THE 78-year-old Alton victims of a time share fraudster are heading for a High Court show-down with the man who conned them.
Roy and Rose Crumplin, of Lenten Street, are among hundreds of people from all over the country who have launched a multi-handed High Court claim against fraudster John Palmer for millions of pounds in compensation.
A World War II veteran, Roy Crumplin says he has lost at least £6,000 in a scam which has robbed him of a holiday home and caused a huge amount of stress and anxiety for both himself and his wife.
Roy CrumplinÕs story is thought to be typical of those who believe they have been conned over the years by Mr Palmer.
In 1989 Mr Crumplin bought a two-bedroom time share apartment at Riviera del Sol in Spain. ÒWe saw the time share advertised in a national newspaper and it turned out to be just what we wanted, except that it was located on a hill, miles away from anywhere,Ó said the Alton man who suffers with mobility problems and found the location difficult to cope with.
As such the couple decided to take advantage of an exchange system which enabled them to transfer their time share option elsewhere. This they did in 1993 when they visited Tenerife.
ÒIt was there that we were approached by two men, who invited us to upgrade our original time share by swapping it for an apartment in Marbella.
ÒThe flat they showed us in the brochure was located close to the beach, had a lift and, the real clincher, included a cruise. Plus, the deal would result in a refund on our original purchase,Ó explained Rose Crumplin.
Won over by the sales talk and glossy brochures, the couple parted with £195. However, on returning home they realised that not only did they not have any paperwork as proof of transaction, but the receipt they thought they had been given was nothing but a scrap of paper with scribbles on it.
The following day, when they were rung at home by a follow-up salesman, Mrs Crumplin explained that they had changed their minds and wished to cancel.
ÒIt was then that the man on the other end of the phone became abusive, threatening to take away our pensions and our flat if we didnÕt pay up,Ó she said.
The phone call frightened Mrs Crumplin so much that her husband went to the building society and sent off a cheque for £1,500 which, he was assured, would be the end of it.
ÒThe agreement, I thought, was that the transaction would purchase a week in Marbella, enabling us to keep a week at the original resort, which could be used by the family,Ó he said.
But it didnÕt stop there. It appears that both time shares were owned by the same person who then proceeded to impose an increase in annual maintenance charges which, as pensioners, the Crumplins felt unable to pay. ÒWe decided then to cut our losses and return the deeds,Ó said Roy Crumplin.
This was about eight years ago. But last year, following a television programme featuring John Palmer and his time share scams, Mrs CrumplinÕs son happened upon an internet appeal by solicitors Irwin Mitchell wanting to hear from anyone who felt they had been conned by John Palmer. The Alton couple decided to respond.
As a result the Crumplins are among those who have issued writs at LondonÕs High Court this month which claim that collectively they have lost thousands of pounds after being taken in by claims made by Palmer, who has since been jailed for eight years for his part in the fraud.
They are seeking damages for fraudulent and other misrepresentation, deceit, conspiracy, and for money taken from them by Palmer, who was jailed after a seven month trial at the Old Bailey in 2001.
Palmer regularly appears in lists of the UKÕs richest people, but had assets of £47 million frozen after his trial.
When the case is heard - no date has yet been fixed - the court will be asked to order among other things that accounts connected with the fraud are disclosed to order payment of all money found due to the victims of the fraud, which centred around time shares in Tenerife.
The writ, which has just been made publicly available, says that Palmer, helped by various individuals and companies, conspired, deceived, and induced those suing him to agree to buy, sell, let or keep time shares by making false statements.
He deceived them over the value of the time share, over how quickly a sale could be expected, and what reimbursement they could expect if a time share was not sold within a certain time, it is alleged.
Palmer, who has a home at Battlefields, Bath, Somerset, is also accused of failing to account to some of the victims for rent and other income received from letting their time shares to third parties.
Palmer defended himself at his trial, and the jury took 21 days considering its verdict before deciding he was guilty. Years before, he had been acquitted of handling gold stolen in the £26m Brinks Mat bullion raid at Heathrow Airport.