03:06

and when he couldn't get hold of Mr Aukstolis,

0:03:060:03:09

called in another plumber.

0:03:090:03:10

He came along and had a look at the system that we had here

0:03:100:03:14

for a couple of hours, and he turned round and said,

0:03:140:03:17

"I'm really not happy".

0:03:170:03:18

He said that in his opinion,

0:03:180:03:20

the system didn't have enough safety features within it.

0:03:200:03:23

So Neil had it disconnected.

0:03:250:03:27

When he contacted the manufacturer of one of the other main components

0:03:270:03:30

in his heating system,

0:03:300:03:32

not only did they confirm what the plumber was saying,

0:03:320:03:35

they also forwarded an e-mail they'd sent to Mr Aukstolis.

0:03:350:03:40

And in the e-mail, it basically turned round and said that

0:03:400:03:43

the wood-burning stove used in conjunction with this particular

0:03:430:03:46

system MUST have an in-built quench coil."

0:03:460:03:49

The quench coil is designed to release energy from the system

0:03:490:03:53

in the event of a power cut or safety features failing.

0:03:530:03:56

While it's not necessary in every wood-burning stove,

0:03:560:03:59

Neil's particular system required one,

0:03:590:04:02

and without it he feared he was sitting on a potential time bomb.

0:04:020:04:06

What we've actually got is a pressurised system,

0:04:060:04:10

which is building up and up and up.

0:04:100:04:12

It's like an old steam locomotive,

0:04:120:04:14

if you can't release the energy, it's going to explode,

0:04:140:04:17

and the idea of actually spending my life savings building this property,

0:04:170:04:21

to potentially have, you know,

0:04:210:04:23

my family in a dangerous situation, is scary.

0:04:230:04:27

Neil tried to get in touch with Jan Aukstolis to see what he had to say.

0:04:270:04:32

He didn't reply to any of my text messages, e-mails, I phoned him,

0:04:320:04:36

I went down to the shop, I couldn't get hold of him at all.

0:04:360:04:39

Eventually, Neil decided the only option was to get quotes to rectify

0:04:390:04:43

the work and complete the installation,

0:04:430:04:46

and then take Mr Aukstolis and the Green Shop to court,

0:04:460:04:49

to cover the costs.

0:04:490:04:51

When they didn't defend the case, Neil won a default judgment.

0:04:510:04:55

Since then he hasn't paid any money at all,

0:04:550:04:57

so I've decided that I need to take this case further.

0:04:570:05:01

He's now escalated it to the High Court

0:05:010:05:03

and obtained a writ for the sheriffs to enforce.

0:05:030:05:07

So hopefully in their hands we'll see what they can do.

0:05:070:05:10

Lawrence is en route to the shop,

0:05:180:05:20

and his research in the office has painted a promising picture

0:05:200:05:23

of what he might find.

0:05:230:05:25

It looks quite a reasonably large premises,

0:05:250:05:30

when you look at it on Google,

0:05:300:05:32

with a car park to the rear.

0:05:320:05:33

So hopefully they'll have assets there.

0:05:330:05:37

There is money in wood-burning stoves.

0:05:370:05:40

Lawrence arrives at the Green Shop

0:05:410:05:43

just as some workers are about to get into their vans.

0:05:430:05:46

I'm going to have to try and catch this fella here, I think.

0:05:480:05:50

So there's no hanging about.

0:05:500:05:53

Morning, gents. I'm looking for Jan Aukstolis.

0:05:530:05:57

-Is that you at all?

-No.

0:05:570:05:59

Is he here? Is Mr Aukstolis here?

0:05:590:06:01

Our cameraman retreats to the road,

0:06:050:06:07

while Lawrence tries to find out where Mr Aukstolis is,

0:06:070:06:11

but the workers here appear to be installers or engineers.

0:06:110:06:14

They're keen to get off to their first job of the day

0:06:160:06:18

and don't want to wait.

