Neil Margrie Cynthia Judge Rip Off London London

I started looking for a property abroad as an investment back in 2007. I was in touch with Cynthia Judge and Neil Margrie at Homes And Property Over Seas (HAPOS) looking at properties in Morocco. I was originally going to purchase a 2 bed apartment on the Atlantic coast with them but then Cynthia Judge recommend that I buy a 1 bed apartment on the Moroccan golden mile on the Mediterranean coast.

I was told that it was a nice area, popular with tourists both Moroccan and foreign alike.

The price was about £80,000 which seemed a bit high for what it was and in Morocco but I was assured that the rental returns would be really good, about €100 per night during the 2 months in the high summer season and then I would still get good occupancy rates in the winter but at a reduced rate so overall it seemed like a good investment.

I went into the office and met with Neil Margrie who then told me about all the great things about the area and Morocco in general including the fact that they were planning to build a tunnel connecting Spain and Morocco (just like the Channel Tunnel) which turns out later is absolute rubbish.

I then proceeded with the purchase of the property and made a deposit of 30%.

Cynthia Judge and Neil Margrie  introduced me to a company called Kit My Pad Out (which was run by Simon Kay) who were a company specialising in providing a full furniture package for armchair investors (I couldn’t get over to Morocco myself due to work commitments). This was to include everything needed for the apartment from the bed and bedding to knives and forks in the kitchen. The package seemed a bit pricey at £4581 for a 1 bed apartment but I was assured by Cynthia Judge that the reason for this is that it was all high quality products and that it should be for the type of clientele who would be renting the apartment and that all the furniture was going to be imported into Morocco. 

When I finally did get out to see my apartment I then saw that everything was the cheapest stuff possible and it wasn’t imported at all (why would it be when you can get the stuff in Morocco?). Most of the kitchen items had been purchased from a supermarket down the road and was the worst quality imaginable, the dining table surface started to crack after 6 months. I was absolutely disgusted as I had been ripped off and lied to.

I then asked Cynthia about this and she said that Kit My Pad Out was nothing to do with them and I would have to chase them about this.

The address of Kit My Pad Out was 18 THE BROADWAY, WEMBLEY. which when I did some research is the same address as what Neil Margrie and Cynthia Judge have as the address of their previous companies! So basically they have been in this together all along and that address is the one being used by Neil Margrie and Cynthia Judge as the address of their new business Walter & Bessie Ltd.

I was also assured by Cynthia Judge that the apartment was defect free and that the snagging list had been completed but when I first saw my apartment it clearly hadn’t which I was really annoyed about as I then had to get the builders at the development site (who were really helpful) to try and rectify the defects.

I was using a Moroccan/ Spanish solicitors who were advising me to wait making the final payment until they had changed the contract so that it would benefit the buyers (us) better. As they were acting on our behalf this seemed to make sense but Cynthia Judge was pressuring me to make the final payment and threatening that unless payment was made quickly then there was a real risk of me losing my property (which turned out to be nonsense and was just a ploy to get their commission).

I am quite angry by what Cynthia Judge and Neil Margrie did, my main point is that I was lied to about the rental returns of the property which are nowhere near what Cynthia Judge told me they would be. Also the fact that I was ripped off with the furniture package and also that I was lied to about making the final payment for the property when I did’t have to. Also the fact that Cynthia Judge said that the apartment was defect free but wasn’t.

I just hope that no one has the misfortune in dealing with Neil Margrie or Cynthia Judge in the future as they clearly have no morals or conscience when it comes to business dealings with people.