ARCO, Joan Payne and Marcel Sulc: treachery.
We all know the character and activities of Marcel Sulc.
Following a newspaper article in the Hastings Observer concerning 11 Pelham Crescent, I was contacted by Joan Payne who asked me to help her against Sulc in 4 Pelham Crescent. My help culminated in the LVT hearing (See LVT file) and our friendship grew.
Joan was a little scatty and a lot of fun, but she lived on a disability pension and was always concocting schemes to try and make ends meet. Puzzlingly she registered Marcel Sulc’s sister as a member of SELCLA and used to keep in touch with her. She could be very funny when describing the arguments between Sulc and his sister.
One night in 2005, I was sitting in my flat with Joan when Marcel Sulc called me to ask me if I would be interested in purchasing property from him. I told him to put together a proposal and I would look at it and put the phone down. Joan was watching me intently.
Since the start of SELCHA George Okines the owner of ARCO would make speeches at SELCHA meetings telling us all how honest he was and what a good Christian he was. He wife had just left him (no bad judge) and Joan urged his cause. What I did not know at this time was that she was actively using her position in SELCHA to promote ARCO amongst our members in return for a commission from Mr Okines.
We then received the astonishing news that Dawson Harden & Tanton were to transfer 34 freehold premises to the management of ARCO. This turned out not to be true. The 34 buildings were in fact what was left of Marcel Sulc’s portfolio. The go- between Sulc and Okines to cement this deal was Joan Payne.
Okines was giving information to the various landlords in the town on the activities of SELCHA. This information was coming from Joan Payne.
Joan was never an officer of SELCHA. She refused to take a directorship of the company.
Since commencing business in 2005, ARCO has been the subject of the most complaints to SELCHA of all managing agents.
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