0:06:180:06:20

When they start preparing to leave, Lawrence swings into action...

0:06:210:06:25

Repositioning his van...

0:06:280:06:29

..and blocking the entire entrance to the car park.

0:06:320:06:35

Sorry to have to do this to you, guys.

0:06:390:06:41

I fully appreciate that you're only just trying to earn a living

0:06:410:06:44

and do your job.

0:06:440:06:45

But as their vehicles are sign-written

0:06:460:06:48

and could belong to the debtor,

0:06:480:06:50

Lawrence can't let them leave until he has answers,

0:06:500:06:53

which seem to be hard to come by.

0:06:530:06:56

Mr Aukstolis isn't here.

0:06:560:06:59

The guys that are here say that they basically run the place,

0:07:000:07:03

they don't see him very often.

0:07:030:07:05

The three vehicles that I've managed to block in

0:07:050:07:08

are all clear of finance.

0:07:080:07:10

If I can't get hold of him and the guys here can't get hold of him

0:07:100:07:14

then, yeah, I'll basically remove the vehicles.

0:07:140:07:18

But getting hold of Mr Aukstolis turns out to be quite simple after all.

0:07:180:07:22

One man who's here is showing more interest in the case.

0:07:220:07:26

Mr Grix, G-R-I-X.

0:07:260:07:29

And Lawrence puts two and two together.

0:07:290:07:31

So, are you Mr Aukstolis, then?

0:07:310:07:33

It is indeed Mr Aukstolis -

0:07:330:07:36

the man who sold Neil his dangerous heating system.

0:07:360:07:39

Lawrence shows him his writ and explains he's here for £8,440.

0:07:390:07:45

Mr Aukstolis tells him nothing here is owned by him,

0:07:450:07:49

but by his business,

0:07:490:07:50

which is registered as The Green Shop Gomshall Limited.

0:07:500:07:53

Lawrence demands proof of ownership,

0:07:550:07:57

but in the end he doesn't need to see it.

0:07:570:08:00

Perhaps mindful of his staff trapped in the car park

0:08:000:08:03

and unable to get to work,

0:08:030:08:05

Mr Aukstolis manages to come up with some money.

0:08:050:08:08

Lawrence moves his van out of the way and lets them go.

0:08:080:08:12

That didn't go too badly.

0:08:120:08:14

The gentleman there actually was Mr Aukstolis,

0:08:140:08:16

and he's managed to come up with just under £3,500 today,

0:08:160:08:21

and I've put him on a monthly arrangement of £1,000 a month for the rest.

0:08:210:08:25

All being well, he should clear his debt in five months.

0:08:260:08:30

In Sussex,

0:08:310:08:33

word of the payment has come as a welcome relief to Neil Cummings.

0:08:330:08:37

Really good news from the sheriffs.

0:08:380:08:39

We've actually finally managed to get hold of the first initial payment of just over £3,500,

0:08:390:08:45

so that's come in and that's brilliant.

0:08:450:08:47

So we've already got the new wood-burning stove,

0:08:470:08:49

which is just sitting in place, it's not actually connected.

0:08:490:08:52

Let's just hope that Jan is true to his word

0:08:520:08:54

and honours the agreement and it will be the end to a lot of stress

0:08:540:08:59

and anxiety that we've had over the last year.

0:08:590:09:02

Using the County Courts to try to recover money you're owed isn't difficult.

0:09:100:09:15

1.5 million money claims are made every year in England and Wales,

0:09:150:09:19

involving anything from faulty goods or poor workmanship,

0:09:190:09:22

to unpaid invoices.

0:09:220:09:25

Claims can be filed by post or online for a small fee.

0:09:250:09:29

Both parties in the case will be asked to submit evidence

0:09:290:09:32

and you may have to attend a court hearing.

0:09:320:09:35

If you're successful,

0:09:350:09:36

a County Court Judgment, or CCJ, will be issued against the debtor,

0:09:360:09:41

and if they still don't pay, that's when you call the sheriffs.

