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Franchise director had failed firms

15th February 2001
Page 6
Page 6, 15th February 2001 — Franchise director had failed firms
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• Commercial Motorhas discovered that the Pall-Ex vetting process allowed a franchise to go to a director with failed companies behind him and another on the verge of liquidation—and it also ignored a dispute over how the franchise changed hands from one member to another.

The dispute involves Anthony Kiff, the former director of PSW Logistics. He claims that he lost thousands of pounds after SWF Distribution took the franchise from him and seized company assets without his consent.

According to Kiff, he first became aware of PSW's dismissal from the Pall-Ex network in March 2000 when Philip Barnett, the solicitor acting for SWF Distribution, turned up to inform him of SWF Distribution's intention to take the franchise.

PSW was under financial pressure at the time, Kiff admits. "He [Barnett] told me that SWF was prepared to take on my company's employees and liabilities...but whenlsaw the agreement I wasn't happy with the terms and I refused to sign," says Kiff. "Then I found out that Barnett was actually a director in SWF."

Soon after, Kiff went to his premises on a Monday morning to find that PSW's computers, office furniture, files, tractors and trailers had all been taken to SWEs operating centre. He says this was without his consent.

Kiff claims that Mark Waite and Brian Young—two PSW managers—were party to this: "Where else were they going to get keys to the premises?"

Some but not all assets were later returned, but Kiff claims office furniture was damaged and one van was dumped near his home with the key snapped off in the ignition.

Mark Waite refutes Kiff's version of events but declined to offer CMa


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