Highland Titles - Previous Incarnations

When I do searches for information regarding the people behind Highland Titles it seems that nobody has anything good to say about them except themselves. These are some bits and pieces I've come across, it seems they have upset a lot of people before now, here is what others have to say.

This  blog post describes some of the other dubious enterprises used by the people behind Highland Titles to dupe members of the public out of their money - https://theanatomyofascam.wordpress.com

From the Daily Mirror - http://www.mirror.co.uk/opinion/money-opinion/p-s-investigates/fee-or-free-telephone-preference-opt-out-282769

"There's the ­Telephone ­Preference Service, run by the Direct Marketing Association, where at no cost you can register your phone number to stop unwanted sales calls.

Then there's Telephone Preference Register's website, www.telephonepreference.org.uk, which sounds official but isn't and wants £9.99 to add you to its opt-out list.

It has just been ruled misleading by the ­Advertising Standards Authority for "leading users to infer it was a Government service".

It gives a mailbox address in London but the site is registered to the Channel Islands in the name of Lochaber ­Highland Estates Ltd.

It's linked to Peter Bevis, 56, who made a packet selling tiny parcels of Scottish woodland, Laird and Lady titles."

From a thread in a fishing forum at - http://www.maggotdrowning.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=124324&whichpage=2

 "I get the impression that posters to this thread would like to know who has - in common sense, if not strictly legal terms - defrauded them and I think I can help. Apologies in advance for the rather long posting however.

Internet investigation by me using the Data Protection registration number quoted by the fraudulent website (Z2497964) reveals that the ‘company’ behind it is indeed called Universal Check Services, of Office 1, 26 Cleveland Road, South Woodford, London, E18 2AN. This also aligns with what is on the Information Commissioner’s Office register, but this also states that the Data Controller is QUALITY DESIGN (CI) LIMITED whose address is PO Box 140, GG, Alderney GY9 3HA, Guernsey (Note: a GY9 postcode indicates Alderney). Some further searching turns up a now defunct web site stating that Quality Design (CI) Limited is registered in Alderney as Company Number 1712.

The people behind Quality Design (CI) Limited are a Dr. Peter Bevis (full name believed to be Peter John Robert Bevis) and his daughter Laura Miriam Bevis. Peter Bevis, a former academic biologist within the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York is a Director of Lochaber Highland Estates Ltd. which sells very small plots of land in Scotland on the basis that the new owners can then call themselves a 'Laird'. Dr. Bevis is either married to or partnered with a Helen McGregor, apparently a former barrister with the Crown Prosecution Service whose legal advice is no doubt invaluable in ensuring that the risk of the family’s activities resulting in prosecution is minimal."

From thefreelibrary - http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Laird+title+sell-off+'a+bit+fishy'.-a0160995732

"A LANDOWNER is selling off an aristocratic title to anyone who pays pounds 20 for a square foot of his estate.

On auction site eBay, Dr Peter Bevis also promises the right to catch salmon in his Highland grounds.

He writes: "Can you imagine your friends' faces when you tell them they must call you Lord 'Whatever' of Lochaber?"

But the angling rights have been called worthless as no mature salmon can leap the Monessie Falls, a waterfall leading to his 60,000-acre Tulloch estate.

Only juvenile salmon can be found in his stretch of the River Spean - and they are protected by law.

Fishery board member Malcolm Spence QC said: "What Bevis is doing is completely wrong. I think it would be a criminal act to fish above the falls.""

It would seem that the people behind Highland Titles have ruffled a few feathers before.

You can read more about their previous exploits by following these links:
http://highlandtitlesscam.wordpress.com/the-fishing-rod-licence-application-scam/
http://highlandtitlesscam.wordpress.com/telephone-preference-opt-out-scam/

Did Highland Titles Buy Their Land For Conservation?

Highland Titles claim to have originally bought their estate to protect it from development, this claim simply does not hold up to scrutiny. In fact they sell quarter acre and half acre plots of their estate for devlopment purposes. Remember when the people behind Highland Titles called themselves Lochaber Highland Estates? This is what they said then and are still saying now. To quote from one of their own websites

"The Woodland Sites being offered may be suitable for leisure use or some sensitive development. The land is not zoned for development though temporary structures are normally permitted. However, planning permission may be possible in the future and so the plots offer an interesting long term investment"

These plots are situated on Native Scottish Woodland, development of them would result in destruction of much of that woodland, yet Highland Titles who claim to be so interested in conservation are actively encouraging development! Does anybody still believe they are very interested in conservation?

How Much Money Is Left After The Wages Are Paid?

Interestingly on her BBC Radio Guernsey interview Alex Flewitt agreed with Murray Norton that Highland Titles are the biggest employer on Alderney with 26 employees. Yes that is what she said, 26 employees, and that is just on Alderney, presumably there will be some in the UK too, otherwise how is all that "conservation work" getting done?

You might like to think about how much is going to be left over for "conservation work" after paying out the wage bill before making a contribution.

There is no mention of numbers of employees in the UK. There is only one that I know of, John MacDanold their ghillie, and I happen to know he also works for the National Trust for Scotland so he is part time. If it is the case that he is the only UK employee, who is doing all Highland Titles' conservation work?

Lady Alex Flewitt From Highland Titles On BBC Radio Guernsey

Lady Alex Flewitt of Highland Titles was recently on BBC Radio Guernsey being interviewed by Murray Norton. Here are some quotations (in green) from that, and my comments.