0:09:410:09:45

Enforcement agent Tommy Coyle is in the East Midlands,

0:09:480:09:51

with an unusual case on his hands against a sports club.

0:09:510:09:55

We're on our way to Corby today.

0:09:570:09:59

We're visiting Corby Town Football Club.

0:09:590:10:01

I think they're quite a small club.

0:10:010:10:03

There's previously been an agent visit the property,

0:10:030:10:06

spoke to a Steve, who's the chairman, who promised payment.

0:10:060:10:10

The payment has not been forthcoming.

0:10:100:10:13

Corby Town FC has been taken to court for unpaid invoices

0:10:130:10:17

by a company which has done ground work on the pitch.

0:10:170:10:20

The club didn't defend the case and judgment was issued by default.

0:10:200:10:24

It owes £10,965.

0:10:240:10:28

Tommy may not be much of a football fan,

0:10:300:10:32

but today he's hoping for a win.

0:10:320:10:35

Hopefully they'll have some assets there.

0:10:350:10:36

It could be a small bar, it could be some minivans,

0:10:360:10:40

for transporting the players round. It could be some trophies,

0:10:400:10:43

but I don't know how many trophies Corby Town have won recently,

0:10:430:10:47

but we'll have a look.

0:10:470:10:49

We're hoping for a result today, possibly a 3-2 for Tommy.

0:10:490:10:53

Thankfully, it's not match day.

0:10:540:10:57

Welcome to Corby Town FC.

0:10:570:10:58

Although Tommy has no trouble getting into the grounds,

0:11:000:11:03

finding anyone to talk to might be another matter.

0:11:030:11:06

But he soon navigates his way into some kind of clubhouse,

0:11:060:11:10

where a team talk appears to be underway.

0:11:100:11:12

-Hi, you all right?

-You all right? Is the chairman about?

0:11:140:11:17

Could you give him a call for me, it's quite urgent?

0:11:200:11:22

I'm an enforcement agent.

0:11:220:11:24

Tommy's stumbled on the club's youth academy,

0:11:240:11:27

and the man in charge offers to get the chairman on the phone.

0:11:270:11:30

-Is it?

-I don't know what else I can do.

0:11:320:11:35

Is there anyone else you can call?

0:11:350:11:36

The problem I have, I'm literally here,

0:11:360:11:38

I'm going to start listing assets down straightaway.

0:11:380:11:41

Once I've listed everything down,

0:11:410:11:43

I'll literally be getting contractors in

0:11:430:11:45

and start removing stuff.

0:11:450:11:47

Understandably, it's not what the man wants to hear,

0:11:470:11:50

especially as he says the academy is separate and not part of the club.

0:11:500:11:55

Right, let's start listing everything down.

0:11:550:11:58

News that an enforcement agent is planning to remove the contents of

0:11:580:12:01

the clubhouse soon gets through to the right person.

0:12:010:12:05

-You all right?

-The chairman on the phone.

0:12:050:12:07

-Is this Steve, is it?

-Steve, yeah.

0:12:070:12:09

Hello, sir.

0:12:100:12:12

But club chairman Steve Noble hasn't called up to make a payment -

0:12:120:12:17

he instead has a different take on events.

0:12:170:12:19

He's talking about a deal he's come to with the claimant.

0:12:200:12:24

I appreciate what you're saying,

0:12:240:12:26

but unless I'm instructed by a court,

0:12:260:12:28

I have to carry on with my actions today.

0:12:280:12:30

All right, speak to you in bit.

0:12:300:12:32

The chairman seems to think that he's come to an agreement with the claimant.

0:12:340:12:37

The claimant was going to pay our cost directly to us,

0:12:370:12:40

and then they was going to come to an agreement between themselves.

0:12:400:12:44

I've got no notes of that.

