McClure not safe or SECURE
“Safe and Secure use McClure”
Well actually, I don’t believe that this logo, which was previously emblazoned on the Greenock Premises Shop Window prior to their demise after entering administration, represents the truth, as McClure‘s have behaved abysmally in dealing with their former clients hard earned cash and assets.
Motivated by a report from the BBC in January, which highlighted a number of issues surrounding McClure‘s debacle, has encouraged me to share my elderly sister’s saga, after I sadly encouraged her to make out a Will, however after a consultation with McClures the end result was her also taking out Power of Attorney and Family Trust, after being lured into their lions den with their reassuring tactics of promises that her assets would be looked after safely and “protected securely”, with additional promises of continuing annual reviews, which obviously never occurred.
LIARS
Jones and White Glasgow solicitors, acquired McClure‘s clientele, after they entered administration. My sister who was one of McClures clients, was advised that she was only one of potentially 100000 clients, who’s documentation had possible irregularities.
Experiencing difficulties in getting clarity from Jones and White, only increased my elderly sister’s anxiety and angst, so she eventually agreed to engage a local solicitor to retrieve, review and correct any anomalies identified within the documentation, ensuring its Legality and fitness for purpose.
Part of the correction process necessitated the removal of the names of McClure‘s appointed Trustees, Andrew Robertson - (former Managing Director and Majority Shareholder), who required a fee of £100 and Shirley Houlihan - (former solicitor) who also required a £100 fee, but her “solicitor” required a fee of £240, this was in addition to paying a fee to said “Jones and White”.
After becoming perplexed about this affair, a little investigation revealed that a family in Hertfordshire, in 2020, could not close the sale of their late Mothers Home, due to McClure’s Solicitor, “Ms Houlihan” refusing to have her name removed as a trustee, unless a £340 fee was forthcoming, thereby stopping the family getting their inheritance
According to a Mr. Ian Ferrier - representative for Law Firm PSG - and hired by the family to resolve this issue, stated: “It is unusual for a trustee to request a fee” (1) and to increase the family’s anxiety further adding to the existing stress, McClures director Stewart Moore would not comment on the matter, but said: “We are actively engaged in attempts to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.”
There also was a report that Shirley Anne Houlihan from Gourock was fined £2,500 after the Law Society of Scotland found her guilty of professional misconduct, at a 2018 tribunal.
According to an account, of McClure‘s Amateurish proceedings, entitled “Case Study“ published by Oliver Rees (Hugh/James solicitors) (2) on “11 August 2022. stated ..…..
“Shirley Houlihan was formerly employed by McClure Solicitors and was appointed as a trustee of some 8,000 Family Protection Trusts during her time there.
Since parting ways with McClure Solicitors, Shirley Houlihan remains appointed as trustee of these trusts, but a number of people have faced difficulties with engaging with her to deal with any of the administrative matters arising from the trust (including to be removed from the trust as trustee)
Not including the potential mismanagement of those affected clients, it doesn’t take a professor of mathematics to calculate the resulting potential income for, Shirley Houlihan and Andrew Robertson (estimated a minimum £0.80 million), for the removal of their names from those innocent clients records. Is this not corruption, when individuals can alarmingly increase their wealth at the expense of innocent victims?
In my sisters situation McLures hadn’t’ even completed the documentation in accordance with legal requirements, so after her initial £2400 outlay to McClures, it subsequently incurred further costs to have those anomalies rectified.
A final thought, remember that these solicitors are still at large in our communities, possibly still practicing, possibly sitting alongside you in a restaurant, and “for me” FORGIVENESS, is truly being tested, as one of these solicitors sits alongside me in my place of worship, it would appear, he has no moral conscience and certainly no qualms about the legal mess they have walked away from, leaving anxious clients to suffer endless sleepless nights worrying about their investment.
Reference:
(1) scottishsun
(2) hughjames