Report by Nelson W Sharpe on bad behaviour in Egremont
In 2006, Mrs Jean Sharpe died leaving me and my brother Mr Edwin Sharpe as joint heirs to the property 74 Main Street Egremont, then valued at £77,000. This residence was also my home where I lived alone.
In late 2006, I was subjected to threats of physical violence to my person from my brother and I applied for a restraining order against him at Whitehaven County Court.
Judith Crisp of Bleasdale & Co acted for their client Mr Edwin Sharpe as the defendant and she was therefore well aware of the duress to which I was subjected by my brother. My application for a restraining order was unsuccessful on a technical procedural issue.
Shortly thereafter I suffered a nervous breakdown due to the duress I was subjected. In April 2007 I was admitted to the West Cumberland Hospital following a suicide attempt.
I was given psychiatric care, but I discharged myself from hospital in order to attend the offices of Bleasdale & Co, as required by them, in Whitehaven. There I spoke to their Mr Blenkiron.
On behalf of their client my brother, Bleasdale & Co had drawn up a Contract for me to sign. I explained that 'I was unwell', that I had just left hospital following a suicide attempt and that I had no legal advice or representation of my own.
The Contract was for their client my brother to buy out my half share in my home for just £10,000. This was an undervalue short by £28,500 since my half share was worth £38,500.
That afternoon and alone, under duress from my brother, I signed the Contract and Land Registry documents put before me in the offices of Bleasdale & Co witnessed by their secretary. I was mentally ill and only wanted to be left alone by my brother.
Bleasdale & Co were aware that I was acting under duress, that I was unwell and that I had no legal representation.
They stood by and watched me sign their Contract in their offices which parted me from my half share in my home for £10,000. This was £28,500 short of the true value.
My dealings with Bleasdale & Co involved their Judith Crisp and their Mr Blenkiron, who were in communication with each other throughout.
No longer having part title to the property I was then violently evicted from 74 Main Street by my brother and made homeless and left on the streets, mentally unwell and with only the clothes I was stood in.
Bleasdale & Co Solicitors
In October 1998 the property 4 Victoria Terrace St Bees was sold for £80,000 by my mother Mrs Jean Sharpe. At her death, the papers relating to the sale were in the possession of my brother, and he has not made them available to me. I have been unable to discover any trace of this money, or clue to what has happened to it. By January 2001, as far as I can tell, this money had already vanished from my mother's bank accounts.
On 9th August 2010, I wrote to Bleasdale & Co Solicitors of Whitehaven who had acted for my mother in the sale of 4 Victoria Terrace St Bees in 1998 (84A). I reminded them that I was my mother's eldest son and I asked them to tell me what they had done with the £80,000 proceeds which had passed through their hands. They replied saying that they were instructed by their client, Edwin Sharpe, and had referred my letter to him (84B).
On 4th April 2011, I wrote to Bleasdale & Co a Formal Letter of Complaint, this time demanding that they told me what they had done with the £80,000 (84C). Bleasdales wrote back saying that they had “received no instructions from our client to respond to you” and that therefore “your letter is returned herewith” (84D).
I reported Bleasdale & Co to The Legal Ombudsman citing obstruction and non-cooperation. The Legal Ombudsman accepted my Complaint and contacted Bleasdale & Co on my behalf requiring them to divulge the information I had requested. On 31st May 2011 Bleasdales disclosed to The Legal Ombudsman that they had acted for my mother in the sale of 4 Victoria Terrace, but they said that their file of papers had been destroyed. However they admitted that they had been sent a “note” from their “client” saying that the sale proceeds were £77,773.24 (84E).
On 29th June 2011 The Legal Ombudsman required Bleasdale to produce this “note”. At this point, Bleasdales now re-discovered their file on the sale of 4 Victoria Terrace.The "note" to which they had referred earlier turned out to be a letter from my brother Edwin to Bleasdales dated 24th July 2006 (84F). In his letter Edwin reported to Bleasdales the “Sale of 4 Victoria Terrace, St. Bees 16/7/98 £77,773.24” . Also, in his letter to Bleasdales, Edwin stated “my mother lived at my house, 8 Craig Drive, and rented her property 74 Main Street to my brother. This property is the main asset.” (The property 8 Craig Drive Whitehaven had been bought in October 2000 for £65,000, at which date my mother and my brother moved in).
In respect of the £77,773.24 proceeds from the sale of 4 Victoria Terrace, Bleasdales went on to tell The Legal Ombudsman that “We do not of course know how Mrs Sharpe disposed of this money during her lifetime”. At this, The Legal Ombudsman could pursue the matter no further. However, given Bleasdales track record of non-cooperation toward me I am afraid I do not believe them when they say this. It is clear to me that my brother and my brother's solicitors know very well what happened to the £77,773.24 which was the net proceeds from the sale of 4 Victoria Terrace. They are just not going to tell me what happened to this money. My brother Edwin has in his possession all my mother's papers which includes those detailing the sale of the house in St Bees.