0:12:440:12:46

And a quick call to Tommy's office suggests that while

0:12:460:12:49

the claimant may be willing to accept a payment schedule,

0:12:490:12:52

he wants any such deal to be arranged through the sheriffs.

0:12:520:12:56

In the meantime, Tommy's search for assets continues.

0:12:570:13:01

In the bar, there's some alcohol.

0:13:020:13:04

Limited wet stock.

0:13:040:13:06

And a modest collection of silverware.

0:13:060:13:08

Three cups up there, and one large one there,

0:13:080:13:12

so I'll make a note of them.

0:13:120:13:15

Though the first aid room turns out to be of more interest.

0:13:150:13:19

Here we go.

0:13:190:13:20

Resuscitating machine, an electronic one.

0:13:200:13:22

I think you just put the paddles on, start her up and it saves your life, basically.

0:13:220:13:27

They're really good bits of kit.

0:13:270:13:29

Tommy takes the kit to the van and tries to reach the chairman again

0:13:290:13:32

to see if he's going to come up with the money.

0:13:320:13:35

Hello, Mr Noble, it's the enforcement agent.

0:13:350:13:38

Tommy wants at least £3,000 now, but the chairman says he can't pay.

0:13:380:13:44

If you're telling me it's impossible to make any kind of payment today,

0:13:440:13:48

then kind of our conversation's going to come to an end because

0:13:480:13:51

I'm just going to have to carry on with what I'm going to do here.

0:13:510:13:54

Mr Noble, I'll probably be here for the next three hours because

0:13:540:13:57

I'll get the contractors on their way.

0:13:570:13:59

If anything does get sorted, let me know,

0:13:590:14:01

but we're going to carry on with what we're going to do here.

0:14:010:14:03

Right. Not paying anything then.

0:14:030:14:06

It looks like removal is Tommy's only option,

0:14:090:14:12

and he takes his search for assets pitch-side.

0:14:120:14:15

Two goalposts...

0:14:150:14:17

Which, believe it or not, could be removed,

0:14:170:14:20

although they're not as useful as what's in the outbuildings.

0:14:200:14:24

That's the one. This is exactly what I'm looking for,

0:14:240:14:27

something with a bit of monetary value.

0:14:270:14:30

I'll have the keys, as well.

0:14:300:14:32

But before he can get too carried away,

0:14:330:14:36

he's interrupted by a groundsman.

0:14:360:14:38

Aren't they? Whose are they?

0:14:420:14:44

They're yours?

0:14:440:14:46

Have you got any evidence? Who are you?

0:14:490:14:51

In terms of assets, the football club isn't proving to be rich pickings.

0:14:530:14:58

Tommy's running out of places to look,

0:14:580:15:01

and thoughts wander to Sheriffs FC.

0:15:010:15:03

I'll be a forward, Kev on the wing.

0:15:030:15:06

We'll have Wild in defence, with Ken.

0:15:060:15:09

Alan in goal, Grixy will be our manager.

0:15:090:15:12

Tommy returns to the van to start organising the removal,

0:15:150:15:18

but is interrupted by another phone call.

0:15:180:15:21

You hold the lease for the grounds here and the building? Yeah.

0:15:210:15:25

There's been a substitution and a new player is on the pitch.

0:15:260:15:30

It's the landlord, who's got wind that the club's goalposts,

0:15:300:15:33

among other things, might be about to be removed,

0:15:330:15:37

and it sounds like he could be willing to make a payment.

0:15:370:15:40

OK, sir. All right, speak to you in a bit. Bye.

0:15:400:15:43

He's willing to pay on their behalf the 3,000,

0:15:430:15:46

and he'll have it paid by midday tomorrow.

0:15:460:15:49

With limited assets here,

0:15:490:15:51

and other multiple claims over their ownership,

0:15:510:15:53

it's a deal Tommy's prepared to agree to.

0:15:530:15:56

The landlord soon arrives at the club,

0:15:570:15:59

where he meets with Tommy off-camera.

