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22
Jan
Creditors of caravan firm investigated for fraud will receive no money, liquidator reports
The creditors of a Harrogate company in liquidation following a police investigation into fraud and money laundering will receive nothing, a document filed with Companies House reveals.
Steve Mann Caravans, which traded from premises on Claro Road, was made subject to a winding-up order in July 2024, and liquidators were appointed in November 2024.
Now, a progress report by the liquidator reveals that the company’s debts amount to £1.28 million.
The greater proportion of that sum consists of demands from HMRC amounting to £740,000, most of it for VAT.
'I'm absolutely gutted'
Steve Mann Caravans was founded by Steve Mann and his wife Alison in 1991 as a mobile caravan service and repair business. It operated initially from a workshop in Ilkley, but moved to larger premises on Claro Road in 2017 and branched out into second-hand sales.
The company traded successfully until early 2023, when its reviews on popular online portals such as Trustpilot and Google started to turn negative.
Customers complained of selling their caravan or motorhome to the company, but never receiving any of the proceeds.
One customer told us in April 2024:
Just give me my money, and I’ll be happy. But having spoken to other people in the same position, I’m not hopeful.
I’m gutted. Absolutely gutted.
At the end of that month, North Yorkshire Police launched an investigation into fraud involving about 50 victims, and arrested three people, believed to be Steve, Alison and James Mann.
The following month, founder Steve Mann stepped down as a director, leaving his son James as the company’s sole remaining director.
Debts still owed by the Manns
In addition to the debts the company owes, the liquidator, Richard Marchinton of Ilkley-based Conselia Ltd, has also uncovered outstanding debts to the company.
One of these is a debt of £213,357.12 that James Mann owes to a director’s loan account. James Mann was made bankrupt in June 2024, so none of that debt has been recovered, although the liquidator notes that “the position will continue to be monitored”.
Steve Mann has also been found to have been owing £180,445.95 to the company at the time of its liquidation. But since that time, he has submitted a claim against the company amounting to £305,089 – apparently made up of a combination of loans he made to the company and payments made on its behalf.
He has yet to provide the liquidator with substantiating evidence, but if he does and it is accepted, he could end up being recognised as a creditor of the company.
Documents seized
The liquidator also identified outstanding book debts owed by two debtors totalling about £83,000. But the documentation to support these debts was seized by North Yorkshire Police as part of its investigation, and no copies have been made available to the liquidator, despite a request.
The liquidator notes:
I understand that the investigation remains ongoing and that the Police are not currently in a position to release the seized records.
When North Yorkshire Police made the arrests in April 2024, it described the investigation as "complex" and said enquiries could take a long time.
That was 21 months ago. In the meantime, the force confirmed to the Stray Ferret this week that the “suspects remain released under investigation”.
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