Alex Flewitt - "Under Scottish landowners law you can become the Laird Lord or Lady of the land"

There is no Scottish landowners law which states this, this law does not exist, this statement is nonsense, they just made that up. The only Lord and Lady titles available in Scotland are those awarded to peers, Laird is not even a title at all.

Murray Norton - "So what would the title be"
Alex Flewitt - "Laird Of Glencoe"

This would infer (to me anyway) that the land for sale would therefore be in Glencoe, this is not the case. The land sold by Highland Titles in not in Glencoe, it is 15 miles or so from Glencoe in a small patch of land which Highland Titles just called Glencoe Wood, though it had never been known by this name before, and has no connection at all to Glencoe. Laird Of Glencoe is not a genuine title, it is a trademark registered with the IPO by Highland Titles. A company called Lord Titles pulled the same stunt as can be seen in this Advertising Standards Authority ruling. "We also noted the titles Lord of the Manor of Wansley and Lady of the Manor of Wansley were registered as trademarks with the IPO, rather than being genuine titles".

Alex Flewitt - "Did a bit of Australian telly out there and eh we got upgraded straight away first class flights and hotel as soon as they see that title they go a little bit crazy"

This is really quite a serious claim. Firstly, you do not actually have a title, all you have done is changed your name to for instance Lord Of Glencoe, Lord being your first name not your title. Secondly it is illegal in the UK to change your name for the purposes of fraud. Should an airline or hotel offer upgraded services on the basis that you are in fact a real Lord, should you not volunteer the information that you are not really a lord, and that Lord is actually your first name, you could leave yourself open to an accusation of fraud, which is a criminal offense. The UK Home Office advice on this is quite clear as can be seen in this document http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/agencies-public-bodies/ips/passports-policy-publications/titles-included-in-passports?view=Binary

Quotation from the official UK Home Office Document:
"There are companies that change an individual's name to include a title. Legal advice has been sought on this issue and the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) policy is based on the advice received.
It is clear an individual can call themselves any name they wish providing is not for a fraudulent purpose. However, it is believed there is no legal basis for a person to change their title: e.g. from Mr to Lord. It follows, therefore, that applicants have the right to change their name, for example, from Mr John Smith to Mr Sir John Smith and adopt "Sir" as an additional forename. But they cannot change their title from Mr John Smith to Sir John Smith"

The service offered by Highland Titles is merely a change of name service and does not confer a real title. Buyers believing they have a real title could inadvertently leave themselves open to a criminal charge of fraud. Furthermore, suggesting that you can get upgraded services etc. by changing your name, is without doubt an encouragement to buyers to break the law by changing their name for a fraudulent purpose.

Alex Flewitt - "you have your co-ordinates that you can plumb into your sat-nav, come up to the land, and eh go and find your exact square foot"

It is not possible to exactly locate a square foot of land with any commercially available sat-nav receiver. Garmin, a very respected manufacturer of GPS receivers claim an accuracy of 15 meters on average. "Certain atmospheric factors and other sources of error can affect the accuracy of GPS receivers. Garmin® GPS receivers are accurate to within 15 meters on average."(http://www8.garmin.com/aboutGPS/).

Alex Flewitt - "We've got 19 pairs of golden eagles that reside on the land"

19 pairs of golden eagles could not possibly reside on 750 acres of land, the idea is utterly preposterous. There are only 19 pairs of golden eagles residing in the whole of the Scottish National Heritage Glen Etive And Loch Fyne Special Protection Area which covers a vast area from Glen Kinglas in the south to Appin in the north. http://www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/strategy/GEConsult/5.5A-GLENETIVEGLENFYNECASE-B437685.pdf map at http://www.snh.gov.uk/docs/B722753.pdf

Murray Norton - "Can I change the passport"
Alex Flewitt - "Anything that has your previous title on it is fine"

This is misinformation and it needs to be absolutely clear that according to the Home Office you cannot put a title that you do not have on a UK Passport. The Home Office advice on this is again very clear as taken from the following document, http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/agencies-public-bodies/ips/passports-policy-publications/titles-included-in-passports?view=Binary

Quotation from the official UK Home Office Document:
"There are companies that change an individual's name to include a title. Legal advice has been sought on this issue and the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) policy is based on the advice received.

It is clear an individual can call themselves any name they wish providing is not for a fraudulent purpose. However, it is believed there is no legal basis for a person to change their title: e.g. from Mr to Lord. It follows, therefore, that applicants have the right to change their name, for example, from Mr John Smith to Mr Sir John Smith and adopt "Sir" as an additional forename. But they cannot change their title from Mr John Smith to Sir John Smith.

As there is a right for an applicant to change their name by deed poll, the presumed title can appear on the personal details page of the passport as a forename with an observation being entered relating to the name change. An observation is required in any case where there is the potential for any name change to mislead; this includes reference to a title and to maintain the integrity of the passport.
In cases where an applicant has adopted a description of a title of nobility as a forename the observation to be entered is:
• THE REFERENCE TO .............................................. IS TO THE HOLDER'S NAME AND NOT TO THE HOLDER'S TITLE.(e.g. LORD; SIR; BARON; ETC.)

This observation should automatically be placed in the passport of any such applicant and there is no need to contact them unless the application form is completed in a way that indicates the customer believes they are applying for a change of title rather than of name. In these circumstances the applicant should be advised of how the data will be displayed in the passport and of the observation that will be entered in the document.

The above observation should also be used in all renewal applications where the children's and adult's birth names are similarly misleading, for example where names on birth certificates are registered as Princess, Prince, Earl, Duke, etc."