0:15:590:16:02

A controlled goods agreement is signed for the assets listed down.

0:16:020:16:06

With the complexities we had there,

0:16:060:16:08

I think it's a good result, getting the CGA £1,500 per month,

0:16:080:16:12

with the £3,000 paid tomorrow.

0:16:120:16:15

The £3,000 arrived as promised,

0:16:150:16:18

and the company which did the work on the pitch

0:16:180:16:20

has started to receive its money.

0:16:200:16:23

Lawrence and Kev are in Sevenoaks in Kent.

0:16:320:16:35

They've got another High Court writ to enforce,

0:16:350:16:37

this time against a business which specialises in classic cars.

0:16:370:16:42

We are heading to a car garage called Karden Europe.

0:16:420:16:46

They owe £12,963.

0:16:460:16:50

This debt is relating to the sale of a Porsche, I believe.

0:16:500:16:54

The garage they're going to looks well-stocked,

0:16:550:16:58

and the sheriffs are feeling confident.

0:16:580:17:00

Little do they know that today is not going to go as well

0:17:000:17:03

as they would hope.

0:17:030:17:05

The case began when taxi driver Nick Lewthwaite from Durham

0:17:070:17:10

was looking to buy a new car for him and his wife.

0:17:100:17:13

After saving up some money and taking a loan,

0:17:130:17:16

they decided to treat themselves to the car of their dreams.

0:17:160:17:20

It was always my ideal thing to have a Porsche 911,

0:17:200:17:23

the most iconic car.

0:17:230:17:26

And when Nick found one on Auto Trader,

0:17:260:17:28

it seemed to be everything they wanted.

0:17:280:17:31

Light metallic blue, matching blue leather.

0:17:310:17:34

It had so many upgrades, it made the car really special.

0:17:340:17:38

Absolutely perfect for what we were looking for.

0:17:380:17:40

The car was some distance away in Kent,

0:17:400:17:43

at a dealers called Karden Europe Limited.

0:17:430:17:46

But Nick made the trip to have a look and met the company director,

0:17:460:17:49

-Andrew Austin.

-He seemed very knowledgeable.

0:17:490:17:51

On his website he'd been in the trade for 30 years.

0:17:510:17:54

He explained that he shipped cars all over the world.

0:17:540:17:57

He was a very convincing man.

0:17:570:17:59

Nick met the £34,000 asking price with

0:17:590:18:02

the part exchange of his previous car, a BMW, and £15,000 on top.

0:18:020:18:08

He then drove away as the proud owner of a Porsche 911.

0:18:080:18:13

Dream come true. It was an absolute dream come true.

0:18:130:18:16

But not everything about the car was perfect.

0:18:170:18:20

After about 100 miles, the clutch started getting slightly heavier

0:18:210:18:25

and it was starting to struggle to go into gear.

0:18:250:18:28

And Nick's wife found it even more difficult.

0:18:280:18:31

She said it was undriveable for her,

0:18:310:18:34

and that's when I rang them up and told them straightaway,

0:18:340:18:36

I said, "There's something not quite right here."

0:18:360:18:39

Mr Austin advised Nick to take it to a specialist who made some repairs,

0:18:390:18:44

but they also made an alarming discovery -

0:18:440:18:46

the car was still on a finance agreement,

0:18:460:18:49

which its previous owner hadn't paid off.

0:18:490:18:51

That means it was still technically owned by the bank.

0:18:510:18:55

I don't know how much was owing on the car,

0:18:550:18:57

but it still had four and a half years to run.

0:18:570:18:59

So I'm effectively paying for a car that I don't own.

0:18:590:19:03

Mr Austin claimed he'd taken out the finance arrangement himself as

0:19:030:19:07

the dealer and would soon clear it,

0:19:070:19:09

but when that didn't happen after a week,

0:19:090:19:12

Nick lost faith and arranged to return the car

0:19:120:19:15

and get his old one back.

0:19:150:19:17

He looked round the car and he says, "I'll give you £12,500."

