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High-profile forwarder faces new row over unpaid bills
Page 8
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Freight forwarder Jeff Lewis is back in the spotlight in another dispute
over unpaid invoices. Chris Tindall reports.
A FREIGHT FORWARDER previously jailed for ripping off operators has once again sparked anger in a claim over thousands of pounds in unpaid invoices, Jeff Lewis, who CM has previously exposed for fraud, and then for unpaid bills (CM 20 October 20(15), is trading under the Tree Freight banner. He has been threatened with legal action by temperaturecontrolled business Eurochill and also faces bankruptcy proceedings from factoring company Bibby Financial Services.
Peter Cooper, owner of the Doncaster-based firm Eurochill, says he will go to the wall within a fortnight if Lewis, who runs Tree Freight as a sole trader, does not pay 18 of his invoices dating back to December 2005.
Cooper factors his invoices through Bibby, but it is currently trying to recover outstanding hills from Lewis.
Cooper reckons he is owed as much as £20,000. have done plenty of work for [Tree Freight] since last year up to two weeks' ago," he says. "It will send me bust in two weeks and I am under at this rate. It's just unreal."
A spokeswoman for Bibby confirms it is looking into the matter. She adds: -ILewis] raised a few issues and we are getting [Cooper] to respond. Whether he pays or not is another matter. He could be playing a game, a stalling tactic. We have to act on this pretty swiftly."
Lewis admits that he is late paying one invoice from January, but says the others are subject to 30day payment terms.
He also says he has financial problems, but claims Cooper's administration is ultimately at fault. He concludes: "I don't have any invoices from December from Mr Cooper.
christopher.tindall@rbi.eo.uk