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INTRODUCTION
This Blog is dedicated to making public some of the business activities and methods of Liam Collins, David Bone Jr and their associates. In the spring of 2010, the present authors invested in Collins & Bone (C&B), who were offering an enticing 8-10% interest on the basis of buying houses for cash, renovating them and letting them out to students. We were assured that our money was secured against houses that they owned, including their own homes and the properties held by their associated company, Castle & Gatehouse (C&G). We have emails and brochures that confirm these details, as do others who invested on this same basis at around the same time. The idea worked for us for over a year, then in November 2011 they told us they were insolvent. They refused our every request for clear accounts, which led us to suspect wrongdoing. We began an investigation and then started this Blog. We found our suspicions confirmed: other investors had lost sometimes quite large amounts to C&B and its predecessor CBS, and all requests for repayment were adamantly refused. These people use and have used so many names that we found it necessary to compress them into CoBo (for Collins & Bone) and Coboco (for the whole bunch of them – there are quite a few!) Note that there is an index in the margin at the right hand side.

Sunday 8 January 2012

LIAM COLLINS' LETTER TO INVESTORS OF 7th JANUARY 2012

In this post, we answer one or two of the salient features of that letter. There are too many contradictions in it for us to comment on them in detail.

Collins writes: "We are being forced into bankruptcy by 3 individual investors." In point of fact, any forced bankruptcy will not be brought about by the present writers, but will follow naturally from the partners' own incompetence and dishonesty. Liam Collins' tendency to blame investors for his predicament is outrageous and will not convince any Court.

He refers to this Blog as being "mindless and totally inaccurate." We point out that much of it quotes their own literature, which, through deceitful smooth-talking, has succeeded in divesting a great number of hopeful investors of large sums of money. He threatens that if they don't continue playing his game, they will stand practically no chance of getting their money back, hinting that those who continue to support his strange machinations may be favoured with some sort of compensation, at some vague future time.

He states that "the only role David Bone Jr or myself have ever had with C&G (Castle & Gatehouse) is one of employment. I was employed for selling their products as was David for overlooking renovations." Here, Liam Collins attempts to protect C&G's assets by distancing himself from them; however, the C&G management structure brochure of 2010 sent to investors and potential investors clearly states that Liam Collins and David Bone Jr are directors of the company. So either (1) they were lying to investors and potential investors or (2) they were directors, as documented. The documentation in question is shown on an earlier post. 

Please note that we have never tried to "contact current investors in Castle & Gatehouse." However, many investors who have been in touch with us have been quite confused as to whether their investment was with CBS, C&B or C&G, because the partners appear to have been using these company names interchangeably!

As for that potential investor of many millions, we shall deal with this in a separate post.

He writes: "Legal action is being taken against the 2 bloggers." A careful reading of this Blog will show that Mark Black and David Bone, Sr are only mentioned where we quote from their own literature and from information that is already in the public domain. It is hard to see how there can possibly be a case for libel or defamation in any of this. It is also foolish and childish to imagine that by creating many different company names and identities a person can escape from his responsibilities under the Law. How can anyone seriously contemplate using more of the investors' money for a ridiculous legal adventure and for consulting "5 different top insolvency firms," as it says in the letter?

In the penultimate paragraph of his letter, Collins writes about the possibility of returning investors' money in the "not too distant future ... This is a moral commitment which no bank or building society would give you if they ceased trading." Not so. Investments in banks and building societies are covered by Government guarantee to the value of £85,000 per person, per authorised institution.

2 comments:

  1. Once again IFS make excellent counter arguments using facts, opposed to Liam Collins and Dave Bone Jnr's 'claims'. Thank you for your articulate and accurate Blog posts.

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  2. I'm not sure why Liam Collins is unhappy about being made bankrupt. In a county court hearing last year he told the judge he'd be happy if he was made bankrupt, because then he could take up dancing. "Have you seen me on 'Britain's Got Talent?'" Made the judge's day I think. Liam Collins also offered me a promissory note but the judge pointed out that I already have one.

    Do you think he could pay us back with a bit of busking?

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