0:19:170:19:21

Which, along with the return of his BMW,

0:19:210:19:23

was £2,500 less than what he paid.

0:19:230:19:27

I said, "Well, you haven't mentioned this on the phone."

0:19:270:19:30

He said, "I've got my loss of profit."

0:19:300:19:33

Eventually Mr Austin offered to reimburse £13,000,

0:19:330:19:37

and Nick decided to accept it for the time being,

0:19:370:19:40

in the form of a cheque.

0:19:400:19:43

I thought, I'll take his cheque for £13,000,

0:19:430:19:46

and I'll take him to the small claims court for the £2,000.

0:19:460:19:49

I'm not going to get into a fist fight over a car.

0:19:490:19:54

Put his cheque into the bank, and unfortunately it bounced,

0:19:540:19:58

it was stopped.

0:19:580:20:00

Mr Austin later made a bank transfer for £3,000,

0:20:010:20:05

but despite Nick chasing time and time again for the rest,

0:20:050:20:09

it never came.

0:20:090:20:10

Eventually he made a claim through the County Courts.

0:20:100:20:13

The judge ruled against Karden Europe,

0:20:130:20:15

in favour of Nick's wife Nicola,

0:20:150:20:17

as the purchase was originally made from her bank account.

0:20:170:20:20

But that judgment hasn't been paid either.

0:20:200:20:23

Now the Lewthwaites have taken the next logical step.

0:20:240:20:28

So we've involved the sheriffs,

0:20:280:20:29

and basically they're probably the last hope to get any money.

0:20:290:20:34

Back in Kent, Lawrence and Kev are about to arrive at Karden Europe.

0:20:430:20:47

Kev's notes suggest Mr Austin wants to come to a deal.

0:20:470:20:50

The debtor has actually been in touch with us

0:20:520:20:54

and tried to make an arrangement...

0:20:540:20:57

..but we're going to head over there now and look for full payment.

0:20:590:21:01

I believe that the garage we're going to has got quite a lot of stock,

0:21:010:21:05

of particularly high-value cars.

0:21:050:21:08

So we're hoping that although 12,900 is quite a lot of money,

0:21:080:21:13

probably it would only take one of these cars to cover the debt entirely.

0:21:130:21:16

I just hope they're not owned by someone else.

0:21:160:21:18

The sheriffs pull into the garage and park up.

0:21:210:21:24

A man is on the forecourt.

0:21:250:21:27

-Hi sir, you work here?

-Yes.

0:21:290:21:31

It's Andrew Austin, the garage owner,

0:21:330:21:35

but he's interrupted before Lawrence can find out any more.

0:21:350:21:39

In the meantime, he eyes up the stock.

0:21:390:21:42

That's the TR6 that's on the website for 19,995, I believe. Lovely.

0:21:420:21:48

Not all the cars on display here are classics,

0:21:480:21:51

but there's certainly enough to get their teeth into.

0:21:510:21:54

The next question is, who owns them?

0:21:540:21:56

Mr Austin is off the phone, so it's time to find out.

0:21:560:22:01

My name's Mr Grix. My colleague and I are enforcement agents.

0:22:010:22:04

We've got a High Court writ against Karden Europe

0:22:040:22:06

in favour of a Mrs Nicola Lewthwaite.

0:22:060:22:09

-Oh, right, yeah.

-You've been in touch about it.

0:22:090:22:11

We're here today to take control of goods to the value of £12,963.19.

0:22:110:22:17

-OK.

-The only way to prevent further action is to pay in full.

0:22:170:22:20

OK, well we haven't got... Karden Europe wouldn't have that,

0:22:200:22:24

that amount of goods.

0:22:240:22:26

Well, there's plenty of stock on here.

0:22:260:22:28

Yeah... But Karden Europe works as a commission-based company.

0:22:280:22:32

-It sells...

-Right, so everything's on SOR?

0:22:320:22:34

-Yeah.

