Michael (of Bernicia) Waugh, UK bankster-buster

[mufc1959]

I came across this case today, in which a bunch of litigants tried to cherry-pick those parts of the Bank of Scotland plc vs Waugh case that they thought would help them get their mortgages cancelled.

https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Ch/2022/200.html

It went as well as you'd have expected it to.

Edited to add: The CMC behind the claimants, Mortgage Five Zero Ltd, has two reviews on Trustpilot. I think I know which one wasn't written by an employee of Mortgage Five Zero Ltd... https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/mortgagefivezero.co.uk

They're also due to be struck off tomorrow. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/4287203

[longdog]

Is Denny's in the UK?

I believe all good play courts are hosted at Wetherspoons.

[aesmith]

... the Common Law offence of suppressing evidence that is subject to an ongoing criminal investigation by UCT’s international government-free organization, the People’s Foundation for Justice [PFJ] ..

Is there a real Common Law offence remotely resembling this? Or is the idea that you form your own court and define your own offences?

[Burnaby49]

Is Denny's in the UK?

No, not that I've ever seen. Maybe Greggs would serve as a substitute. They're everywhere and I'm a big fan of their Steak Bake.

[John Uskglass]

Maybe Greggs would serve as a substitute.

Have to be a Playmobil court to fit into a Greggs, I'd have thought.

[Burnaby49]

If Greggs is excluded the most obvious indigenous national chain is my favorite, Pret A manger, but I'd think that a bit pricey for the common law court crowd. Even though it's a pub perhaps Wetherspoons is the better choice.

[John Uskglass]

perhaps Wetherspoons is the better choice.

Would certainly fit the tofu eating wokerati stereotype of 'Spoons...

[AnOwlCalledSage]

They're also due to be struck off tomorrow. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/4287203

Ooh! A Public Interest Petition. That means the Secretary of State is demanding that they be would up rather just plain old insolvency or inability to trade.

[hucknallred]

Is Denny's in the UK?

There is one in Swansea.

https://twitter.com/dennys_dineruk

[Burnaby49]

So at least Wales has a proper venue for a common law court. I plan to be there this summer; if I see it I'll check out how authentic it is. Their hash browns aren't as good as Waffle House but that's an impossible standard to beat.

[The Observer]

So at least Wales has a proper venue for a common law court. I plan to be there this summer; if I see it I'll check out how authentic it is. Their hash browns aren't as good as Waffle House but that's an impossible standard to beat.

Waffle House? The emporium that features a mass donnybrook on a monthly basis? You actually visited one of those and survived? Or did breakfast happen to break out and ruin the main event?

[Burnaby49]

So at least Wales has a proper venue for a common law court. I plan to be there this summer; if I see it I'll check out how authentic it is. Their hash browns aren't as good as Waffle House but that's an impossible standard to beat.

Waffle House? The emporium that features a mass donnybrook on a monthly basis? You actually visited one of those and survived? Or did breakfast happen to break out and ruin the main event?

Every time I'm in the southern US I dine at Waffle house as much as possible. They're largely in the southern bible Belt but extend across to Tucson. They do a great job for counter-service fast food and they make the best hash browns anywhere. At least anywhere I've been.

FEMA actually has a Waffle House index which is their unofficial measure of the severity of a hurricane and the scale of assistance that will be necessary for disaster recovery.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waffle_House_Index

As a FEMA official once said;

If you get there and the Waffle House is closed? That's really bad...
— Craig Fugate, Former Head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency

This is because Waffle House is legendary for staying open when all other businesses are forced to close and, if they do close, they are generally the first business in an area to recover and re-open. So people often dine at Waffle house before FEMA can get in emergency assistance.

Sure, they have a bit of a reputation for "mass donnybrooks". I've seen a number of videos of everybody going at it including the staff, but I've not actually seen one in person.

[NYGman]

I think Waffle House is one of the largest employer of felons, which I always think is a great thing. Seems to work for them, as they make a great Waffle and Hash Browns. Just wish there were more up north.

[Burnaby49]

I think Waffle House is one of the largest employer of felons, which I always think is a great thing. Seems to work for them, as they make a great Waffle and Hash Browns. Just wish there were more up north.

That would explain the staff's proficiency at wading into fights.

[Hercule Parrot]

I came across this case today, in which a bunch of litigants tried to cherry-pick those parts of the Bank of Scotland plc vs Waugh case that they thought would help them get their mortgages cancelled.

Very interesting judgement, thank you. Obviously delightful to read the judge’s withering analysis & dismissal of their claims, but it raised a number of other thoughts:

It appears this is their fourth or fifth attempt to replay the same failed points, and the judgement rightly names this as abusive litigation by collateral attack. Several already have GCRO's or other restrictions, but appear to be continuing this course of conduct without sanction.

The Campbells seem to be a central feature, both in this case and the directorship of "Mortgage Five Zero" (referring to five attempts and zero success, I imagine). https://find-and-update.company-informa ... 3/officers

Although presumably now dissolved, Mortgage Five Zero continues to advertise for business. https://www.mortgagefivezero.co.uk/ Their website & 'brochure' appears to promote the same "get a free house" theory, offering advice and professional representation for that purpose. No information is provided about their registration or governance as legal practitioners, financial advisors etc. The company's registered base (Dalton House) is merely an accommodation address. Shaun Campbell, and his fragrant missus Natalie, appear to be the eminent greases behind this.

If my casual googling can be relied upon, Yolanda Blicharz‑Szmid was already subject to a GCRO for other reasons. Perhaps related that her own limited company "YBS Solutions" was struck-off last year? https://suite.endole.co.uk/insight/comp ... utions-ltd

I'm sorry that I can't draw these fragments into a pithy conclusion, but I have the strong feeling that this published judgement is the 'tip of the iceberg'.

[Hercule Parrot]

By addendum to above, I have just serendipitously noted another case involving Mortgage Five Zero. Significantly, this dates back to June 2018, and MFZ have remained involved throughout the disastrous litigation. Their "client" Mr Kehinde Odukoya has lost his family home, and earned an ECRO.

https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk ... h/2023/441

[SpearGrass]

Is there a real Common Law offence remotely resembling this (the Common Law offence of suppressing evidence )?

You will no doubt be shocked to your boots to learn there isn't. There is an offence of perverting the course of justice, and it is common law, and factually it could be committed by suppressing evidence, e.g. a police officer concealing exculpatory evidence. But it's not at all the same thing - for that offence you have to have a formal justice process whose course has been perverted, such as a police investigation or a trial. The "offence" he's describing consists of publishers such as Facebook taking down his stuff on their platform.

In this context "common law", instead of meaning "of great antiquity or judge-made" means "made up by me". Because of course it does.

[John Uskglass]

the Common Law offence of suppressing evidence that is subject to an ongoing criminal investigation by UCT’s international government-free organization, the People’s Foundation for Justice

As written, a legally minded pedant might point out that the 'offence' is very specific, in that the suppression has to be related to a 'criminal investigation' by the PFJ, and thus it is unlikely to have existed since the days of Merrie England.

[hucknallred]

by the PFJ

People's front of Judea?

[longdog]

SPLITTERS!