-Have you got paperwork to that effect?

0:22:340:22:36

-Yeah, pretty much, yeah.

-Yeah, if I can see, that's what I need to see.

0:22:360:22:40

Mr Austin says all his cars are sale or return - in other words,

0:22:400:22:44

he's selling them on behalf of their owners for a fee.

0:22:440:22:47

It's exactly what Lawrence and Kev had feared might be the case,

0:22:470:22:51

and Mr Austin seems to have the paperwork to prove it.

0:22:510:22:54

Basically, these are sale or return documents

0:22:550:22:58

for every vehicle that we've got here.

0:22:580:23:00

-Can I have a quick look through?

-Yeah, sure.

0:23:000:23:03

Right, we need to go out and check these.

0:23:030:23:06

I'll give you half, I'll have half.

0:23:060:23:08

They head outside and begin checking

0:23:080:23:10

the documents against every car here.

0:23:100:23:13

Right, I've got the Kangoo...

0:23:140:23:17

I've got the Maserati...

0:23:170:23:19

And one by one, they rule them out.

0:23:200:23:23

There's the Zafira.

0:23:230:23:24

-Polo.

-I've got the Merc.

0:23:240:23:27

-You've got the Merc, yeah.

-I've got the TR6 and I've got that Morris.

0:23:270:23:30

But there are a few cars which don't seem to be accounted for.

0:23:300:23:34

There's still other vehicles that are on the forecourt that aren't there,

0:23:340:23:37

which is the Alfa...

0:23:370:23:40

the Focus RS...

0:23:400:23:42

The Focus RS is my own personal vehicle.

0:23:420:23:45

-Right.

-That's all financed, on finance.

0:23:450:23:48

Right. The Audi?

0:23:480:23:50

-The Audi...

-And the black BM 3-Series out the back.

0:23:500:23:52

It's on sale or return.

0:23:520:23:54

Right, so we need to see the paperwork for that.

0:23:540:23:56

I haven't got that at this moment in time.

0:23:560:23:58

So you didn't give the person a receipt?

0:23:580:24:00

No.

0:24:000:24:02

That's very...

0:24:020:24:03

Very trusting of him.

0:24:030:24:05

Mr Austin produces more paperwork, to rule out his car and the Alfa,

0:24:070:24:12

leaving just two within Lawrence's reach.

0:24:120:24:14

They're not worth that much, and so he now knows he's not in a position

0:24:140:24:18

to insist on full payment after all.

0:24:180:24:21

His best chance of recovering Nick Lewthwaite's missing money

0:24:210:24:24

might now rest on Mr Austin coming up with a decent offer.

0:24:240:24:28

Mr Austin says the company has no money at all at the moment,

0:24:290:24:33

but Lawrence is sceptical.

0:24:330:24:35

As a business, you can't not be able to get your hands on some kind of money.

0:24:350:24:39

Have you got a bank statement you can show me

0:24:390:24:41

that shows your current financial state for the company?

0:24:410:24:44

No, not physically here.

0:24:440:24:48

He does, however, manage to produce a recent e-mail from his bank.

0:24:480:24:52

There you are, look. "I note that the account is overdrawn at 484.

0:24:520:24:56

"Can you please make arrangements to repay this sum."

0:24:560:24:58

-Which we haven't done yet.

-Right.

-OK?

-Yeah.

0:24:580:25:00

As the two cars are the only leverage

0:25:020:25:04

the sheriffs have to squeeze any payment out of Mr Austin,

0:25:040:25:08

Lawrence calls his office to organise a tow truck.

0:25:080:25:10

All right...

0:25:130:25:15

Can you give Rob a buzz

0:25:150:25:16

and see what removal trucks he's got available?

0:25:160:25:20

Cheers, bye.

0:25:200:25:22

But rather that than coming up with the money,

0:25:240:25:26

ten minutes later, Mr Austin pops into the back

0:25:260:25:29

and returns with signed SOR agreements for both cars.

0:25:290:25:33

Lawrence can't quite understand it.

0:25:330:25:35

Right, but you didn't have them just now,

0:25:380:25:39

so how have you got signed copies?

0:25:390:25:41

-I got them sent through.

-From where?

-From my accounts woman.

0:25:410:25:44

Mr Austin is saying the woman who does his accounts has just sent

0:25:450:25:49

the documents remotely to his printer.

0:25:490:25:51

Lawrence doesn't believe him.

0:25:510:25:53

I believe you've just written these up yourself

0:25:530:25:56

and signed them yourself,

0:25:560:25:57

so I'll just leave the trucks on their way.

0:25:570:26:00

I haven't signed them myself, but there you go.

0:26:000:26:02

At this point, Mr Austin says he needs to go and get a car MOTed

0:26:020:26:07

and starts to leave.

0:26:070:26:08

Right, I've got to go.

0:26:080:26:10

-OK then, sir.

-I can't leave you in here.

0:26:100:26:13

You can't throw us out, either.

0:26:130:26:15

All right, look, what can I give you in the form of money...?

0:26:170:26:20

-You've just said...

-No, no.

0:26:200:26:21

-From me personally, what...?

-You said you couldn't do anything.

0:26:210:26:25

I will ask the question again,

0:26:250:26:27

which I've asked you repeatedly since I've been here -

0:26:270:26:30

-what can you pay?

-Can I give you 500 quid?

0:26:300:26:33

-No, it's not enough.

-Well, there you go, that's my personal account,

0:26:330:26:36

with 663 in it.

0:26:360:26:38

I can do you £500 now,

0:26:380:26:39

and then we can sort out the terms of the rest of the deal.

0:26:390:26:43

After seeing a near-empty bank account

0:26:440:26:46

and faced with the choice of either £500

0:26:460:26:49

or removing some low-value cars,

0:26:490:26:51

which probably don't belong to him anyway,

0:26:510:26:54

Lawrence has finally pushed it as far as he can.

0:26:540:26:56

He takes the £500

0:26:590:27:01

and gets Mr Austin to sign up to a repayment plan for £1,000 a month.

0:27:010:27:06

There's your receipt and your card.

0:27:080:27:10

You've paid £500 today.

0:27:100:27:12

-Yep.

-You've got to pay £1,000 a month.

0:27:120:27:14

-Yep.

-If you fail to stick to the arrangement,

0:27:140:27:16

we'll come back and take whatever cars are available at the time.

0:27:160:27:19

Yep.

0:27:190:27:21

It's not the outcome they wanted, but it's all they could do.

0:27:210:27:25

Unfortunately, Karden itself, even though it looks good on paper,

0:27:250:27:31

doesn't appear to really have any assets.

0:27:310:27:33

Basically every vehicle's on sale or return,

0:27:330:27:35

so Mr Austin paid £500 out of his own account,

0:27:350:27:38

basically just to get rid of us

0:27:380:27:40

and I've signed him up to £1,000 a month,

0:27:400:27:42

which, given that there isn't actually any leverage,

0:27:420:27:45

I don't think that was a bad, bad result.

0:27:450:27:48

But, you know, we pushed as hard as we could.

0:27:480:27:51

Hopefully he'll stick to it.

0:27:510:27:53

Mr Austin told us that the finance on the Porsche was taken out by his company

0:27:530:27:57

and would have been cleared if the Lewthwaites hadn't returned the car.

0:27:570:28:01

He says he deducted money from

0:28:010:28:03

the refund to cover his costs,

0:28:030:28:05

including extra mileage on the car

0:28:050:28:07

and a screw in one of the tyres.

0:28:070:28:08

He says he only stopped the cheque after

0:28:090:28:11

the Lewthwaites threatened further legal action,

0:28:110:28:14

and he says the company tries to act fairly at all times.

0:28:140:28:17

Download Subtitles

SRT

ASS